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Slide Alder Slayer
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PostMon Oct 08, 2007 9:14 pm 
I escaped from work on 10/5/07 – 10/6/07 for a quick overnight up Aasgard and pitched my tent at the same little hollow next to Brynhild Lake (Isolation Lake) that I stayed at on 9/10/07 -9/11/07. Aasgard was an easy ascent on 9/10/07 but the weight of carrying the kitchen sink for that just in case scenario on 10/5/07 caused footing problems in the snow that really slowed me down. Be that as it may I really enjoyed the exercise and finished the last several hundred feet of Aasgard after civil twilight. Being in the snow cased upper Enchantments under a cold clear moonless night was phenomenal. The surface snow had formed into enormous ice crystals and everywhere my lamp touched it gleamed like the diamonds in King Solomon’s Mines. The snow was especially light and it took forever to harden a tent platform and more snow then normal to melt for water; I was very grateful it was dead calm but that all changed about 2:00 AM or so when the wind kicked up and the temperature dropped to twenty degrees in the tent. However by 7:00 AM the wind gusts began to subside and the temperature was picking up again. Having the upper Enchantments to myself I was greeted by an increasing caravan of hikers coming up Aasgard as I headed out the following morning on 10/6. Any thoughts of attempting Dragontail were eliminated by the conditions versus my experience. Snow depth varied from windswept areas so hard one could not drive a nail in them to three feet plus. Where I pitched my tent was just over two feet.
Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington State
Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington State
Aasgard Pass Enchantments 7800' 10/5/07
Aasgard Pass Enchantments 7800' 10/5/07
Lower Aasgard, Colchuck Lake, Cashmere Mountain in distance 10/5/07
Lower Aasgard, Colchuck Lake, Cashmere Mountain in distance 10/5/07
Ascending Aasgard Pass 10/5/07 Enchantments
Ascending Aasgard Pass 10/5/07 Enchantments
Larch tree on Aasgard Pass Enchantments 10/5/07
Larch tree on Aasgard Pass Enchantments 10/5/07
Continuing up Aasgard Pass 10/5/07 Enchantments
Continuing up Aasgard Pass 10/5/07 Enchantments
Finished ascending Aasgard during the evening and spent the night near Brynhild (Isolation) Lake.
Finished ascending Aasgard during the evening and spent the night near Brynhild (Isolation) Lake.
Camped same location as previous trip in September. This time easily up to three feet of snow in many locations.
Camped same location as previous trip in September. This time easily up to three feet of snow in many locations.
Stephenson 2R Enchnatments 7,700' 9/11/07
Stephenson 2R Enchnatments 7,700' 9/11/07
Tranquil Lake upper Enchantments almost frozen over 10/6/07
Tranquil Lake upper Enchantments almost frozen over 10/6/07
Brynhild (Isolation) Lake upper Enchantments 10/6/07
Brynhild (Isolation) Lake upper Enchantments 10/6/07
Upper Enchantments, Brynhild (Isolation) Lake in distance 10/6/07
Upper Enchantments, Brynhild (Isolation) Lake in distance 10/6/07
Getting ready to descent Aasgard Pass 10/6/07 Enchantments
Getting ready to descent Aasgard Pass 10/6/07 Enchantments

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Matt
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Matt
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PostMon Oct 08, 2007 9:23 pm 
Did you happen to look down into the Lower Enchantment basin and see how the larches were doing? Your tent looks like a bright green bug perched up there.

“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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Slide Alder Slayer
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PostMon Oct 08, 2007 9:33 pm 
I did not but mbgriffi went all the way to the cliff above Crystal Lake. My tent color is very easy to pick up in fog, when it is snowing, or other poor visibility conditions.

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Mark Griffith
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Mark Griffith
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PostMon Oct 08, 2007 10:23 pm 
Slide Alder Slayer wrote:
I did not but mbgriffi went all the way to the cliff above Crystal Lake. My tent color is very easy to pick up in fog, when it is snowing, or other poor visibility conditions.
Here is how the Larches looked above Crystal (full bloom)
Right Above Crystal :
And down in the Crystal Lake Basin

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Mark Griffith
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Mark Griffith
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PostMon Oct 08, 2007 10:23 pm 
So that was you we passed! Glad you made it up safely and back down. I wish we'd had the time to spend the night, you had the entire place to yourself! It was a beautiful weather window.

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Dayhike Mike
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PostMon Oct 08, 2007 10:26 pm 
mbgriffi wrote:
Nice shot! smile.gif

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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Mark Griffith
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Mark Griffith
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PostMon Oct 08, 2007 10:29 pm 
Dayhike Mike wrote:
Nice shot! smile.gif
Thanks, its hard to take a bad one when the weather was a gorgeous as it was on Friday. This was a pano stitched from 6 shots, I was shooting with 28 vs. 18 and it just isn't wide enough.

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Matt
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Matt
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PostMon Oct 08, 2007 11:08 pm 
mbgriffi wrote:
That really is a gorgeous shot. One of the best I've ever seen of the Enchantments.

“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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Spotly
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PostTue Oct 09, 2007 9:03 am 
I've been up Aasgard on solid snow and when it's dry. Both times, the terraine seemed fairly easy to negotiate (no face-plants). How is it with a thinish layer of snow? Nice pics. Looks like you had a well protected camp spot.

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Mark Griffith
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Mark Griffith
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PostTue Oct 09, 2007 9:06 am 
I went up about 4 hours earlier and the snow made it easier in the lower gravel scree sections. The "thin layer" got between 9 inches to 3 feet deep towards the top. It was fun going down!

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silence
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silence
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PostTue Oct 09, 2007 9:11 am 
Slide Alder Slayer wrote:
The surface snow had formed into enormous ice crystals and everywhere my lamp touched it gleamed like the diamonds in King Solomon’s Mines.
Most enchanting agree.gif Great effort SAS!

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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Sabahsboy
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PostTue Oct 09, 2007 7:53 pm 
Enchantments via Aasgaard Pass
It chills my spine and freezes my feet; and what a great trip you all have photographed! There was a near perfect combination of sun, cloud, snow and elements of rock and weather plus the enchanting Lyall's larch at peak. Terrific!

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Gray
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PostThu Oct 11, 2007 5:45 pm 
mbgriffi wrote:
And down in the Crystal Lake Basin
Just. Wow. The more I look at the picture the more impressed I am with it. I've stolen it for my desktop wallpaper at work. Very well done. I'm assuming that was stitched? --Gray

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Mark Griffith
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Mark Griffith
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PostThu Oct 11, 2007 6:39 pm 
Gray wrote:
Just. Wow. The more I look at the picture the more impressed I am with it. I've stolen it for my desktop wallpaper at work. Very well done. I'm assuming that was stitched? --Gray
Thanks. Yeah this was stitched from 6 pictures, I was shooting with 28 vs 18 and it just couldn't fit in the entire scene. smile.gif

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Sabahsboy
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PostThu Oct 11, 2007 6:45 pm 
Crystal Lke Basin photo
Yes...the photo is superior and wonderous....thanks for stitching it together. Terrific!

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