We backpacked in via Snow Lake on Sat and out on Tues.
The weather was perfect, the sky was clear. There was little snow or ice on the trail except in the basin. However the trail to the upper basin was too icy to do. We camped in the lower basin on Sunday night, and were the only people in the whole basin. Altho it was windy in the late afternoon, it was calm at night. It appeared warmer at night in the basin than by Snow Lake.
We never saw another backpacker. There were only a few groups of day hikers, including one through group, and one day group that got to the basin at dawn.
Enchanting!
Update: here are pictures:
We hiked about 19 miles and 5500 vertical feet with full packs and another 5 miles and 500 vertical feet w/o.
Finally, a reality check: We are not totally unskilled in medicine, in winter camping, and in hiking above the treeline in whiteouts. Also, the weather forecast was excellent. Someone who just randomly wanders up there in Nov could win a Darwin award.
-------------- "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them."
Great photos, thanks!
I use to wander the Enchantments once a year.
My last backpack into the Enchantments was 1981, mostly entering through Asgard or Rat Creek.
I notice that in pictures CIMG1002/3/4 there are grooves cut and or rock glued to the ground? Where along your way was this?
Yes it could be my memory, I only have so much RAM ya know...
HG, that section is just after getting to Vivianne lake. While on the trail to Leprechaun you have to navigate that section.
-------------- "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them."
They apparently drilled pairs of 1/2" holes a foot apart, inserted pieces of rebar flush with the rock with the ends bent into the holes, and then packed wet mortar against the rebar. The section above Lake Vivianne would be very nice to have if the rock was wet.
They also did this much lower down, below treeline, in a few places, where it sometimes seemed pointless. That is, there were 1 or 2 more exposed places I'd rather have had this.
Cool! Thank you for posting so many pictures adk46r. Eye candy is definitely worthwhile when work is so boring. Looks like you had a great time up there. I explored the Enchantments once as a day hike. My dad and I made it up to the basin and then I summited Little Annapurna solo.
Way to go
-------------- Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 10967 | TRs | Pics Location: Going to Tukwila
Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:56 pm
Thanks for the post and pics, adk46r. I missed your post the first time around and am glad the recent posting of pics brought it back to the top.
I'm amazed at how little snow you seemed to have. It really did melt off, as Matt mentioned.
Welcome to the site! Looking forward to additional posts in the future!
-------------- "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
Welcome to the site. Thanks for the great TR and pictures. I had to check the date to make sure it was this year. Looks like you guys nailed the right days exactly. Looking foward to more posts.
I agree that we were totally lucky. Even a few days earlier, we'd figured that this trip was impossible, and were planning to enter the lottery for next summer. Then we saw the weather report...
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Looks like you had a great time up there. I explored the Enchantments once as a day hike. My dad and I made it up to the basin and then I summited Little Annapurna solo.
