The Enchantments (Snow Lake Trail to Aasgard Pass)

The quintessential Alpine Lakes Wilderness backpack though a stunning alpine wonderland.

The Enchantment Lakes Basin can be reached from one of two approaches, from Snow Lakes or from Colchuck Lake via Aasgard Pass. The Snow Lakes approach is outlined here as it is somewhat more accessible for more hikers. For reasons explained below, many of the features in this area are commonly referred to by more than one name. To avoid confusion the official USGS name is used, followed by the alternate in parentheses.

From the Snow Lakes dam 6.8 miles from the Snow Lakes Trailhead, follow the trail as it contours the lake, passing campsites and enjoy the view of The Temple’s sharp peak and McClellan Peak’s glacial crown. Reach the bridge over Snow Creek and good camping at 8.1 miles.

As you work your way up trail chipped into the rock, the trees increasingly yield to ever larger slabs of granite. Trudging switchbacks lead to a barren headwall, the first lip of the Enchantment Basin. After much effort, reach the top of the headwall and the shores of Lake Viviane at 9.4 miles. Temple Lake (Naiad Lake) is here too, hidden behind the granite knoll near the lake outlet.

Cross Snow Creek as it rushes out of Lake Vivian, and work your way up and around a hill of granite to reach the end of Leprechaun Lake at 9.7 miles. Push onward under the sharp spires of Prusik Peak, clambering over boulders and skirting jutting ribs of rock to little Sprite Lake. The trail hugs the lakeside and rounds a rocky bluff to reveal Perfection Lake (Rune Lake) at 10.4 miles as it dumps water into Sprite Lake in a tiny cascade. Continue beside Perfection Lake to toward a sprawling larch-filled meadow and the Prusik Pass trail junction at 10.7 miles.

The junction marks the end of the Lower Enchantment Basin. Find Inspiration Lake (Talisman Lake) not far beyond at 10.9 miles. From here the trail angles upward to begin a climb into true alpine tundra. Push your way up a boulder-filled creek gully to reach a vast meadowland riddled with ponds and streams sometimes called the Brisingamen Lakelets. Pass an unsigned but well-trodden trail at 11.4 miles, leading out and up to the top of Little Annapurna. You’ll also find sweeping views of the Lower Enchantment Basin, including Crystal Lake tucked into a cirque between McClellan Peak and Little Annapurna.

The trail continues beyond the meadows entering a grey moonscape. At the 12.2-mile mark the trail cuts between Tranquil Lake (Lake Freya) and a view of the largest lake in the Upper Enchantment Basin, Isolation Lake (Brynhild Lake). From here, it’s a short 0.4-mile hike through a boulder field to reach windblown Aasgard Pass (officially Colchuck Pass). From the pass look down the broad talus-covered slope to Colchuck Lake and the Mountaineer Creek Valley.

There's a lot more to The Enchantments, and you can learn all about it in Alpine Lakes Wilderness: The Complete Hiking Guide. You'll find a trail map, route descriptions, history, and more for this and many other hikes throughout the State. Help support hikingwithmybrother.com and the work we do by picking up a copy!