The Enchantments in a Single Day: Why You Probably Shouldn't (and How to If You Must)

Rae has the lottery permit luck of a marble statue, so she did the Enchantments core-zone through-hike in a single day. 18 miles point-to-point, 4,500 ft of vertical, no overnight gear. Here's the actual day.

Pre-dawn at Stuart Lake trailhead

4:35am car-shuttle pickup at Snow Lakes (the exit). Kicked off the actual climb at Stuart Lake at 5:30. Headlamp on for the first two miles up to Colchuck.

The Aasgard pass climb

This is the day. 2,200 ft of vertical in 0.75 miles of class 2-3 scramble. Not technical but sustained. We were at the top in 2 hours flat from Colchuck Lake. Microspikes in our pack — didn't need them in late August but the year-round patches near the top stay icy.

Core zone — the postcard

Hit Inspiration Lake at 9:45am. Spent two hours moving slowly through Perfection, Sprite, Crystal — the lakes are exactly as good as the photos. Mountain goats everywhere; one of them inspected our packs.

Lake Viviane to Snow Lakes

The descent is a knee-killer. 6,000 ft down in 8 miles. We got passed by trail runners who looked like they regretted it. Reached the car at 4:55pm.

Would we do it again?

Maybe — but if you draw a permit, take the 4 days. The pace forces you to skim the things that make this place special. The day-hike is for people who can't pull a permit.