The Enchantments of the Stuart Range, Washington State

My friend Marc Dilley sent me photos of a fall hike to the Enchantments, an alpine plateau surrounded by peaks in the Stuart Range of the Cascades, near Wenatchee Washington.   He and some friends hiked in to the Enchantments as a day hike, which most sane people do as a 4 or 5 day trip. Marc and I used to visit the Enchantments before permits were required, and it was a great backyard mountain venue.

This time of year (fall) the larch trees are turning orange and dropping their needles.   Marc and I once went into here in the early spring, skied across frozen Colchuck Lake, carried our skis up the snow filled Asgard Pass, climbed the peaks around the basin, and skied down Asgard Pass, in another life when we were invincible.  Marc is also a botanist, and has some wildflower articles on the Wenatchee Outdoors Club site.  Marc's skills as a climber and as a photographer continue to amaze me. Marc's photo site is here: http://marcdilley.com/

Hiking around Colchuck Lake, with Asgard Pass above. I can't believe we skied down that sucker with packs on.  Oh now I remember.  I fell a lot, and tumbled quite a bit of the way.

This is a view in the direction of Prussik Peak, a classic peak in the area.

These are larch trees in their pre-winter color. They drop their needles shortly after turning yellow.

This is one of the bigger lakes of the Enchantments.