The Enchantments

Native American tribes, Yakima, Chinook and Wenatchi, traveled and thrived in and around The Enchantments region before it was ever discovered by western civilization. In the early 1900s, logging and mining had consumed much of the region. It was during this time that The Enchantments was named by European American, A.H. Sylvester, a topographer for the US Geological Survey in the Snoqualmie Ranger District from 1897 to 1907. By the 1940s climbers reached the area and began naming the crags. Bill and Peg Stark, of Leavenworth, 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 in the fall, the numerous lakes and tarns, and jagged peaks towering above. They used fairy names such as Gnome Tarn, Troll Sink, Naiad Lake (officially Temple 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, for example Lake Brynhild (officially Isolation Lake), Lake Freya (officially Tranquil Lake), and Valhalla Cirque because, Peg said, it felt "as if the Ice Age had just gone off." The official naming rulings of the US Board on Geographic Names in the 1960s resulted in a mixture of two name sets being adopted as official, particularly for the lakes, but also exemplified by the feature popularly known as Aasgard Pass being officially designated Colchuck Pass. Different sources still use the unofficial names in some contexts. The current policy of not adopting new names for geographic features in wilderness areas probably precludes the rest of the names identified by the Starks from achieving official status. == Ecology ==

The elevation of The Enchantments range from at Nada Lake to in the Upper Enchantments to at the summit of Dragontail Peak. The treeline is approximately above Snow Lake. A number of animals are permanent residents of the alpine zone: white-tailed ptarmigan, hoary marmots, and pikas. == Conservation ==

The number of visitors to the Enchantments has exponentially increased largely due to the fast growing population in the western region of Washington state. By the late 1970s, up to 300 people would be found camping in the basin on summer weekends. The Forest Service installed toilets in 1966, restricted horses in 1972, and banned dogs in 1982. By 2019, 100,000 people would visit The Enchantments annually. At such high elevation, vegetation are particularly vulnerable to foot traffic due to their short growing season, sparsity and low resilience to changes in their environment. In 2016, Chelan County and the Washington State Department of Ecology had proposed the Icicle Strategy plan to resolve the shortage of water supply that threatened irrigation, fish habitat and passage, and tribal and non-tribal fisheries in the Icicle Creek subbasin region. The purpose of the plan was to improve stream flow and water availability into the subbasin that previously relied heavily on the tight stream of Icicle Creek. Particularly during seasons of drought, Icicle Creek would often fail to meet minimum adopted levels. == Hiking ==

There are two primary approaches to the Enchantments Basin. Both trail heads are accessed via Icicle Creek Road. The Snow Lakes trailhead is off Icicle Creek Road at a large parking lot next to the creek. The trail climbs to Snow Lakes gaining . From Snow Lakes the trail ascends over sloping granite rock to the Lower Enchantments. The entire hike is one-way, with of elevation gain to an end elevation of . This hike usually takes two days each way and is described as "long, steep, and grueling." The Aasgard Pass route has also been described as "in very bad taste" because it bypasses the beauty of the lower basin to get to the upper basin first. The other 25 percent of permits are issued each morning (except Sunday) at 7:45 a.m. at the Leavenworth ranger station for trips beginning the same day. If not enough permits are available for the day's applicants, the permits are awarded by lottery. == References ==