Enchantment Lakes

We spent eight days backpacking the Icicle Creek area near Leavenworth, WA. The weather was perfect the entire trip. The hike was divided into two four-day segments. On the first we hiked up to several lakes named after Brigham Young's wives - Margaret, Mary, and Florence (topo map) - ultimately reaching a 7500 ft overlook on Snowgrass Mountain. On the second we hiked the Enchantment Lakes (topo map), too numerous to list and too spectacular to describe - just look at the pictures. This hike peaked at Aasgard Pass at 7800 ft.

The trip did have a strange undertone due to the terrorist attacks three weeks prior. Getting out of the city into the mountains was a welcome break from the events of the world.

The text is sparse for this travelogue because I wrote it a year and a half after the trip. No matter, the pictures speak for themselves. Please email me if you have any questions or comments.

These hikes are listed in 100 Hikes in Washington's Alpine Lakes, 2nd edition as hike #33 (Lake Mary) and #20 (Enchantment Lakes). The book says "Allow 3-4 days" for the Enchantments. I'd say four is the absolute minimum for a trip this stunning.

- Jason