Enchantments are blessing for the hikers. They’re beautiful, serpentine, full of snow and little traveled in winter/spring. Second week of April, I hiked Enchantments with four friends. We all shared a profound taste for nature, submission to the elements, patience, thrift and the sense of craziness. First night we camped at Leavenworth campgrounds ( a small fancy German town in WA ) and started our hiking early next morning.

After first few minutes you start to feel it, the sensation in your legs, your breathing pattern changes, you simply feel more. You don’t even have to look at your watch anymore – just the pace of trail is enough to tell where you are. On the road mountains lead the dance, and their presence is continuous. But when you hike, they surprise you in sudden ambushes and then disappear. They drag you up in their serenity, in their vastness. There’s comfort in that.

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Location: Snow lake, Enchantments, Washington

Time of the year: April 11th-12th 2015

Distance: 14mile (22.5km)

Elevation gain: 4300ft

Highest point: 5500ft

Temperature: 23F to 39F (-5C to 4C )

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