The Enchantments
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The Enchantments refers to a section of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness near Leavenworth, Washington. This area was first discovered and named by Hal Sylvester, topographer and first chief of the Wenatchee National Forest. At this time the high alpine basin was filled with the Snow Creek Glacier. The lakes in the upper basin are remnants of the decreasing glacier.
By the 1940s climbers discovered the area and began naming the crags. Bill and Peg Stark of Leavenworth, WA, became frequent visitors who drew upon various mythologies to name features of the landscape. When they made their first visit in the fall of 1959, they were captivated by the golden splendor of the larch trees, the numerous lakes and tarns, and jagged peaks towering above. They used fairy names -- Gnome Tarn, Troll Sink, Naiad Lake, Sprite -- and King Arthur legends in the Lower Enchantment Basin because "the lower basin was not as austere as the upper basin," according to Peg. They used Norse names and mythology for features of the upper basin -- Brynhild Lake, Lake Freya, Valhalla Cirque -- because, Peg said , it felt "as if the Ice Age had just gone off." source
As The Enchantments became a popular hiking destination the parks department as issued a permits system. Seventy-five percent of the permits are issued ahead of time via a lottery with a March 1 deadline. The other 25 percent are daily permits issued on a first come first serve basis at 7:30 am at the Leavenworth Ranger Station on weekdays. The Enchantments area is divided into five zones. The three major azones are the Snow Zone (from Icicle Creek up to Snow Lakes), the Colchuck Zone (the area surrounding Colchuck Lake) and between those two the Enchantment Zone for the upper basin.
The hike into The Enchantments is described as "strenuous", which might just be the understatement of the century or is perhaps just an inside joke amongst those who have survived the journey.
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