Enchantment Lakes

I day hiked the Enchantment Lakes with a few friends Friday with the assignment from Tom to see if there were fish in the upper lakes we didn't visit together a few years ago. Photo is of Colchuk Lake (fish rising) and at the end of the lake you can see the rock scramble (trail?) up to Aasgard Pass (another 2,200' of elevation gain in about a mile of trail distance).

I came around a boulder on a corner to find this guy staring at me 5' away.

Found the upper lakes to be devoid of any activity and unresponsive to flies, but finally did have some success with a stimulator with rubber legs in Inspiration Lake. I'd seen some grasshoppers on the climb up to Aasgard Pass and also found them in the Enchantment Basin.

The first cutt from Inspiration Lake. I found a 12" cutt in the outlet stream.

Had more great fishing on the inlet into Sprite Lake. Landed 30-40 and missed numerous other opportunties. All nice cutts. Using a big fly, the little guys couldn't get their mouths around it.

Inlet to Sprite Lake

Joe, one of my companions, was able to catch his first fish ever on a fly--an 11" cutthroat. He caught about 20 and missed lots more. We were sight fishing with the stimulator.

The trail down was also very steep (see photo) and the hike was an all day event. We covered 18.3 miles and traversed through 11,000 vertical feet of elevation change. (Okay, it was really only 10,900 according to the Green Trails map!) I'd highly recommend it if you want to have some incredible scenery and can live with sore legs for a couple days afterwards.

The few photos below are from when Michelle and I day hiked the Enchantments two years ago. It is truly a beautiful place.

At Leprechaun Lake

Above Inspiration Lake

Little Anapurna--I think? (upper basin)

Goats in the upper basin

Temple Lake

Lake Vivian with "The Temple" rising in the background