Prusik Peak

A few minutes' walk from our campsite on Lake Vivianne I found this view of Prusik Peak. There was just enough of a breeze to break up a nice smooth reflection, so I located a boulder with a lot of texture as a foreground instead. Not long after I made this photograph, we packed up our camp and headed back toward the trail head.

Though I wish that I had a color version of this, I find the black and white image has a texture and timelessness that appeals to me. I actually did expose two sheets of Astia (color slide film, for the non-film folks reading this), but the first one I lost because the clasp on the Quickload envelope jammed in the film holder, and the second came back from the lab black... I probably neglected to reset the shutter when I put the second sheet in.

The Road to Asgard continues...

In case you missed them, you can find part one here, and part two here.

That evening, the wind started blowing across Lake Viviane, and the temperature dropped. We slept fitfully with the gale flapping our tents, and rattling the branches. Some mountain goats explored our camp site during the night, but they didn't bother us.

The gale didn't let up overnight, if anything it strengthened. And the morning also brought snow.

After thawing ourselves out, we embarked on the final leg of our journey to Asgard.

We planned on heading quickly up to Asgard, so that we might have time enough to scramble up Dragontail or Little Annapurna... but there was too much to see, too much beauty to not stop and admire.

We paused for a snack along the shores of Perfection Lake, admiring Little Annapurna, and began to realize that we would not have time to reach its lofty summit. For now, we were going to have to settle for admiring its graceful shape.

Onward, we passed Inspiration Lake and on to the upper tier of the Enchantments.

Crystal Lake gleamed like a jewel below us, and beyond lay the magnificent desolation of the Upper Enchantment Lakes.

Even here, among the granite boulders there are plants and wildflowers.

The wind continued to buffet us, but finally getting a look at Dragontail rising above the boulders and crags gave us the energy to continue a little farther.

And at long last, after hours of effort and toil, is our reward: Asgard Pass... and nearly 3000 feeet below lies beautiful Colchuck Lake.

The wind here was the strongest we had encountered yet. The gusts were so strong that it was difficult to stand still atop this boulder.

Wishing that we had time to scramble up to the summit of Dragontail, we reluctantly began the return trip toward the Lower tier and our camp at Lake Vivianne.

The gale didn't abate that afternoon. Or that evening. We ended up moving our camp to a more sheltered location, and bedded down for our last night in the Enchantments. We photographed during the early morning hours, enjoying the first sunny day of the trip.

With regret and heavy hearts, we turned away from this beautiful place and began the long, steep return trip that afternoon, already looking forward to a return.

Well, some of us were looking forward to returning. I found several photographs that I was not able to make on this trip, and I am keen on reaching the summits of Dragontail and Little Annapurna.

More images from the trip are available here.

The Road to Asgard continues...

In case you missed the beginning of this tale, you can find it here.

After departing from Upper Snow Lake, we began the steepest part of the trip. Fortunately, this is a hiker's trail rather than a miner's trail, so it has switchbacks, unlike the trail to the Lake of the Angels... but even so, it's quite steep. We gained 2000 over approximately one mile, scrambling up and over rocks, and struggling to keep our spirits up.

The expression on Erika's face shows the elation we felt when we found the sign indicating that we were about to enter the Enchantment Lakes Basin at long last. Our destination lay just around the bend!

It was a little bit more than just around the bend, but fortunately not much more.

Looking back over our shoulders allowed us to gain a sense of how far we had come from Upper Snow Lake.

After finding ourselves a beautiful campsite on the shores of Lake Vivianne, with Prusik Peak standing above us, we headed out to do some exploring with nice, light packs. Carrying so little weight after all that grueling climbing was very liberating.

We meanderd among the Lower Enchantment Lakes for a time; since we stopped frequently to photograph or simply admire our surroundings, we didn't travel very far. We strayed from the trail of cairns frequently to get closer looks at the creeks that connected the lakes, the tarns scattered among the lakes, and of coure the trees and heather, interspersed with splashes of colorful wildflowers.

Prusik Peak, always visible from within the basin, caught the light nicely.

After our afternoon of exploration, we headed back to camp to settle in for the night, hoping to get some rest before the trip to Asgard. We planned on leaving early, traveling lightly, in the hopes of giving ourselves time enough for a side trip to the top of one of the high peaks, either Little Annapurna or Dragontail.

To be continued...

The Road to Asgard

Erika and Orion and I met at 4:30 at Erika's place in Kirkland on Wednesday morning. Fortified with caffeinated beverages, we drove to Leavenworth to pick up our camping permits and get some breakfast. After that, we made for the trailhead.

We booted up and hefted our massive packs, then started on the trail.

After a short descent to Icicle Creek, the switchbacks began.

Ocassionally, we encountered hikers heading down to the trailhead, who offered us words of encouragement, usually relating to how spectacular the destination would be when we got there.

We also met some mountain goats on the way.

After pausing to photograph the pair, we continued onward. We stopped for a light lunch at Nada Lake, and spent some time being entertained by the camp robbers, and photographing the mountains and the lake.

Looming over Nada Lake are the Temple and Prusik Peak. The more distant Prusik Peak marks the entrance to our destination. We have a long way to go yet.

The combination of the arduous and unrelenting climb, distance, and weight of our packs forced us to rest for the night at Upper Snow Lake.

So far, we have hiked 7.5 miles and gained approximately 4000 feet of elevation.

After enjoying the spectacle of the rising sun over Upper Snow Lake the following morning, we began the next stage of our journey.

To be continued...