Since we were camped at the trailhead, it was easy to do a 6:30am start for the hike. Several other groups actually got started before we did! I like to get up early in the morning, but hiking so early is hard for me. I generally prefer a leisurely morning with copious amounts of coffee. Instead, I barely had two sips of my coffee (still too hot!) before we bolted up the trail. We maintained a steady pace to Colchuck, overtaking one of the groups that got an earlier start than we did. We had second breakfast at the lake, and then we tackled Aasgard Pass.
The last time I hiked Aasgard Pass I timed it, and it took an hour and thirty-five minutes. It's only nine-tenths of a mile. My half-marathon PR is an hour and thirty-two minutes. Embarrassing. I was determined to be faster today. I timed it, and from the base to the top it took an hour, twenty-one minutes and fifty-five seconds! A PR! We distance runners are nutty about PRs (okay, maybe it's just me...I'm constantly looking for signs that I'm not just old and out of shape now).
Once we got to the Upper Enchantments we slowed down quite a bit. Jeff H. had never been there before, and I had never seen so many mountain goats all at once before. I'm not quite as awed by them as I once was (after all, what can compare to having three different goats lick me on two different trips up Scotchman Peak?), but the goats were everywhere today! We twice counted at least ten goats in a group. We had one goat approach us and seemingly pose for pictures below Little Anapurna. She was willing us to pee on a rock, but still, it was cool. We did the side hike up to Prusik Pass for lunch and watched two sets of nannies with kids lounging in the snow. Plus, there were all of the lakes! Pace became secondary to photography.
Then we had to descend to Snow Lakes. Pace became secondary to safety. That trail is steep--far steeper than I remember. I can't believe that the last time I went down that trail I had a fifty-pound pack on my back. It was tough enough today with just a day-pack.
We stopped again for a snack break between Upper and Lower Snow Lakes, and we realized that we were going to be a little later than we intended. At least the trail was super easy from there back to the parking lot. Just before we arrived, we spotted two more goats! I had no idea that they ventured so far down, but there was another nanny and kid standing on a rock just a mile from the Snow Lake trailhead!
Mileage = 21.4
Lakes visited = Colchuck Lake, Tranquil Lake, Isolation Lake, Inspiration Lake, Perfection Lake, Sprite Lake, Leprechaun Lake, Lake Viviane, Upper Snow Lake, Lower Snow Lake, Nada Lake
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