The Enchantments Day Hike

[Ian]

I realize that this is on short notice but I'm making plans to day hike the Enchantments on Monday 9/2/13.

I plan on starting from the Stewart TH at 0600 and will hopefully have climbed Aasgard Pass between 0900-1000. Not sure if I'm going to climb Little Annapurna or not; leaning towards "not" but we'll see how I feel after climbing Aasgard Pass.

Plan is to drive up tomorrow night and find a place to legally stealth camp. I've left a message with Leavenworth Shuttle Service but haven't heard back from them.

If you live in Eastern Washington, we can car pool up there. We will share the shuttle ($25 each) from Snow Lake TH to Stewart.

FWIW I normally hike at a 2mph pace but expect to be a bit under that until Aasgard Pass.

[Steven Paris]

Good luck, Ian. Sounds like fun (brutal but fun) but I don't think I can swing it from Portland. Are you going all the way through the Enchantments, exiting at Snow Lakes?

Edit: nm, I see your parking at Snow Lakes.

[Jerry Adams]

What's the shuttle? $25 isn't too bad.

[Ian]

$50 for two with gear; $20 for any additional hiker. I'm sure it will be $50 solo.

They haven't returned my email or call yet. If the shuttle doesn't work out, I'll probably just drive strait to Stewart TH and hike a there-and-back with a jaunt up Little Annapurna.

[Ian]

Here's their link

http://www.leavenworthshuttle.com/Trailheads.html

[Michael L]

I did a quick out and back last month to colchuck. Back in Leavenworth by noon.

I'm planning to try this next summer. I'd consider it but its just not enough notice.

I did see people sleeping in cars at the TH.

[James Couch]

Be wary of private land, hefty fine, and usually enforced. I have slept in the car in the climbers parking lot near Bruce's boulder before without a problem. YMMV

[Ian]

Thanks Michael and Jim. My original plan was to find a spot to spend the night on USFS land in Blewit Pass. I won't be arriving in Leavenworth until late tonight so I think I'll just try to sleep in the back of my truck at the TH.

Received an email from the shuttle service late last night. As I suspected, $50 and no discount for riding solo. That's fine with me as this is still the best of all my options.

[Mathew MacDonald]

If you want to save the $50 you won't have any trouble catching a ride with other hikers. I have slept in the car at Snow Lake trail head and then in the morning caught a ride up to Stuart Lake trail head. There are always hikers heading up to Stuart Lake in the morning and many of them realize logistics are tricky for a solo hiker and will help you out. Another option is to hike from Snow Lake and then catch a ride back down from Stuart Lake in the evening as hikers are finishing their hikes and heading back to town or Snow Lake.

[Anonymous]

"If the shuttle doesn't work out, I'll probably just drive strait to Stewart TH and hike a there-and-back with a jaunt up Little Annapurna."

If you don't mind the extra 1000' or so of elevation gain and have a bike, hide it in the woods near the Stuart Lake TH and then drive back down to the Snow Lake TH to do the traverse. It's an easy ride back down to the car. It wouldn't work so well in reverse, because it's much harder to hide a bike near the Snow Lake TH. Bonus points awarded for the extra 1000', and for descending Aasgard Pass, BTW. ;0)

[Ian]

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Author]

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