Amazing scenery. Trail is in good condition. Some sections are rocky
★
★
★
★
★
Difficulty: Challenging !
Asgard Pass ascent is hard. Descent was BRUTAL. But the views in the core were Pristine!
★
★
★
★
★
Climbing through boulders the size of two story homes, lunching next to and cooling off in pristine lakes, refining water from glacier run-off waterfalls. And baby goats.
★
★
★
★
★
More of a steep boot path than trail. Lots of shade even midday. Cool refreshing lake with trout jumping.
★
★
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★
Started from Esmeralda Basin Trailhead at 1am. Made the top of Longs pass in 70 minutes. Summit in 5 hrs 45 min. The route up the cascadian couloir starts in the the trees pretty much right from the river crossing and not further down the river as shown in many gpx files and route descriptions so be aware. Had some trouble with route finding around the false summit which led to some class 4 moves. Cairns much easier to follow on the way down.
★
★
★
★
★
The best way to find the path to get around the cliff at Lake Lillian is about 20-30 feet before Lake Lillian, pat attention at the side trail on your right when you are within ten meters/yards of the lake.
★
★
★
★
★
Amazing hike. The trail is tricky to stay on from Colchuk to Asgaard, but you know where you are headed so can make it work. Beyond Asgaard the trail is mostly across polished granite with the use of cairns until you reach Snow Lakes. Long slog from Snow Lakes to trailhead.
Epic views, lots of wildlife, amazing day hike!!
★
★
★
★
★
Great trail run, only one at the lake on a Monday! Felt like I kept a good pace and good effort throughout. I am very happy with this run!
★
★
★
★
★
Long trail but not difficult. Lots of water on the trail and deep snow the last 1000 ft vertical. Needed snowshoes for the last mile but carried on without. Tired feet but legs felt good
★
★
★
Gorgeous views toward end. There are a few high pitch slopes with avalanche risk in 2nd half. It’s in my top 10 of snowshoe routes
★
★
★
★
★
This was the hardest and most grueling hike I have ever been on. I was digging deep mentally and physically to keep going. The reward was absolutely epic and well worth the pain. Whenever I do this again I will not go all the way to Stuart trail head and instead turn around at Lake Vivian or possibly Upper Snow Lake if full. Basically I didn’t feel the last 9 miles of downhill pain were worth the reward.
★
★
★
★
★
What an amazing hike! Love the stream crossings on deception. The hike up to tuck was a peace of cake and any novice hiker could do it. However the hike up to Robin was very steep and you should definitely proceed with caution. All in all managing the risk I would say the ascend to Robin is definitely worth it as tuck is beautiful but Robin is twice that and seems very other worldly. Total time moving was 5.5 hours and the total miles was nearly 14 while the ascension was 3,200. One of my new favorites in the baker area!
★
★
★
★
★
Beautiful trail, mostly wooded with gaining elevation. A few steeper sections requiring a little care over roots and rocks but not very challenging unless new to hiking. Trail finishes overlooking Colchuck and there a few ways to scramble down to this lovely, blue glacial lake flanked by tall peaks and glaciers.
★
★
★
★
It was a nice moderate hike and a beautiful place to relax at Gem Lake. Snow Lake was gorgeous too but too crowded.
★
★
★
★
Nice cool day on the trail at 5:30 a..m with headlamp. It’s been a long time since I was on the PCT. Only met one person (coming down) until the Katwalk. Several pairs of backpackers coming out at the top. Continued on to Ridge Lake and about another mile beyond that. Felt great but feet started getting sore on the way out. Nearly 20 miles RT. Cold beer at Dru Bru at the pass before heading home.
★
★
★
★
September 7-8, 2023z Had permits for Snow Area. Left a car at Snow Lake Trailhead. Paid $30 per person to take 30 minutes shuttle to Stuart Lake Trailhead.
Started hiking at 6:45 am to Colchuck lake. Arrived at stunning Colchuck Lake just before the sun rose and it was nothing short of magical.
The hike from Colchuck Lake up Asgard Pass, through the Core area to Snow Lake is nothing short of an obstacle course. We thought we could easily plan on 2 mph. We averaged less than 1 mph from Colchuck to Snow. The beautiful and sometimes terrifying mountain slopes will often require your whole body (bring gloves) and you’ll be searching for cairns because the trail is hard to find more often than not.
From Snow Lake to the Snow Lake Trailhead it’s more or less what you’d expect for a trail and we had no problem keeping a sub 2 mph pace.
Overall—the Enchantments and Aasgard Pass live up to their hype. It’s challenging terrain and stunning.
★
★
★
★
★
This hike was lovely! I’m not very fit and was able to finish it. There’s a lot of sun, so make sure to wear a hat and lots of sunscreen.
★
★
★
★
★
Stunning hike to an alpine lake with mixed terrain (east then hard). Gorgeous lake! Good camping.
★
★
★
★
★
Trail is not maintained anymore so there are lots of downed trees and trail is easy to lose. Joe lake was beautiful and packed with rainbow trout and we were the only people there. Also the last steep push is brutal haha.
★
★
★
★
★
This is an excellent hike worthy of its reputation. I’ve been hiking on I-90 for years but somehow never made it out to this one!
At this point in the year, all snow is essentially gone from the trail and no special equipment is needed, although there are a few downed trees that require climbing over or under. The route provided here is accurate!
★
★
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★
Views were insane! Didn’t make it all the way to Alta Mountain. The unmaintained trails were challenging to follow in some areas. Gaia had us covered though. We got worn out with all of snow around Lake Lillian to Rampart Lakes. High clearance vehicle required to get to trail head. I’d like to try this one again once all the snow melts.
★
★
★
★
★
That’s my favorite hike.
It’s not too difficult
The vegetation it’s so beautiful
★
★
★
★
★
Great hike. Plenty of water sources. Took 1hr47min up aasgard. Core zone was a little slow. Down was quick after snow lakes.
Total water was probably close to 4.5-5L. Took plenty of food and had extra.
Group was all relatively in shape, though not high fitness I would say. A few stops at toilets and for snacks. Hat and gloves would’ve been nice but seemed to misplace
Mine.
★
★
★
★
★
This is a really long day trip - and not for the faint hearted. After the Alaska lake turnoff the trail is very hard to follow through the slide alder and thimbleberry - disppearing and reappearing. Then it gets steep - really steep - one section had a length of yelow rope to hang on to. Thank you to whoever put that there. An extremely strenous hike only for those very confident in their navigation and good fitness. I wouldn't recommend this to the inexperienced, timid or in poor weather.
★
★
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★
Beautiful hike but tons of people. Just be courteous and step aside for those going up. We went on a Sunday and it was a beautiful fall day. Lots of switch backs towards the top
★
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★
★
Shanice calls this the “Stairmaster” trail due to its large number of log staircases. Indeed, most of the steeper inclines (especially at the beginning of the trail) consist of steps, which at times distract from the hiking experience but are also essential for preventing off-trail erosion and ensuring hiker comfort and safety.
Our group arrived at the parking lot (same as Snoqualmie Mtn) at around 8:30 on Monday morning. 6 in total (Julia, shanice, Michelle, Ia, Gabi).
This was my forrest time hiking to snow lake. i assume the trail was far less crowded than average, but we encountered many other groups on the ascent and people continued to arrive while we hung out at the lakeside.
plants:
BLACK CONE FIR
★
★
★
Recently opened trail after maintenance. In great shape. Not a cloud in the sky today. We were worried about smoke but there wasn’t any. Only few people in the parking lot at Alpental at our 8:00 AM start. Maybe saw 30 all day mostly headed up as we headed out. Snow Lake and Chair and Bryant Peaks looked great. Trail has plenty of rocks but nothing very steep.
★
★
★
★
★
Very accessible, grade was never too steep, beautiful views and lots of pikas! Trail is in great condition.
★
★
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★
Forgot to finish when we got to car drove over Hyak after for a couple minutes.
General trail condition was pretty good. Mostly just hiking along old forest service road with a little more classic single track trail once you get to first of three lakes. Trail is a little difficult to follow to second lake. Wel worth it to see upper lakes though. First lake is mostly just a marsh at the moment. Bugs were a nuisance once at lakes. Overall trail itself was a 2 star for beauty but upper lake was definitely gorgeous and was empty except for my sister and I.
★
★
★
Day hike.
Didn’t make it to Chetwoot Lake. We stopped at the Atrium Peak. Amazing hiking and yes difficult. Lot’s of sunshine and berries. All the lakes we passed are breathtaking. For sure it is longer then 18.5. My application showed me to Atrium Peak 9.5 each way. So all the way to Chetwoot Lake probably another 2 mile each way.
This day was wildfire near Grotto/skykomish. So on the way home from the hike we had to turn back go towards Leavenworth and I 90.
★
★
★
★
★
I hiked solo to Nada Lake and Snow Lakes on a weekday in September. The parking lot was nearly full at 8AM. It has been very dry and smoke from a fire near Lake Wenatchee was present but not too bad in the morning. There was work being done on the river at the beginning of the hike, apparently building a water diversion system for the city of Leavenworth. The trail is in good condition and is easy to follow although there is no signage after the start. Loose stones on the path are hard on knees and ankles. There are several campsites along the way but no one was occupying them as I passed through. The creek was flowing very strongly and could be accessed with a Lifestraw at several points if needed. For the first couple of hours, I saw very few other hikers, but after that I passed by numerous solo and small groups of hikers and let a few pass me going up. Everyone was extremely courteous about right of way. At Nada Lake, I saw the stream coming down from Snow Lakes and marveled about how powerful and loud it was. The final climb from Nada to Snow Lakes is about 600’ up and mostly quite steep. The stranded logs near the dam were a good spot for a late lunch. The trip back down the mountain was hard. I had been forewarned but it still seemed to take forever and was very hard on senior citizen knees and ankles. On the way up I had more cell phone service (Xfinity-Verizon) than I expected. On the way down, texts failed in some of the same places. I had a Spot satellite system which worked acceptably. Bugs were scarce except near Nada Lake. Not much wildlife observed.
★
★
★
★
Left cathedral trailhead Friday at 2 pm. No bugs at trailhead and minimal overall on entire route. Climbed to PCT and tracked down to camp at Deep Lake. A few campsites left at lake. Tracked down and over to Vincente Lake. Spectacular lake with superb views and no humans in site. Definitely a great campsite for the next time. Tracked down to Waptus lake. Main camp site has amazing views, but very crowded. Tracked around to Quick Creek campsite and found no one in site. Peaceful campsite. Tracked to Trail Creek Trail and up to Squitch Lake. Trail to Squitch is overrun and non existent. Bushwhacked and found superb views and campsite. Water is still and muddy. We boiled or UV’d water. Highly recommend route!
★
★
★
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★
Steady ascent but no real scrambling to the top. Clear path most of the way though had a few choices when you reached some rocky stretches. Descent roll about as long as the ascent due to steepness. Great views. Quite popular on weekends.
★
★
★
★
★
This was a difficult hike. There were some blow downs up above the switchback that made navigating tricky. Totally worth it for the waterfall at the lake destination. Natural spa….
★
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★
M re r mob BLM re hiking no on j
A w I Ed I’m e Mt X Jr I’m jrd m c
★
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★
Amazing .. not to many bugs . Asgard’s pass was tuff but the payoffs are worth it 10000 fold
★
★
★
★
★
Easy hike in, beautiful campsite. Lake was warm in august to swim. Pit toilet available. Midweek was not crowded.
★
★
★
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★
Amazing views today. Granite lake awesome except for inconsiderate dog owner who had dog off leash and dog wouldn’t stop barking. Should have stayed at deception lake site to left (end of lake camping sites). Instead in trees with lots of bugs with small pond with no where great to sit and people’s toilet paper littering the woods.
★
★
★
★
If I could’ve put 4.5 stars I would’ve. The mosquitoes weren’t great with the heat wave I experienced during my backpack
★
★
★
★
★
The trail by Colchuck lake is not marked well. The mosquitos were unrelentless during the entire hike, which we did last week. Bring lots of bug repellant. There is no way one can do this hike in 10 hours, unless you run. Must be able to do some route finding. Coming down from Aasgard to Snowlake parking lot is a 4000 ft drop in elevation, which is extremely though on legs. Women should not wear black exercise tights in summer.....too hot for hiking, as we saw one woman have extreme difficulty to the heat. Bring headlights, as you most likely will be hiking in the dark for the last few hours, if you are doing a through hike. The hike is totally worth it; breathtaking views and sights with plenty of mountain goats, snow, waterfalls and lakes. This is not a hike for the faint of heart.
★
★
★
★
★
Hard! But so worth it! This Lake is up a hard trail… but worth it!
★
★
★
★
★
Amazing hike and definetly could be rated as a difficult trail but totally worth it and the lake is just beautiful and the sceneray breathtaking!
★
★
★
★
★
Amazing hike and definetly could be rated as a difficult trail but totally worth it and the lake is just beautiful and the sceneray breathtaking!
★
★
★
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★
Steep and trail is overgrown in spots but absolutely breathtaking ridge line and creek
★
★
★
★
★
The gate just opened today so not that many people on our way up but more unprepared hiker on our way down. Lake still frozen but starting to melt, put up our micro spike when descending.
★
★
★
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★
Beautiful hike in the spring, plenty of challenging snow crossings, a lot of photo worthy vistas!
★
★
★
★
Snowshoed on 3/5/22. No views. Trail impossible to find- GPS was all over the place since the trail doesn’t leave the woods. Nor worth the avalanche and snowy bridges risks.
★
★
Did an overnight trip here in late August during the week. Camped at the trailhead the night before and got an early start around 530 am. There were several cars at the trailhead, but there is a lot of room and multiple trails start near here, so not everyone is going to Jade or Marmot.
The trail is long and there’s a decent amount of elevation gain, especially between Marmot and Jade. My friend got a little nervous but we all made it up, including my German Shepherd. But if you’ve done a hike like Mt. St. Helens or Camp Muir, then this won’t feel as grueling as those because the relief isn’t as great.
We actually camped at Marmot, but next time I’d like to camp at Jade because it’s so beautiful. There was some tp lying around, but not as much as I heard people complain about. Just take a “dirty” ziplock with you and pack out your tp, don’t forget to bring a trowel for #2.
★
★
★
★
★
Obviously incredible. Nothing else I could add to that...
I will say the descent is also very taxing, I would keep that in mind. Once you’re done with the enchantments you’re not at all done! Still so much energy you’re gonna need for that last stretch!
★
★
★
★
★
The lake was beautiful but the hike is difficult because of lots of rocks and tree roots.
★
★
★
★
Began this hike at 1 PM, probably a bit later than I should have. The first stretch of trail was straightforward and well-maintained, but after starting the climb towards Marten Lake it became very easy to lose the trail. The occasional pink ribbon will let you know you’re on the right path, as well as some notched logs and cairns. I highly recommend downloading the trail before hiking as I had to use my GPS to relocate the trail on both the ascent and descent. All in all, it was a challenging hike but I got to have Marten Lake all to myself on a beautiful fall day.
★
★
★
Easy hike at first gets steep and rocky. Not many views until upper lakes. Swim in Trout Lake on way back.
★
★
★
★
Obviously incredible. Nothing else I could add to that...
I will say the descent is also very taxing, I would keep that in mind. Once you’re done with the enchantments you’re not at all done! Still so much energy you’re gonna need for that last stretch!
★
★
★
★
★
Obviously incredible. Nothing else I could add to that...
I will say the descent is also very taxing, I would keep that in mind. Once you’re done with the enchantments you’re not at all done! Still so much energy you’re gonna need for that last stretch!
★
★
★
★
★
Obviously incredible. Nothing else I could add to that...
I will say the descent is also very taxing, I would keep that in mind. Once you’re done with the enchantments you’re not at all done! Still so much energy you’re gonna need for that last stretch!
★
★
★
★
★
On a clear day the scenery can be spectacular, especially as autumn approaches and the colors are changing. It is a modestly long hime as the guidebooks tell us, but the hike is fairly easy.
There are stretches of the trail where it makes sense to pay more attention to foot placement and less attention on the glorious scenery. Still, using sue care this is one of the beat hikes in the I-90 corridor.
★
★
★
★
Arduous, fun route finding, nice views, too smoky though. I am glad I did it but won’t repeat.
★
★
This is a great Through-hike or Run. Doing it from the Eightmile Trailhead Will save 2k in elevation gain.
★
★
★
★
★
The most beautiful hike I did all summer. And the Katwalk wasn’t at all scary-it’s very wide
★
★
★
★
★
Did an overnight trip here in late August during the week. Camped at the trailhead the night before and got an early start around 530 am. There were several cars at the trailhead, but there is a lot of room and multiple trails start near here, so not everyone is going to Jade or Marmot.
The trail is long and there’s a decent amount of elevation gain, especially between Marmot and Jade. My friend got a little nervous but we all made it up, including my German Shepherd. But if you’ve done a hike like Mt. St. Helens or Camp Muir, then this won’t feel as grueling as those because the relief isn’t as great.
We actually camped at Marmot, but next time I’d like to camp at Jade because it’s so beautiful. There was some tp lying around, but not as much as I heard people complain about. Just take a “dirty” ziplock with you and pack out your tp, don’t forget to bring a trowel for #2.
★
★
★
★
★
Fun loop. Worse part of trail is Longs Pass to Ingalls Creek but manageable nonetheless less. Enjoy!
★
★
★
★
★
Went backpacking. The backpack was too heavy ( prepared for enchantment lakes) so camped at Rachel lake. After settling down we walked another 1 mile to rampart lakes. They are ver beautiful. There is a creek with beautiful flowers. Should have camped there. Lots of mosquitoes. Used off! Spray but still got several bites.
★
★
★
★
★
Were it not for the horse traffic the trail might be pretty nice, but since so many horses use it the trail is turned up heavily and is dusty and choppy and just not all that great. The dusty switchbacks up and down to Cradle Lake are things of nightmares. If you want mental training, do it. Otherwise, find a different trail to hike and enjoy yourself.
★
★
This hike is brutal. Going CCW there are lots of downed trees from miles 4-14, it’s not very traveled so the trail is overgrown pretty much everywhere, and right after the cutoff from Cradle Lake the trail disappears forcing you to take Snowall-Jack Creek trail, which is also horrible because it’s traveled by horses a lot and is dusty and choppy. All efforts should be taken to completely avoid every bit of this trail.
★
Pretty difficult hike to accomplish in 1 day. 26.6 miles with 10K feet of ascent. Having said that there were not really any single area that was difficult except the climb up to Pea Soup lake which was over slushy soft snow with just spikes and no snow shoes.
★
★
★
★
Great hike with waterfalls and lakes. Many camping spots and reasonable elevation gain.
★
★
★
★
Our objective was to ascend the couloir to the left of Colchuck peak the traverse the backside over to Dragontail peak. The snow in the couloir was good. We left early so we stayed climbers left to keep in the shade. Half way up we put on crampons as the snow got steeper. There is a section of ice in the middle so we traversed right and made it to the saddle. From the saddle we dropped our packs and made the scramble to Colchuck Peak. The summit was excellent with amazing views to Mount Stewart. From the summit we began to analyze the steep couloir to the backside of Dragontail peak. We weren’t sure the route but read it was only class 3 scramble so we decided to go for it. We started by traversing some rock up to the couloir. This probably saved us 1/3 of our elevation and made the ascent easier. The snow was firm again and we made quick work of the snow. Once at the top we were nervous to find a wall of snow and a rap station. Not having ropes our choices were to down climb the way we came or down climb the steep snow wall. The steep snow wall was selected and was the right choice. With about 12 steps kicked in we were down to the snow field. The traverse to dragon tail was pretty easy as was making the summit. This summit was better than Colchuck. The views into the Enchantments were amazing. This is one of my favorite summits to date. Leaving Dragontail was straight forward and we found the top of Asgard and descended back down to Colchuck lake. Asgard was brutal as usual. Temps were crazy hot. Water was prevalent on the whole trip. The hike from the lake back to the car felt like it took forever. We were happy to make it back before dark. Long day on 30 minutes of sleep.’
★
★
★
★
★
It was crazy losing the trail and making it down from lake Vivian with a backpack on. We hiked from 9:30- 5:30 with only small breaks.
★
★
★
★
★
Steep icy skin track so bring ski crampons! Mostly an awesome route! I would probably skip the (3 transition) traverse and just ski down to snow lake next time.
Great, stable, sunny day!
★
★
★
★
★
Our first attempt was not successful, but we learned and came back and section hiked here. Arguably the best of the Washington PCT, with access points for those learning how to hike longer distances. We have done many trips here now and I look forward to going again.
★
★
★
★
★
Majority of it is in a burn scar and little shade so be sure to bring lots of water. The lake is beautiful and definitely worth the effort.
★
★
★
Stumbled on otter falls and it was largest single piece of rock I’ve ever seen
★
★
★
★
★
Counter clockwise circumnavigation of chair peak with Fitz. 8-12” of slightly wet new snow with ice crust underneath. No slabs. The day started foggy and snowing gradually cleared up. Very cool to see a new zone. Good conversation. Think it might be better done clockwise.
★
★
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★
Incredible views from Wright, gets much better after Snow Lake and majority of tourists.
★
★
★
★
Conditions were great today. There is some lingering snow, and I think a lot more is coming, so poles and possibly microspikes (and later snowshoes) will probably be a good idea from here on out.
★
★
★
★
The distance is 10 mile out and back, the elevation gain is 3500ft
★
★
★
★
The distance is 10 mile out and back, the elevation gain is 3500ft
★
★
★
★
The distance is 10 mile out and back, the elevation gain is 3500ft
★
★
★
★
Single overnight at Peggys Pond. Day one we took the NW scramble route up Cathedral Rock (see beta in photos). Day two we summited MT Daniel and then packed out do to heavy smoke from forest fires.
★
★
★
★
★
Spectacular scenery. The full rampart lakes loop, ridge spur and Alto Mountain are must see.
★
★
★
★
★
Because there wasn’t any parking within a mile of the Colchuck Lake Trailhead when we arrived around 10 am, we decided to do Eightmile instead. It’s an easier, shorter hike to an alpine lake. It’s a beautiful lake and had much much fewer people on the trail (we maybe saw 10 groups total). It isn’t as pretty as Colchuck Lake, but it’s a great alternative!
★
★
★
Beautiful hike to Snow Lake. The first 1.7 miles is a manageable incline. The next half mile-ish is a bit steeper climb over a rocky trail. But once you get to the top, there is a short detour rock climb on the left to an overlook of Snow Lake which is beautiful. The trail continues down to the lake. Bring a snack, find a place to sit, and enjoy the cool, clear lake. Definitely worth the trip. One of my favorite hikes.
★
★
★
★
★
Smooth and easy (albeit a little rooty and rocky) for the first 2.5 miles, then quickly ascends. Make sure to go all the way to Rampart Lakes, the view is beautiful. Not too crowded.
★
★
★
★
Spectacular hike! Not easy. Shale ledge after PCT not for the faint of heart but certainly doable. Peggy’s Pond and surrounding area is gorgeous.
★
★
★
★
★
Started from the Dingford Creek trailhead as I've got a capable 4x4 high-clearance vehicle and I'd suggest having at least a high clearance vehicle if attempting to drive down this forest road. Getting to the hike is via Middle Fork Trail 1003 and it can be accessed from the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trailhead or the one I took. That trail is relatively flat and offers nice views from both directions, with the Dingford Creek TH being the shorter way to get there.
The start of the Tin Cup Joe falls trail is either ~10ft or so before or after the Cripple Creek bridge, depending on what direction you came. I found the trail start to be obvious enough and just where Gaia said it would be. I would highly suggest having the Gaia map downloaded, wear shoes/boots with good traction (not Nikes), and have a decent sense of direction as it can be quite easy to lose the trail at times.
I would rate the hike as moderate only because of the state of the trail. There are many many blowdowns to navigate, lots of roots to trip over, and I dare say the trail hasn't seen maintenance in quite some time. This trail is probably not the best for a novice, unless you're looking for some adventure.
Having said all that, I had lots of fun and the reward at the end was pretty spectacular. This one is well hidden and I almost hope it stays that way.
Gaia said it was 4.72 miles round trip with 1051ft of elevation gain. My Garmin Instinct said it was 5.74 miles with an elevation gain of 951ft.
★
★
★
★
★
Mostly level and gradual until the very end, which is both steep and exposed in the burn zone. Very little shade to rest in this zone. Thankfully there’s a waterfall at the top and it’s ice cold, so easy to get refreshed.
The view of spectacle is just phenomenal. And though it looks far away, it’s actually a pretty short hike down to the water.
Lots of mosquitoes in July, but bug spray made them a non-issue
★
★
★
★
★
3100’ feet of elevation in 2 miles. That’s a 30 degree + avg ascent the whole way. Good knee tendon testing :). It’s more scrambling/bouldering than a hike. I would definitely recommend trekking poles for parts of it. Very little snow on trail and I suspect it will disappear in the next week or two. Absolutely stunning views from the top.
★
★
★
★
★
This was a great hike. Beautiful winding trail and views initially of the back side of Stevens pass ski resort. There were multiple lakes and beautiful boulder fields. We started hiking and ended up jogging most of it because the trail
Was perfect.
★
★
★
★
Relentless uphill; plunge-stepping galore downhill (including some glissading!). Worth it for the views but some of the steepest hiking you'll find.
★
★
★
★
Good ski tour for anyone looking for a little more spice than your average snoqualmie pass adventure. Ice axe and crampons recommended and approaching up Cascadian would have been easier
★
★
★
★
Lots of water from recent snowfall and yesterday’s rain. The trail virtually follows all the little creeks up to lake. Still views were worth it.
★
★
★
★
stars
I was expecting more snow on the trail but only a few spots in the shade and then some in the last 50-100 ft of the trail. Beautiful day with views south to Mt Adams and to the north Glacier Peak & Mt Baker. Steep rugged trail which can be hard on the knees coming down.
★
★
★
★
★
Worth the work. Plan wisely so you summit the correct peak. Some others were robbed of that chance due to wrong routes.
★
★
★
★
★
A tough climb at the beginning, but the rewards are worth it. Spent the first night at Lake Ethel and then the next night at Larch Lake. I would like to come back in October when the Larch
turn gold. The third night we hiked back to Loch Eileen and hiked up to Donald lake. The best lake out of all was larch and cup.
★
★
★
★
★
This is a pretty cruel Loop, with very little flat surfaces. It took us over 13 hours. My climbing buddy hurt his ankle and at one point we were doing 1 hour miles 😬. Need some good route finding coming of the Dingford Trail, and lots of old fashion pnw bushwacking. Many bolder fields on the route. And lots of breathtaking high alpine lakes. All in all a pretty amazing Traverse but make sure you are prepared and move fast otherwise it you’ll be finishing in darkness... bring a headlamp regardless 🙌
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Beautiful lake. Well worth the hike up. It is a difficult ascent but the trail is really nice. The day we were there the trout were jumping out of the water and catching flies, pretty awesome.
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What a stunning hike! The last bit is steep for Colchuck lake, consider a Stuart lake add-on on a day hike
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Beautiful hike and definitely worth the time. Other descriptions are pretty accurate - first couple miles are reasonably easy with the majority of the effort in the last two. My gps ending up showing the round trip to be closer to 9 miles than 8. Plenty of mosquitoes as previously mentioned so I would highly advise repellent. We arrived at 8:30am on a Saturday and ended up having to park around .25-.5 mi away from the trail head.
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Better this time because for 5 miles up there are no trees on the path. Lizards but no snakes.
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I would give this hike 5+ stars for beauty but the entire trail consists of rocks making it a bit tough at times walking over the rocks. We didn’t expect such a rocky trail.
Bigs were really bad at Gem Lake but we still managed to enjoy our quick lunch.
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Trails easy to follow, beautiful view, away from crowds, not terribly technical
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Some easy and ledgy 4th class scramble to or from the base of West Ridge. Would recommend this way to or from the route.
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Unlike some local trails the climb is steady but more gradual. Lots of loose rocks so wear good shoes. The Katwalk is really a nice treat to look forward to.
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Trail ascends almost straight up and you gain almost 3,000 feet of elevation in about 2 miles. Halfway up the scenery changes from forest to alpine and views of guye peak, cave ridge, and alpental are great if you’re lucky enough to hike on a sunny day. The summit has a us geological survey mark from 1936.
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This is one way to reach the base of Snow Creek Wall. It work, but try another way described in paragraph below.
A better way is follow the descent gps track from my Snow Creek folder for how to cross the creek as this way was much easier and will also lead to the base along a better trail and less steep.
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A descent trail from top of Snow Creek wall. Follows a well marked and worn (as of June 2019) trail down. Does include one rappel towards the very bottom that puts you at base of cliff. Rappel is after descending a narrow 10ft wide gully - see waypoint for location.
Might be possible to avoid rappel by staying high (skiers left) above and round the rappel gully.
After rappel, follow foot path until reaching a fairly well groomed trail and follow it down high to the creek crossing and the main hiking trail. This way is easy and a short way to access the main hiking trail. If you follow this gps track, you’ll get to the main trail- we did not return to base of climb.
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stars
Did a one night backpacking trip 5/19 to 5/20/19 on this trail. It was my first backpacking trip ever!
25.33 miles total 17+ hrs on trail and 2,995 ft elevation gain. Lots of blow downs, bushwacking, washouts and creek/stream crossings on trail. Hiked in 14.02 miles.
Trailhead is paved road, parking area is gravel. Bathroom is a vaulted toilet. No TP in bathroom and stinky trash. Must have a northwest forrest pass or America the beautiful pass to park here as there is no self pay station. Must sign the log for a self issued permit.
Cool little grave across from the biggest most flat camp spot along the raging creek. Where Fred Erickson lies one of the original builders/owners of Ingalls Creek Lodge.
Saw two deer in the forrests on our way out.
Found ticks on ourselves, I had one and my friend had 3, 2 of which were Dog Ticks (ticks on steroids!). Saw a Rubber Boa on trail on the hike out.
Make sure you have some sort of navigation as there are plenty of places where you can loose the trail.
Most of the creeks and streams are raging right now from all of the snow melt. Lots of waterfalls on the mountains.
I would not recommend this trail for small children as there are some steep drop offs, the trail can get pretty narrow, overgrown, ticks and big blow downs.
Only encountered a tiny amount of snow on trail where we hiked but heard from 2 female backpackers who hiked further up that the trail turned to soft snow where postholing, slipping and sliding was common, so they turned around.
Saw a big college group of hikers, a backpacker and a couple hikers on 5/20/19 all on our way back to trailhead, saw no one at camp. 5/19/19 saw 11 people. And some campers along the river.
5/19/19 when the weather is more warm all the bugs are out, including mosquitoes and ticks.
Numerous trail junctions along this trail.
★
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Rode horse. Lots of downed trees. Heard 4 rattlers. Creek is raging so no crossing to any trails on the left. Streams crossing trail.
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stars
Nice hike. It's been a few years since I've done this popular hike. Dec.2 @ 8:00am start with the parking lot half full. I took the old Mason Lake trail up to avoid the Ira Springs trail and the groups ahead of me. About 1/2 up to the lake the snow started. One has to be careful crossing the creek and traveling on the boulders with the light snow covering. Once I hit the main trail again it was well packed down. About 6 people headed up to Defiance before me so the trail was okay and I didn't wear gaitors or micro-spikes. The top was in the clouds so no views. I took the Ira Springs trail down from Mason Lake. On my way down I met a number of people heading up and the parking lot was full when I go back.
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I'm not sure this is a "difficult" hike considering the moderate elevation gain (just under 3,000 by my measurements). I did this in pouring rain and it was less than fun, but I did have the trail to myself most of the day. The trail to Snow Lake handles the water well, except for a few stream/waterfall crossings. Beyond Snow Lake the trail often becomes just a stream bed or giant puddle forcing you to rock hop or take alternate paths. I'm giving it the summer rating because this really is a great route. Late fall in the rain, it is one star.
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What a day to spend in this beautiful fall weather! Original plan was a round trip to Kendall Katwalk and back, but we still had energy left to continue on to Ridge Lake. Stopped right after the Katwalk for lunch and the views which were amazing! Trail is a gradual climb over the 6 miles up so not too many rest stops. After the Katwalk the terrain is so much different and the fall colors really popped out. So beautiful and fresh. Sat down at Ridge Lake for about an hour just enjoying the moment. Wandered around the lake a bit and found some more amazing views of the cascades. The hike back wasn’t too bad, clouds started to roll in, but no rain. Lots of people on the trail, it was a Saturday after all. Found a parking spot with no issue by 9am. When we left there were cars parked along the side roads.
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Stated at the trailhead about 4am, lot was half full (I imagine with thru hikers and those with permits to stay overnight.). Didn’t encounter many people on the trail. Beautiful clear night skies with the moon so bright. Used headlamps for the first 2-3 miles until the light started to come out. Fall colors were just beginning to show. Amazing views wherever you get the chance to peak out from the trees. We made it to the lake about 30 minutes too late to watch the darkness lift and the light illuminate the lake. Was still just as beautiful with the morning glow. The larches were so bright and yellow! We brought breakfast to cook as we sat and just admired the lake the the scenery and talking about thru hiking the enchantments next year. Wandered around the lake for about an hour then headed back down. Now in the daylight we were able to view the creek/river on the way down that teased us on the way up.
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Beautiful lake, like so many of our alpine lakes! A friend and I hiked up here on our way up through the Enchantments. We were pretty rushed as we were doing the whole trail in a day, but Colchuck Lake was a great stopover—just wish we could have camped there instead! Maybe next time, if we're ever able to get the permit for it. It's definitely worth the trip out even for the afternoon though, and has great views of Aasgard pass above.
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Because of the special permit zone in the Enchantments, I haven't yet had the opportunity to camp in any of the various zones. I have, however, been able to do a day-trip up to climb Prusik Peak via Aasgard Pass (amazing, but makes for a looong day, from about 4am to 2am). This time (early June), I went up the Snow Lakes trail sans ropes, stopping for a chilly but beautiful swim at Nada Lake. By the time we arrived at Snow Lakes (only a little snow on the ground), thunder clouds were rolling in and we had to high-tail it back to the car, about 7 miles back the way we came. Less steep than the Aasgard Pass side of the Enchantments, I really enjoyed the hike through dense forest and talus slopes. There was plenty of fresh water along the route, not to mention it was beautifully crystal clear. There were few bugs and the trail was dry. Next time, I really hope to be able to camp up there.
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