Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA. July 12-15, 2014

[payslee]

Awesome. Simply awesome.

Just think, Kep, with your brand new little tent, you can now go ANYWHERE!

Don't forget to invite me

-payslee

[RobinB]

Wow! We applied for a Core Enchantments permit this year, and didn't make it. After seeing your report, I think next year we'll apply for a Stuart Zone permit next year

[mandrake]

Great pics of Horseshoe Lake -- have to put that one on my list!
Love the Enchantments!

[rainrunner]

Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for the nice trip report.
BTW, we call the clothes line scene a "yardsale".

[payslee]

Wow! We applied for a Core Enchantments permit this year, and didn't make it. After seeing your report, I think next year we'll apply for a Stuart Zone permit next year

I was really happy exploring the Stuart zone, and if you like a little more critters and not quite so many people, it's an awesome choice.
For the lottery, this year I wasn't really familiar with it and entered fairly haphazardly. From what I learned. The Core zone is really the only one that completely fills the moment (and I mean MOMENT) reservations open. So I think next year I'll put all my choices in for the core on different dates. Because if you enter the lottery with another zone as choice B you *will* get that other zone.

So try for the core (after all, if you decide not to go all the way up there you can still camp at Stuart with a core permit). Then if you have no lottery luck, you can just get a Stuart zone permit when regular reservations open. There were plenty available for at least a week.

But yes, what I learned: it's all amazing. Hard to play favorites even among the 3 very different lakes we visited this trip.

-payslee

[justpeachy]

Oh wow, that is so beautiful! This is my favorite type of scenery: gorgeous mountain lakes backdropped by soaring rugged mountains. Love it!

[drm]

if you like a little more critters and not quite so many people, it's an awesome choice.

Enchantments Core is not crowded at all. That's what the permit system does. When I did a few years ago - Colchuck through to Snow Lake - we saw not so many people. I think that Snow Lake is the area that could be called crowded. I think that Colchuck is fairly crowded as well. Since Stewart is just a bit "the other direction" (i.e. away from Enchantments core) it is probably least crowded. Having done Enchantment Core already, it would be nice to go up to Stewart and just explore that area.

[payslee]

Enchantments Core is not crowded at all. That's what the permit system does. When I did a few years ago - Colchuck through to Snow Lake - we saw not so many people. I think that Snow Lake is the area that could be called crowded. I think that Colchuck is fairly crowded as well. Since Stewart is just a bit "the other direction" (i.e. away from Enchantments core) it is probably least crowded. Having done Enchantment Core already, it would be nice to go up to Stewart and just explore that area.

Good to hear. I've not been up there myself, so I was going off nwhikers reports and the fact that Colchuck was PACKED, both with dayhikers and overnighters going up/down the pass. Even though we were there on a weekday.

But yes, Stuart was very much not crowded! There are four or five nice campsites spread out pretty well right at the lake, and only on Saturday evening did they all have someone camped in them. Day hikers were minimal, probably 1 for every 10 people we saw at Colchuck. Although Horseshoe is official "off trail" it's a well-known route with a decent bootpath. As we went up we met three guys coming down who'd camped there Saturday, and on Tuesday coming out I met another couple who planned to spend the night there.

Those meadows were all pretty marshy - later in the season when it's drier I think a lot more territory would be ripe for off trail exploring as well... So many good places to see...

-payslee

[BigBear]

Nice photos and good foresight into beating the wildfires to this scenic spot.

[Sean Thomas]

Wow, looks like an awesome adventure. I will have to drag my saggy nubs up there one of these days!