Please make an appointment for bootfitting.
The Enchantments are an extremely popular hiking destination in the summer, with tons of alpine lakes and dramatic alpine peaks. But they are even more magical in winter!! The area is permit restricted during the popular season, but starting November 1, the restriction is lifted! Take advantage of the lesser crowds and head out for a classic ski traverse from Snow Lakes to Colchuck Lake. This zone is so incredible that many opt to stay overnight up here and enjoy the scenery. The tour is a total of ~22 miles and 6,200’ of elevation gain, so it is very doable in a day car-to-car. If you have the time, you might as well throw up a tent, ski some nearby lines, and soak up the solitude.
The Enchantments are tucked on the eastside of the Cascade crest, so they can have their own microclimate in the winter. Typically they still see large snow totals, as compared to just a bit further east where the rain shadow of the Cascade mountains becomes more dramatic. The route climbs up through a few avalanche-prone slopes, particularly on the climb up to Lake Vivian and down Aasgard Pass. There are some overhead hazards along the way in the Snow Lake drainage, so keep your eyes out for signs of slide activity. The magic of the route starts at Lake Vivian, where you enter the true alpine of the “core zone” of the Enchantments. Enjoy views of the classic Prusik Peak, McClellan Peak, and many others striking up from the lake basins.
The Enchantments Ski Traverse is best done starting from Snow Lakes and descending Aasgard Pass. You will have a gradual climb up through the Snow Lakes drainage and forest, as opposed to a steep climb up Aasgard Pass, which is a much better ski down and is the only mandatory ski descent.
The traverse only has one major ski descent: Aasgard Pass. This can be a bit challenging (see crux) but overall the ski down to Colchuck Lake is wonderful. Be sure to take a look back at Dragontail Peak! Skinning across Colchuck Lake with Dragontail behind you is a photo worth having! The ski down to Mountaineer Creek from Colchuck Lake is a bit miserable and tricky, but it's the exit cost for a wonderful tour. Depending on the time of year, you should be able to ski down the road to the gate closure at Icicle Creek road. The tour is best done while the road to Icicle Creek is still covered in snow, so try to get this one in before the snow melts, around April timeframe.
As mentioned, the traverse is best done from the Snow Lakes side towards Colchuck Lake. Doing it the other way around is not advised, as the ski out Snow Lakes would be tricky and quite miserable. You will follow the Snow Lakes trail all the way to Snow Lakes, then climb up glades towards Lake Vivian. From Lake Vivian, traverse across frozen lakes and open terrain as you see fit. There aren’t any well defined trails in this region in the wintertime, so feel free to blaze your own way!
The crux of this route is descending Aasgard Pass. There is a waterfall that forms blue ice in the middle of the slope, so take caution and try to gather GPX tracks and identify the location of the ice. Typically the icy spots stick out, even after heavy snowfall. There are often a few tricky ice and rock steps that skiers will have to maneuver with their skis off before clicking in for a wonderful ski down.
The core zone of the Enchantments is pure magic, so don’t rush through here without picking your head up and enjoying the scenery. Reserve this traverse for days with great visibility and weather so that you can soak up the incredible views. Oh...and stop by Heidelburger on the way back in Leavenworth for a burger and fries to top off the day!
