Four Trips Into the Enchantments: Frozen Lakes, Golden Larches, and the Brutality of Aasgard Pass

Some places leave an impression on you. Others pull you back over and over again until they become part of who you are. For me, that place has become Colchuck Lake and the Core Enchantments in Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Over the last few years, I’ve made four separate trips into this stunning alpine wonderland. Each trip was completely different. Frozen lakes, golden larches, mountain goats, freezing swims, backpacking adventures, and enough suffering on Aasgard Pass to question every life decision that led me there. And somehow, despite all of that, I still can’t wait to go back.

Because the Enchantments do that to people.

Colchuck Lake Trail Stats

Distance: 8-9 miles round trip

Elevation Gain: ~2,300 feet

Difficulty: Moderate to difficult

Trailhead: Stuart Lake Trailhead

Best Known For: Turquoise alpine water, Dragontail Peak, mountain goats, and access to Aasgard Pass

Enchantments Through-Hike Stats

Distance: 18-20 miles

Elevation Gain: ~4,500-5,000 feet

Difficulty: Extremely strenuous

Route: Stuart Lake Trailhead to Snow Lakes Trailhead

Famous For: Aasgard Pass, alpine lakes, granite basins, larches, mountain goats, and absolutely destroying your legs.

Trip One: Frozen Colchuck Lake (2022)

My first trip to Colchuck Lake was with a large hiking crew in 2022. We headed up early with perfect weather conditions and clear mountain views the entire way. Even before reaching the lake, the trail was already stunning, winding through forest before opening up to towering granite peaks surrounding us from every direction.

When we finally reached Colchuck Lake, most of it was still frozen over. The combination of snow, ice, and jagged mountain peaks made the whole area feel unreal. Dragontail Peak towered over the lake while clouds drifted through the surrounding ridges.

Even with the lake mostly frozen, the views were absolutely incredible. It was one of those places that immediately makes you understand why people obsess over the Enchantments.

And honestly? That trip planted the seed for everything that came after.

Trip Two: October at Colchuck Lake

The second trip was another hike to Colchuck Lake, this time in early October. The weather once again decided to be absolutely perfect, which almost felt suspicious considering how brutal this area can be.

Fall had started creeping into the mountains, and the entire trail had a crisp alpine feel to it. The lake was stunning, the mountains looked endless, and apparently I decided the logical thing to do was jump into the freezing alpine water.

It was SO cold.

Like “instant regret but also weirdly exhilarating” cold.

The kind of cold that makes your body question whether you’ve completely lost your mind. Which, to be fair, might be accurate considering people voluntarily hike thousands of feet uphill just to leap into glacier-fed lakes for fun.

Still worth it though.

Trip Three: Backpacking Into the Core Enchantments

This was the big one.

We hiked into Colchuck Lake to meet the rest of our core hiking crew before heading deeper into the Enchantments the following morning. 

Along the trail we spotted mountain goats everywhere, including an adorable baby goat sticking close to its mom. Honestly, the goats around the Enchantments seem completely unbothered by exhausted hikers stumbling around with trekking poles and questionable life choices.

We spent the night camping near Colchuck Lake, taking in the unbelievable scenery before preparing for the next morning’s challenge: Aasgard Pass.

There is simply no nice way to describe Aasgard Pass.

It is brutal.

The climb is steep, relentless, loose, and feels like nature personally designed it to humble hikers. But somehow, every miserable step upward rewards you with even more ridiculous alpine beauty.

As we climbed higher, the views just kept getting better. Eventually we reached the Core Enchantments, and it honestly felt like stepping into another world. Crystal-clear alpine lakes, massive granite slabs, rugged peaks in every direction, and mountain goats casually wandering through the landscape like they owned the place.

We spent the day hiking through one of the most beautiful wilderness areas I’ve ever seen before eventually beginning the long descent toward Snow Lakes and the lower trailhead.

And those final miles?

Pure survival mode.

The last two miles were especially rough. Nobody talked. Not one word. We all just silently marched downhill with dead legs and empty souls, focused entirely on reaching the parking lot. Every long-distance hiker knows that phase of a trail. Conversation disappears. Humanity becomes optional.

At the end of the hike, we gave a ride back to the girls who had left their gear at Colchuck so they could retrieve it and head back to camp.

Exhausted didn’t even begin to cover it.

Trip Four: Larches, Leprechaun Lake, and Regret

By the time the fourth trip rolled around, we decided to head back during larch season. If you’ve never seen the Enchantments covered in glowing golden larches, put it on your list immediately.

The entire landscape looked unreal.

Our goal this time was to climb Aasgard Pass again, make our way toward Leprechaun Lake, and then turn around and head back down the same route.

At the time, this sounded like a perfectly reasonable plan.

It was not.

Going UP Aasgard Pass is miserable.

Going DOWN Aasgard Pass feels like punishment for every bad decision you’ve ever made.

The descent was absolute torture on the knees, hips, and legs. Every loose rock felt determined to ruin us. By the end, my entire lower body was screaming in protest.

But somehow, despite the suffering, the Enchantments once again reminded me why people keep coming back. The glowing larches, alpine lakes, crisp mountain air, granite peaks, and endless views made every painful step worth it.

At least eventually.

Why I Keep Going Back

Every trip into Colchuck Lake and the Enchantments has shown me something different. Frozen alpine landscapes, backpacking adventures, golden autumn larches, mountain goats, freezing swims, and some of the hardest hiking I’ve ever done.

And yet every single trip has been unforgettable.

The Enchantments are beautiful in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced them yourself. They challenge you physically, completely humble you mentally, and then reward you with scenery so stunning it almost doesn’t feel real.

Even with the brutal climbs, sore legs, and soul-crushing descents… I already know I’ll go back again someday.

Probably willingly. Which feels like a personal flaw at this point.