The Enchantments Traverse

<p>The Enchantments Traverse begins at the Stuart Lake Trailhead (~2,930') at the end of Eightmile Road, 12 miles from Leavenworth via Icicle Creek Road, and ends at the Snow Lakes Trailhead on Icicle Creek Road, 4 miles from town.<p> <p>Follow the Stuart Lake Trail (#1599) south through mixed forest along Mountaineer Creek. At 2.1 miles, reach a signed junction and turn left onto the Colchuck Lake Trail (#1599A) — straight continues to Stuart Lake. Continue 1.5 miles through forest to an unsigned junction at a large boulder at 3.6 miles; bear right. Colchuck Lake (~5,570') appears at approximately 4.5 miles, sitting beneath Dragontail Peak (8,852') and Colchuck Balanced Rock (8,202'). Follow the trail along the north shore to the far eastern end of the lake, where the maintained trail ends. Cross boulders and follow cairns across the talus under the terminal moraine.<p> <p>The route climbs steeply southeast up Aasgard Pass — 2,300 vertical feet of talus and scree in approximately one mile. Navigation follows faint tread and cairns; stay left of the larch grove halfway up to avoid impassable terrain on the right. Top out at Colchuck Pass (7,841') with views west to the Stuart Range and east into the Core Enchantments basin.<p> <p>Descend into the granite basin and traverse by cairns through Inspiration Lake, Perfection Lake, Sprite Lake, Leprechaun Lake, and Lake Viviane. Route-finding is straightforward in dry conditions; snow can obscure the way early in the season. The route drops through Enchantment Pass (6,762') into the Snow Lakes zone. Reach Upper Snow Lake at approximately 13 miles, then follow the Snow Creek Trail down the drainage 5 miles to the Snow Lakes Trailhead on Icicle Creek Road.<p>