Alpine Lakes Wilderness

September 1989

So, this is just about everyone's favorite hike in Washington State, judging by its popularity and the lottery system required to get a permit to camp in the area. ..

We took our hike in September 1989, a year or two before the lottery system was implemented. Still, permits to camp in the upper basin were extremely tough to come by (...they handed out two to walk-ups the weekend we went.. . ). So, to ensure we had a place in line, we had to go over the night before and camp out on the ranger station lawn (... a practice they no longer allow...) after drinking several bottles of Grolsch in a Leavenworth tavern (... a practice certainly still allowed...)

The recommended route to the upper lake basin is via Nada and Snow Lakes. We went in via Colchuck Lake and straight up Aasgard Pass, a tasteless and silly 2300 foot rise in a short mile. It was steep with very loose rock - very tiring with a full pack. Quite honestly, a climbers' approach to the Dragontail peaks. It could've been extremely dangerous if large snows remained, but our late summer hike was mostly snow-free. We exited several days later via the Snow / Nada Lakes route, where we had a relay car waiting at the trailhead.

The upper basin was a polished rock moonscape, the lakes in the lower basin where we camped absolutely clear and the deepest blue-green contrasted by the white rock. The weather was perfect. This was probably the most spectacular hike I've been on.