It’s not hyperbole to say that Ingrid Backstrom is a living legend. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Ingrid moved to Squaw Valley in 2000 to test the powdery slopes as a ski bum. She spent a few years entering freeskiing competitions, but it wasn’t until everything fell apart that she saw success. After losing her passport and ultimately canceling a trip to Chamonix, Ingrid entered a local competition at the last minute, even going as far as borrowing money and catching a ride to get there. Fortuitously, the team for Matchstick Productions (a ski film production company) showed up at that same competition and watched her compete. They were so impressed with her skiing that they asked her to film with them, leading to 2004’s film entitled Yearbook. The rest, as they say, is history. To date, she has appeared in nineteen ski films, been named Powder’s Female Skier of the Year five times, nabbed first ski descents in Greenland, Baffin Island, and China, and been awarded ESPN’s Real Women 2013 People’s Choice Winner.
The Enchantments Trail makes you work for it. This jewel of Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness is lush, green, and rugged with high mountain passes, slabs of protruding granite, and glistening lakes so sparkly that you’ll think someone dumped fairy dust in the water. But paradise doesn’t come without sweat equity; this trail is full of lung-busting climbs that will exhaust both your legs and your brain. Thankfully, you’ll see quite a few mountain goats on the trail that will help take your mind off your sore quads.
Nearest Town: Leavenworth
Getting There: Head west on US 2 through Leavenworth before taking a left on Icicle Road. Drive roughly 8 miles on Icicle Road before taking another left turn onto Road 7601. Follow it past the first trailhead for roughly 3.5 miles until you see the Stuart Lake Trailhead.
Trailhead: Stuart Lake Trailhead GPS: N47 31.652', W120 49.249'
Fees and Permits: Permits are required for any overnight visits between May 15 and Oct 31. These permits are largely awarded in a lottery that takes place between Feb 15 and Mar 2 of each year. If any spaces are left after this, they will be allocated on a first come, first served basis via the https://recreation.gov reservation system. Day users only need to fill out a free day-use permit that is available at any trailhead accessing the Enchantments Permit Area.
Trail Users: Hikers, trail runners
Elevation Gain: 4,835 feet
Length: 18 miles (point-to-point)
Approximate Hiking Time: One long day or 1–3 days backpacking
Difficulty: Strenuous
Insider Info: Mountain goats are as prevalent as squirrels on this trail. While beautiful and fun to watch, be aware that they enjoy the salt that comes with human urine. It’s not uncommon to turn around from a bathroom break and find a mountain goat directly behind you, so please use the privies whenever possible. Fall is a beautiful time to visit as the larch trees are in full color!
Managing Agency: Wenatchee River Ranger District
Skiing is known to cause knee injuries but Ingrid seemed to be unstoppable. But her near decade-long streak came to an abrupt end in 2013 while on set filming for Sherpa Cinemas’s new film. After skiing into the backcountry of Canada’s British Columbia, she and the crew scouted a pillow line that appeared perfect for shooting. Named for their appearance, pillow lines are a ski term used when large boulders are covered in a heavy coating of snow, completely obstructing the actual rock. When in prime conditions, the fluffy snow sits elegantly atop the stones, visually imitating a cushy pillow. Skilled skiers can descend from pillow to pillow, plunging into the soft snow before launching and descending onto the next pillow.
Unfortunately, pillow lines can be a guessing game as even the most experienced of skiers can’t always confidently predict what will be underneath the frozen layer of whiteness. Once Ingrid climbed to the top of the line, she noted that it looked flatter from above and questioned her route. But, ever the professional, she went for it. After all, it was a filming day! Things went well as she zipped down the line, catching pockets of air before launching to the next pillow, absorbing the impact with her knees like a seasoned pro. She crushed the line—until she hit the bottom pillow with a thud. The landing was harder and more hard-packed than expected, and Ingrid immediately felt pain in her knee.
Oh no.
Fast-forward a few months, and Ingrid was post-op for her ruptured patella tendon. As an athlete, she possessed nearly unshakeable confidence. After all, it was almost a prerequisite to accomplish the tasks required of her career. But rehab is notoriously emotionally taxing, burying both confidence and a sense of identity underneath the never-ending list of seemingly menial physical exercises. Six months of rehab loomed in front of her as dark and ominous as blackened storm clouds. Could she still challenge herself? Would her body be up to its usual physical tasks?
Personally, Ingrid was asking a big life question: Should she stay or should she go? After long-distance dating, Ingrid’s boyfriend (and now husband) asked her to spend a summer with him in Leavenworth. Since Ingrid was still loving life in Tahoe, she was reticent to head north. Things were good in Tahoe and she didn’t know that it needed to change. But then again, with months of rehab on the schedule, she figured now was as good a time as ever. Why not explore the possibilities and shake things up a bit? A little change might be good for her.
It didn’t take long for Ingrid to realize she had made the best choice for her, both personally and geographically. She quickly discovered the Enchantments, a verdant wonderland so packed full of jagged peaks and shimmering water that she believed it to be from a fairy tale rather than her new neighborhood. Ingrid could scarcely believe her luck: How did this lush wilderness of contrasts exist in her new Cascadian backyard? She ached to explore this magical land of alpine lakes and granite peaks, but knew that pulling a permit was more difficult than recovering from knee surgery. So, she and her boyfriend decided on a major day: They would day hike the entire 18 miles.
A LAND OF FAIRYTALES
In the late 1950s, Bill and Peg Stark made their inaugural voyage to the Enchantments. They fell so deeply in love with the area that they continued the tradition, returning every summer for the next 35 years and eventually moving to Leavenworth to start an outfitters business. During their numerous visits to the Enchantments, this beloved couple began naming various features with mythical endearments. In Lower Enchantments Basin, they dubbed larch trees, lakes, and jagged peaks with monikers such as Gnome Tarn, Naiad Lake, and Sprite. In the Upper Basin, they switched to Norse origins with nicknames like Lake Freya and Valhalla Cirque. Many locals still prefer to use the mythological nicknames, but the Starks were never able to convince the Forest Service. Instead, the standard names like Perfection and Isolation Lake appear on maps, but many prefer the romantic yet colloquial nomenclature created by the Starks.
With almost 5,000 feet of elevation gain, day hiking the Enchantments Trail is not an easy feat. Yet it is one frequently attempted thanks to the strict permitting system in place in the Alpine Wilderness. The draw is the almost ethereal beauty that is the Enchantments. Hikers can begin at either end—Stuart Lake Trailhead or Snow Lake Trailhead—and leave a car at the endpoint. It is more commonly hiked from Stuart Lake since that direction calls for 2,600 feet less of elevation gain over the entire route.
Hiking in the Enchantments area includes five different zones. The most popular for permits are the Snow Zone, Colchuck Zone, and the Core Enchantments Zone. The other two—Stuart Zone and Eightmile/Caroline Zone—see less action for permits. If hikers opt to begin their day at the Stuart Lake Trailhead as suggested, they would begin in the Stuart Zone and continue through the Colchuck Zone and the Core Enchantments Zone before concluding in the Snow Zone. For many, the Core Enchantments Zone is the highlight of an undoubtedly beautiful hike. Chock-full of aqua bodies of water and shimmering white slabs of granite, the contrast in colors is similar to what can only be found in a box of crayons. Frisky mountain goats complete the scene, creating a wilderness utopia of sorts. But again, pulling a permit in the Core Enchantments section of the wilderness is akin to a golden ticket at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory; it doesn’t happen that often.
Nineteen miles is a big day for anyone, but coming off surgery made the distance more challenging. Ingrid and her future husband tackled the day like she does anything else: with drive, determination, and copious amounts of confidence. They charged the climbs and held comfortable conversations on the downhills, all while marveling at the sparkling scenery surrounding them. Lake after lake magically appeared around every bend in the trail, almost like a hidden backcountry gem.
But the day wasn’t easy and Ingrid will be the first to admit that. As the miles wore on and the unrelenting climbing continued, she broke down and cried. The physical demand of the trip was simply too much for her to handle and tears were the only release that felt good. But that is the thing about a good cry: once it is over, you can see the world more clearly, almost as if the release of moisture washes away all the negativity and leaves behind a healthy dose of perspective. In fact, it is these lower moments that truly highlight Ingrid’s strength as one of the best female freeskiers in the world. She doesn’t wallow in her misery or throw herself a pity party. Instead, she acknowledges those emotions, noting where and what they’re doing, and then moves on. She allows logic to take the reins.
In the Enchantments, it was no different. After eating a snack, she allowed herself a few moments to sit on a rock and look around her, soaking in all of the unique intricacies Mother Nature displayed. She watched the leaves flutter in the breeze and listened to the wind waft through the upper air, as soft and sweet as a quiet whisper. She admired the alpine lakes glittering in the distance, wondering if fairies really did dump their excess glitter along the shoreline. She stared at the practically neon green carpet that covered the valley, enjoying how soft and lush it looked from miles away as it covered the natural world in mythological beauty.
She gave herself that moment to gain perspective. Once it passed, she was a new woman. She and her boyfriend finished the trek, tired and sore but oh so happy. She returned home eager to discover what was next on her docket, bolstered by her renewed sense of confidence from the Enchantments. Reinvigorated and full of spirit and enthusiasm, Ingrid couldn’t wait to see what adventure she would find next.
From the Stuart Lake Trailhead, follow the trail to the back side of Colchuck Lake. Cross through the boulders and skirt a sandy beach, continuing on as the trail begins to steeply climb over talus. This elevation gain is the start of Aasgard Pass (officially coined Colchuck Pass but more colloquially called Aasgard). The trail disappears, so follow the cairns as you climb (staying to the left of the larch grove about halfway up); as it steepens, it’ll go from hands-and-feet scrambling back to larger boulders near the top. Now that you’ve arrived in the Upper Enchantments, hike through the rocks until dropping down to the plateau underneath Little Annapurna. The plateau ends as the trail continues east and down a steep hill to Inspiration Lake.
You’ll continue on, dropping farther down as you hit Perfection Lake; this is the Middle Enchantments. Hike through meadows of grass along the eastern shore of the lake, eventually climbing up and around to Sprite Lake. Once you see McClellan Peak and Prusik Peak, you will know you have entered the Lower Enchantments.
Leprechaun Lake is the first body of water you see as you traverse along the shore before heading down to Lake Viviane. Continue hiking until you pass Nada Lake; this is the last of the lakes.
Cross the bridge and descend to the Snow Lakes Trail before following its steep all path the way back to the trailhead.
0.0 From the parking lot, begin on Stuart Lake Trail #1599.
1.5 Cross Mountaineer Creek on a log bridge.
2.25 Arrive at a trail junction. Stay to the left on Colchuck Lake Trail.
4.0 Reach the shores of Colchuck Lake.
4.5 Leave the south shore of Colchuck Lake to begin the initial climb up Aasgard Pass.
5.4 Stay to the left to continue up toward the summit.
5.6 Top out at the summit of Aasgard Pass.
7.0 Hit the shores of Perfection Lake, entering the Middle Enchantments.
7.4 Stay to the right, as the left is a detour up Prusik Pass.
10.1 Use a three-log bridge to cross Snow Creek.
11.2 Cross Snow Creek a second time via a crumbly dam.
13.8 Cross Snow Creek a third time.
16.5 Begin descending a series of steep switchbacks.
17.8 Cross Icicle Creek before reaching the end.
