[Gimpilator]

Permit season is over! We wanted to climb Cannon but we weren't sure how much snow we might find above 8000 feet. For that reason we carried snowshoes. Our biggest worry was that the summit boulder might be icy. Potentially it might be a long trek just to find that the boulder was iced over. I packed some giant slings just in case.

Snow Creek Wall

Nada Lake

McClellan above Snow Lakes

bear tracks

bear track

larch

Lake Viviane

Little Annapurna

Lake Viviane camp

getting cold

goat posing below Prusik Peak

goats

sunset

moonlight piss-lickers

We started at the Snow Creek trailhead and hiked up past the Snow Creek Wall. It was a long distance until we came to Nada Lake. There were a lot of mushrooms in the woods. At upper Snow Lakes we could see McClellan Peak above. It looked too snowy on the north face for me to attempt it that afternoon, and furthermore I was feeling tired.

Temple Lake

larches below Prusik Peak

Prusik Peak

Cannon Mountain

Prusik in the mist

Fletcher below Prusik

After crossing numerous granite slabs we made our camp on the east shore of Lake Viviane. It was a very nice spot. The larches were doing their thing. A couple of goats appeared in the evening and went tooling around the lake, often circling back to see if we had any goodies for them. I do not feed goats but I get the feeling from their behavior that many hikers in the Enchantments do.

Enchanment Peak

The Temple

nearing the Druid Plateau

Druid Plateau

Druid Plateau

nearing the summit

overlooking Druid Plateau

The next morning we hiked just below Prusik Peak (poorly named, should be Prusik Point) to Prusik Pass. From there we could see Cannon Mountain as well as Shield Lake and Edward Peak. We descended 300 feet and then aimed for the most gentle rib leading up to Druid Plateau.

Rainier and Colchuck

summit boulder

Fletcher on the summit

summit panorama

slabby summit boulder

Mountaineer Creek valley

Sherpa and Stuart

Once we reached the plateau it was a short jaunt over to the summit boulder. Our concerns proved unfounded. The rock was ice free and bone dry. It was slabby friction scramble to the top. A psuedo ledge offered good footing half way up. We were both pretty stoked to have made it considering we had each attempted this peak before. It was my 43rd Bulger and Fletchers 35th.

Druid Plateau

descending

larch action

more larch action

back to Prusik Pass

Edward Peak and Shield Lake

last look at Cannon

Lake Viviane

[Gil]

Wow, nice photos! Love that shot of Prusik in the mist.

[Fletcher]

What an awesome trip! I'm really glad the gamble payed off on this one. Its good to know that there is a way to do Cannon without ample amounts of suffering and pain.

Snow Creek Wall

Upper Snow Lake and McClellan

Prusik

Evening light on the Temple

Evening light on McClellan

Camp

sunset over Little A

morning sun on Little A

discussing route options

Earl Peak peek-a-boo view

descending from Prusik Pass

Prusik and the Temple

Larch!

en route to the Druid Plateau

summit in sight

Dragontail and Colchuck

cool place

tricky mixed climbing to the summit

the famous slab

Adam climbing the slab

our summitshot

views

views

views

descending the slab - just butt-slide

Druid again

descent

Edward Mesa and Shield Lake

larch and Prusik

Adam engulfed in larch

more larchiness

views toward Upper Chants

walls of Prusik

Temple Ridge from Snow Lakes

still some miles to go

[RichP]

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I was at Prusik Pass yesterday. I probably saw some of your tracks. Nice pics.

[DIYSteve]

Great pics. Love that place

[contour5]

Very nice! Your dry campsite is tempting me to head up there...

[Matt]

[Magellan]

Stunning photos, fellas. Nice get.

[iron]

timed that well! almost makes me want to go back into the enchantments... almost.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Why would anyone NOT want to go to the Enchantments?

[LukerBee]

Winner!

[Matt Lemke]

Wow you really scored here...awesome foliage there! Prussik Peak is a real peak too

[giz]

Incredible pics and very inspiring hike. We must add this hike to our list. thanks for sharing.

[the Zachster]

Awesome post-permit larchness! Great trip and great pics!