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Blog

Ten Tips for Backpacking the Enchantments

October 20, 2015 Betsy Woods
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This October we had the privilege of backpacking part of the Enchantments, a series of alpine lakes located in Washington. They were so magnificent that we decided to compile a list of tips to encourage other people to get out and experience them! 


Ten Tips for Backpacking the Enchantments

1. You must pay for a permit for any overnight trips into the Enchantments between June 15 and October 15. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the area, these permits are limited. For more information visit the USDA Forest Service. 

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2. In order to park at the trailheads that give you access to the core Enchantments, you must have a Northwest Forest Pass. We purchased ours at REI on our way out of town. An annual pass is $30. 

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3. If more overall elevation gain but a slower pace sounds like your thing, start at the Snow Lake trailhead to enter the Enchantments. If less overall elevation gain but an intense pace sounds better, then start at the Stuart Lake trailhead (this is the most popular route). 

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4. It's pretty unanimous that backpacking the Enchantments has a high difficulty rating. Sure, there will be a few of you who think it's just another standard day on the trail, but regardless of who you are, do yourself a favor and pack as lightly as possible. 

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5. Keep in mind that the trail through the Enchantments is not a loop. If you intend to hike through it you will need a car at either end, a pickup plan, or a desire to hitchhike. 

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6. Because of the goat situation use the outhouses when possible. If not possible don't urinate near the trail in order to avoid leaving salt concentrates that may lure goats onto the trail. You can watch an official biologist and ranger led "Hiking Safely With Mountain Goats" video here. 

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7. Expect lingering snow as late as July and be prepared for early snow storms in Autumn.

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8. General trail regulations: campfires are never allowed, camp in an established campsite, don't feed any animals, and keep your own food secure. There are not actually any specific food storage regulations for the Enchantments, so we decided not to carry our bear canister to reduce weight as bears are not a big issue in this area. However, goats and marmots have been known to tear into people's packs to get at food so we stowed ours away from camp under some rocks (no trees present for hanging food in the Upper Enchantments). Also, we thought it might be pretty hard to find an available established campsite but sites were quite numerous. Of course, this was helped by the fact that the Upper Enchantments (where we camped) is practically a moonscape allowing campsites free of vegetation to spring up everywhere. Unfortunately, we are unable to speak to the number of established campsites in the Lower Enchantments since we didn't have time to go there. 

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9. Water is plentiful so don't try to carry your entire supply. Carry a water filter instead. 

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10. For excellent information on the Enchantments, with everything from trail and lake descriptions to mileage and elevation information, visit the Washington Trails Association. 

Tags Enchantments Tips, North America
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@wandering.woods

It's been legitimately hot in the van today to the point where I've had to open the window and turn on the fan, and I'm loving it for now after all the rain and cold.

Thinking back to another warm day when we were lucky enough to take the Sprinter on Highway 101 up the coast and do some kayaking 😊 From this angle you can just see our three solar panels and two fans on the roof. It came with the fan at the front, but we installed the second one directly over our bed in the back. Makes a big difference in the summer when it comes to sleep.
My last post was about making tacos, but to be honest I've barely cooked since we returned to the Sprinter. It's still cold enough that all I'm interested in doing when I'm in the van is curling up in a sleeping bag. As such, we haven't been eating the healthiest of late. What has been a nice addition to our Taco Bell runs and cafeteria meals are these Shine Organics snack pouches. They're perfect for the van. No mess, no need to refrigerate until opened. At first I was leery because I'm a big texture person, but they're like a cross between a juice and a smoothie and the flavors are on point. So is the fact that it's just pureed fruit and veggies with no added sugar. Excited to take them backpacking to supplement our usual staples of instant mashed potatoes and Ramen noodles 😁 We've always wanted to be those people who cook gourmet food when they backpack, but we're just not. Not yet at least. One can always dream.

Today was the warmest sunniest day we've had in a long time. It was so nice to get off and discover that the van was considerably warmer than outside from all the sun shining in. It definitely wasn't that way this morning when Justin and I crawled out of our sleeping bags around 5:30 to get ready for work. If there's one thing I hate, it's being cold. Poor Justin has probably been begging God to send us some sun and warmth so he doesn't have to hear me complain 😉

#shineorganicspartner
Tacos have managed to make the cut  onto our list of easy to make van meals. We make them a little different then most though. Soft shells, rice, vegetarian meat substitute (Morning Star grillers crumbles are my fave), homemade guacamole, chipotle salsa, sour cream, and salty lime-drenched shredded cabbage 👌 The cabbage part might sound weird but it adds the perfect crunch and I love it so much I make extra and eat it plain afterwards.

What's your favorite easy van meal? Don't worry, we eat our fair share of things like mac and cheese so no judgement here 😁
Had a wonderful phone conversation today with someone I've never met who had lots of really thoughtful questions about what it's like to live in a van, if it's been financially worth it, things we might change and so forth. She and her husband are contemplating building out a van in the future. Being able to share our experiences to help others make an informed decision regarding van life makes me really happy.

Hope you all have an excellent weekend filled with adventurous plans 😊

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{all photographs copyright of Justin + Betsy unless explicitly stated}