Trip Reports

Trip up Granite Mountain was great on Sunday -- morning was cool, no berries or fall color in the forest but out in the open the Maples and berries are coming to life!

There was no snow on the trail the whole way up; there was snow in the shadowy areas on boulders, and some of the trail near the lookout had frozen mud in places.

There was good visibility, and it looked like most peaks in this vicinity have little/no snow yet.

The trail is in decent shape, but there is a slide short of Tunnel #1 which is also marked by a trail-closed sign. It prevented us from passing since only the most sure-footed dogs will be able to get through it. We stopped there and turned around.

Oct 13th, 2008: Enchantments

I have always maintained that the Enchantments region is the Rolls Royce of Washington hiking. This Sunday, the ‘Chants put on a show the likes of which I have never seen on previous visits.

The weather had been cold and heavy snow had recently fallen in the mountains, so I was a bit concerned on the state of conditions at 7000ft+. Thankfully the day was forecasted to be nice and sunny, so with that in my mind I set off from the trailhead in the early morning hours (5:45am), hiking by headlamp. About a half-hour into the hike a hissing sound rose up around me – it took me a moment to realize that light rain was pattering on the shrubbery surrounding me. So much for the forecast!

Thankfully the rain soon let up and it was back to happy thoughts as I reached Colchuck Lake about 2 hrs into the hike. A quick look at Aasgard Pass showed it snow-free, so my happy thoughts became just that little bit happier.

As usual, the route around the lake and to the base of the Aasgard Pass climb took seemingly forever. Unfortunately, as I reached the start of the climb I was treated to the icy sight of a completely frozen stream. Searching for an appropriate crossing point took a bit of doing, but I was soon safely across and on my way up. The climb went well until the second crossing of the stream about 2/3rds of the way up. After that various icy sections had to be navigated (a couple in really bad spots) so I took my time to ensure no mishaps.

10:00am and I was up top in overcast conditions. I could see a bit of blue appearing to the east, so I held fast to my happy thoughts. I made a beeline for Lake Freya, only to see it frozen over. This was a disappointment, until I took a closer look and started to see lots of photographic potential. It was heaven from that point onward, as lake after lake unfolded a strangely beautiful side that I had not seen before.

I took my time, especially in the Upper Enchantments. However, as the hours ticked away, I began to realize that I needed to make slightly quicker progress. In all it took me 4hrs to get to Lake Viviane, at the far end of the Enchantments region, my turn-around point. The way back to Aasgard Pass took a further 2hrs, but the sun was out and if I hadn’t been concerned about descending Aasgard Pass (as well as navigating Colchuck Lake’s shores) in darkness, I would have lingered even more.

The way down was uneventful, with only the final hour of hiking requiring a headlamp.

Additional photos: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/72157608000376135

Cumulative stats:
- Elevation gain: 6,400ft
- Distance: 18mi
- Hiking time: 14.25hrs
- Total trip time: 20hrs

It was the annual trek to see the larches and we were not disappointed although the day turned out to be much more than just larches. The plan (and result) was a loop trip up to Ingalls Pass; over to Ingalls Lake; up to the notch between N. and S. Ingalls; down the west side to Lake Ann; up and over Fortune Pass and back to the car. At first I did not think this loop would be possible due to snow issues and perhaps it should not have happened. We encountered every combination and permutation of the following trail/scramble conditions: water, slush, snow, ice, dirt, scree, talus, boulders, and heather meadows. Let's say there was some excitement on the snow/ice/scree/talus/boulder situations.

The trail to Ingalls Lake is in good shape and there was the treat of Mt Stuart and the larches as we crested Ingalls Pass. I always love walking through Headlight Basin with a fresh coat of snow and golden yellow larches. The rock slabs above Ingalls Lake were dry enough for a nice and easy scramble. When the slabs end, the snow and talus were somewhat unpredictable but OK. Below the pass between N. and S. Ingalls, there is a slippery and probably permanent snow field that we scooted by in deep snow. From there to the pass, the mix of snow and scree was just the right consistency to kick firm steps. We had some route finding issues descending the west side of the Ingalls peaks plus frozen scree, loose scree, frozen talus, loose talus, frozen boulders, loose boulders - well you get the picture. It took us a very long time to descend this section but we were rewarded with the nice meadows and Lake Ann. The larches at Lake Ann are still peaking but many were just right.

At this point I was not looking forward to climbing up to Fortune Pass there was no other option. That part of the trail was somewhat icy but OK. Then there was the long descent back to the trailhead.

We hiked counter clock wise from Tipsoo Lakes to the junction of the PCT to Dewey Lakes.We returned the way we came as the hikers we met who were doing the loop clockwise reported less fall color and windy, colder conditions on the east side of Nachez Peak. Mt Rainier was not in view when we started, but was very beautiful and more visible on our return trip. Thank you to the volunteer Park Ranger who found my lens cap and left it on our truck! :)! The trail was frozen when we started, but became muddy in places when the sun came out!

Experienced the mostly sunny forecast by standing in the rain at Relection Lakes Sunday morning. Pinnacle Saddle trial was slick in many places, with an inch or two of frozen rain crusted snow. Poles would have been very helpful. Wonderland Trail from Reflectin Lakes to Paradise was slick in a few places. Trails above Paradise were mostly clear to about 6400'.

Trail to Annette Lake is in great condition. There is very little water on the trail and has good drainage during wet days. There are a few nice bridges to stop and take a look around at the wonderful scenery.

The Lake is really nice with a few places to camp around the lake. There are also great places to have a picnic lunch towards the Eastern side of the lake.

WARNING: Do NOT try to bushwhack around the lake. There is no complete trail, and it is VERY hard to go all the way around. Stick on the trail and within your ability.

I was pretty excited for this hike as I had talked to a few people and looked at some pictures prior to my hike. I arrived at the trailhead at 10:30 AM to find at least 50 cars parked there. This was initially discouraging, but I figured what can I expect, it's a Saturday and the end of hiking season.

When I got on the trail I was happy to find some ground foliage in bright pink and bright red. Also I did not see as many people on the trail as I had expected by the amount of cars parked. The trail has the option to split off to go to Long Pass, so I figured this must of helped to disperse people. I was happy with this hike as I felt my eyes were constantly busy with increasing view as I gained elevation. I was also lucky that Saturday was amazingly clear. When I got to about 5200 ft I could see both Rainier, and Mt St Helens in the far background.

The ground was a little frozen, so when the sun hit certain spots the trail became muddy, but nothing too bad. As I made my way over Ingalls pass I dropped down into a field of larches accompanied by Mt Stuart in the background. There is some snow in this area on the trail, but not for too long. This was a very beautiful part of the hike. When I was in this part of the hike my friend said "I feel like I'm hiking through a post card," which really is what it feels like among those colorful larches.

As you continue the trail, there is one more incline to the lake. When I reached the lake there was snow in most places, but rocks stuck through for good resting places. At this elevation it was very cold. I had my stove and made a couple cups of tea to keep warm while I had lunch. The view of the lake was great, as the backdrop of Mt Stuart and other peaks surrounded me. Sadly I didn't stay longer than 45mins to an hour, as I was too cold, even on a beautiful clear day.

The weather was sunny and clear. The parking lot at Paradise was very crowded because it was the opening weekend of the new Vistor Center. The trail starts off paved and straight up. We saw a bear within the first 10 minutes of the hike. It was about 50 yards off the trail eating plants. The fall colors are amazing. It takes about 30 minutes to weed out the tourists from the hikers. You start running into people with 60lb packs that are headed to Camp Muir and eventually the summit. I'm not fit enough for that yet. We went from hot and sweaty to really cold. It changed very quickly. The trail became covered in snow. Not deep but annoying slippery and slow going. There is an amazing lookout area at the top of the loop before you head down the other side. You have great views of Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens. The backside had 2 different ways to get back to Paradise. We chose to remain on the Skyline trail, instead of taking the short cut (golden something) which would have saved us about an hour. It is really weird how many people you run into once you get within 20 minutes of Paradise. All the tourists dressed in fancy clothes and going picture crazy. The hike took us 5 hours. I've heard that people can do it in 4 hours without the snow and hanging out at the look out.

Just a little dusting of snow on the trail today, otherwise it was clear and mostly dry. Just a little fall color in the upper meadows. The trail is in as good shape as I've ever seen it; it's clearly gotten some "love" in the last year or two since I've last been here.