Wisconsin To Washington: The Enchantments: An Epic Journey

In September, Mike and I set off with Brad, Jessica, Mike O., and Shane to traverse the Enchantments in the Cascade Mountains. It was a big deal. They only let so many people in a day, in order to protect the park. This means that, every spring, there's a lottery to determine who gets passes and who doesn't. We did. So, we spent several days in the mountains, climbing and descending and breathing the freshest air left in this country. We filtered our water and hung our food. We even got a "survival" story out of the deal; the windchill was so cold the second night that Mike and I snuggled into one sleeping bag to share body heat. We didn't sleep much, but nor did we freeze. Despite the cold bones on night two, this trip was amazing. I would write all about it if I thought I were a good enough writer, but I can't put to paper the beauty of those lakes and mountains. No way in hell can I capture that. Additionally, I'm trying to catch y'all up on the last three months of our lives, so I need to keep things short, or you'll still be lost in September. So, let these pictures say what they will, and, then, multiply whatever awe-inspiring thoughts they leave you with by at least 27.39842, and then, maybe you'll have an idea of what we saw up there. Maybe.

The Explorers: Shane, Brad, Jessica, Mike, Tera, and Mike

Our First View of Lake Colchuck and Aasgard Pass (also known in these parts as "Ass-kickin' Pass")

We camped on the shoreline of Lake Colchuck the first night, before conquering the Pass the next morning.

Looking Behind Us While Climbing Aasgard, a Rainbow
(Right after we took this photo, a unicorn flew overhead, sprinkling glitter as she went.)

Looking Back at What was Our Camp

VIDEOS!!!

We made it to the top!...

That's Eastern Washington Behind Us - Whoa!

MORE VIDEOS!!!

This is one of the only places where the pine trees change color in the fall:

Lake Vivian: She Tasted Good

VIDEO!!!

After only three days in the mountains, Mike and I weren't ready to go home yet. We spent the night in Leavenworth, a Bavarian Village nestled on the edge of the mountains. We had a campfire (note above photo - we couldn't have fires while backpacking), and slept in the Subaru where we looked at the stars through the moon roof. The next morning, we explored the village.