Our Hardest Hike Ever // The Enchantments, Leavenworth Washington
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- In this video we take you on the most difficult hike we've ever completed. We registered 21 miles on this one day hike that took us 15 hrs and 50 minutes to complete. This gorgeous alpine hike has around 5,000 feet of gain and around 7,000 feet of decent with some sections being very strenuous. Come along and enjoy the beauty of the Enchantments!
I am turning 60 this year and wants to day-hike through the enchantments before I turn 61. I am watching a lot of videos of through-hikes, and came across yours. What an inspiration and encouragement for us empty nesters! This is not impossible but just extremely challenging. Thank you!
Hello and thanks for watching and reaching out to us. This hike is absolutely doable at your age. I went into the hike with some hip bursitis and an inflamed knee and managed to gut through it although it was punishing. My wife managed much better than me and could have finished the hike in less time than I did. We're so glad to have accomplished it! This hike and our 2 day Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike rank at the top of our hiking memories. We wish you the best and hope you can hike the trail someday!
My wife and I just did the through hike of the Enchantments two weeks ago. Took us 17 hours to complete. We are both late 50's. We took our time and enjoyed the core. We started in the dark and finished in the dark. The core was SPECTACULAR!!❤ as bad as the hike up Aasgard was the 7000 foot descent after being exhausted was just brutal. Would never do it again as a thru hike. Will try and get camping permit next time. Def a bucket list item!❤❤❤
CONGRATULATIONS! You persevered through an extremely challenging endeavor. My wife thought the climb up Aasgard was the hardest part of the hike but I though it was the descent, especially the part between Lake Vivian and Snow Lakes. I think we said the hike was "brutal" about 5 times in our video, lol. We would never do it again as a thru-hike either, just too hard. Thanks for watching and happy trails!
@@BuckeyeDriftersHave you guys hiked Mailbox Peak? And if so, was it easier than this one and why? Elevation or distance or bad trails?
@@user-pd9ju5dk5swe have not hiked Mailbox Peak. I hadn’t heard of it so I looked it up and it appears to be a challenging hike. Statistically the Enchantments is twice the distance (AllTrails shows its 18 miles but virtually everyone, including us, who hikes it says it’s more like 20-21 miles), it has almost 5,000 ft gain and 7,000 ft decent. Based on that, I’d say the Enchantments is the more difficult hike. Happy trails!
This video literally made me cry!! I hiked to Colchuck Lake and back last summer, and it was very difficult but the best hike of my life. Thanks for letting me see what the rest of the trail looks like, it's absolutely stunning! The earth displays the glory of God! I'm amazed at anyone who completes The Enchantments in a day, and you two rocked it. This video was so well put together, peaceful and entertaining too. Now I have to go back and watch more of your videos!
Hi Stephanie! Your kind remark makes us smile 😊. So glad you were able to experience the beauty of Colchuck Lake. Washington is a beautiful state. Our videos help us document, relive and share our adventures. We’re glad you enjoyed watching it. Best wishes and happy trails!
That is the most amazing day hike I have ever seen! I am in awe of you both. It was so stunningly beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the kind remark. We’ve hiked many trails and this is the most epic day hike we’ve ever done. It pushed us to our limits but we’re so happy to have completed it. Happy trails!
Super impressed that the two of you were able to complete this as a day hike. It's no joke and this hike is a pretty significant step up in terms of difficulty from other hikes you have posted. I did it at this time last year with my 23 year old daughter so I can really appreciate what it's like. I believe you both are bit older than I am, so you really are an inspiration and it helps curb that fear we all have as we get older "Will I be able to continue doing this..." Thank you for posting!
Thank you for the kind words. This hike was a big step-up for us. The only thing that compares was our Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike, north rim to south rim, that we did a couple of years ago. We did that hike in 2 days and it was much easier for us than the Enchantments thru-hike. We travel with a dog so day hikes in the 10-12 mile range is all we can do from a time standpoint. Naturally we had her kenneled for this hike but we prefer not to kennel her often. We're in our early 60's so we're very happy to have been able to check this hike off the bucket list. I don't think we'd ever do it again though, lol. It's nice you were able to experience it with your daughter. What a memory you can share together. Thank you again for your interest in our adventures and happy trails to you!
Thank you, so nice to see the trails we built and worked on close to 50 years ago. Yes the descents out either way are difficult from the upper lakes.
Wow, thank you for the blood, sweat and tears that went into building the trails!! You play a part in everyones experience in the Enchantments.
Impressive feat with awesome views. Well done!
Punishing hike but worth it in the end. So glad we were able to complete it. Thanks for watching the video. Hope you all are well!
Hi, I have not even finished watching the complete video and I just want to say that I love it, here I am on bed trying to heal from an ankle injury and your video makes me want to do the enchantments again.
We’re sorry to hear of your injury. We wish you a complete and speedy recovery. We hoped that sharing our video would excite others to hike it. Sounds like you’ve already done the hike before so you know how awesome it is. Hope you’re able to do it again!
Wow! Thank you for sharing this incredible thru hike, you did an amazing job hiking it and also filming it. Stunningly beautiful and you captured it in a way I don't see many other vloggers do it. I really "felt" the trail and how beautiful and HARD it is. I love that you celebreated each lake along the way, even Snow Lakes and Nada which I feel get hardly any love because by the time you get to them you're exhausted!
Thank you for the encouraging comment. We enjoy watching our videos to relive the adventures we’ve done. Hearing from folks we don’t even know just adds another level of enjoyment to the retirement years journey we’re on. Happy trails and thanks again for taking the time to leave us a comment 😊.
Wow! So beautiful. What an accomplishment!
It was so beautiful and soo hard! Never again, lol.
Amazing! You guys are beasts!
It pushed us to our limits. Bad knees and hips made it so hard but the views were so epic we found joy in the pain. Such an incredible hike. Thank you for the comment and best wishes to you 😊.
Wow an amazing hike and video!!!!!! Thanks sooo much for sharing!!!!
It was a memorable day for us. It definitely pushed us to our limit but we found a way to persevere. Thanks for watching and the kind remark. Happy trails!
We hiked the Enchantments almost 50 years ago when we were in our 20s. It was my first backpack. My future husband went ahead early in the hike to see how far it was to the campsite because I was struggling. When he didn't come back right away, I was on the verge of tears because I thought he had been eaten by a bear. It was that hike that awakened my urge to protect the environment, and when we returned home, we joined the Sierra Club.
The Enchantments will definitely make an impression on one. We’ve hiked countless trails during our 6 yrs of RV full-timing and it ranks at the top with our rim to rim hike. What a memorable day. Best wishes to you and yours!
You two are hero’s. Proud of what you have accomplished. ❤❤
It was a struggle for sure but we found a way to finish. As beautiful as the hike was, we’d never do again. Lezli said it would take six figures for her to do it a second time 🤣.
Awesome look into the Enchanments! Planning on putting into the lottery for an overnighter this year knowing that my chances are more likely to not get it due to the popularity of the place which is also reflected in this video.
Hello. We applied for a permit and struck out so we decided to thru-hike it. It was a tough endeavor but was so rewarding. Good luck to you on the draw and happy trails on all your adventures!
I'm in pretty decent hiking shape but man that those boulder fields look brutal.
Hello! The boulder field going around the lake aren’t as treacherous as it may look, however………the boulders going up Aasgard were spicy 🥵. Hope you’re able to do it!
@@BuckeyeDrifters Well I've been to Colchuck (mindblowingly gorgeous) but stopped there. We'll see if I can muster up the energy to make it all the way someday but unfortunately I'm getting lazy about hiking as I get older. Thanks for the response!
Wow! Just incredible and inspiring! My buddies and I did Aasgard last week (up and down, day hike). I see now we HAVE to do all of the Enchantments. Again, fantastic footage - thx for sharing!
Good for you! Going down Aasgard would be a real challenge in my opinion. Hope you’re able to return and complete the entire trail. Thanks for the kind comment and happy trails.
Hey, it's your Nashville followers here (my husband is the one that is friends with your TN brother). Wow, when we saw this hike pop on our feed, our jaws dropped! We have been to Stuart Lake and are doing Colchuck Lake this fall, and had recently said we hoped you guys were going to do some Washington hikes this year, but did not expect this! You both are absolute beasts and a total inspiration. What an amazing feat with gorgeous scenery--thanks for sharing it with us. You two have crossed into Legend Status as far as we're concerned :-)
Ok, this may be our favorite comment ever 😊. Washington is a great state to hike in! We’ve got some vids we’re working on from Mt Rainer and N Cascades that you’ll see in the future 👍. The Enchantments had been on our radar for 2 years. We applied for a permit but of course we struck out as most do. So we decided to give it a go and day hike it. I went into the hike nursing a hip and knee issue and the descent from Lake Vivian to Snow Lakes was punishing. Lezli was able to go a lot quicker than me from Lake Vivian to the end but of course she stuck with me thankfully. It was such a memorable day for us and we’re so glad we finished it in one piece 🤣. We appreciate your interest in our adventures!
Lastly, my brother is trying to figure out who you are. Can you drop me a hint so I can let him know? He has an idea but he’s not sure. Happy Trails!
Oh, we're excited! We went to the North Cascades last fall for the 1st time with the intent of doing Chain Lakes Loop but got smoked out...tho we were still able to enjoy the beauty of the area. We will look forward to seeing what you guys hike there and in Ranier (love Ranier, too)!
And you did this hike with bursitis and knee inflammation?! Even more legendary! Dang! We have never done over 2000ft elev gain and our longest hike clocked in a little over 12 miles. We are currently re-committing to get into better shape so that we can hike the hikes we want to hike without being held back due to the physical limitations over which we actually have some control (ie weight ha) This video you guys posted came at the perfect time and really made us sit back and think and marvel about what can be if we make good choices. Thank you both for that!
Ah, and as for your brother's hint: my husband said to say that he and your brother traveled to Indiana together to watch OSU play Purdue when Drew Brees was there :-)
@@Merle996 thanks again for the kind words. We're glad to maybe play a small part in inspiring you to achieve certain goals. My brother figured out who you are :) Best wishes and please know that we appreciate your interest in our adventures.
You folks are amazing to complete that circuit in one day! As a teenager, our Scout troop hiked past Nada Lake to Snow Lakes. It kicked our backsides. The fishing was amazing at Snow Lakes. Thank you for sharing your Enchantments journey. I salute you both!
It really kicked my backside. Lezli could have finished it quicker than me as I was fighting a hip and knee issue going into the hike. The day on the trail has given a lasting joyful memory. A hike of a lifetime for us! Thanks for the kind comment 😊. Best wishes on your future adventures.
Epic hike! You never looked so tired before at the end of a hike, but the views were spectacular, well worth all the pain. Thanks for sharing
Yes the views were well worth the pain but never again, lol. It took everything we had to finish and I, Trige, was leaking oil in a couple different locations by the time we completed the hike, ha. Thanks for your continued interest in our adventures 😊.
Wow..what a challenging hike with magnificent views! I need to practice more before I attempt such a rocky climb! The lakes were beautiful!!
Hello! We hike a lot and this was much harder than anything we’ve done. That made finishing it so rewarding. It’s so beautiful. You just have to see it to believe it. Maybe someday for you. Thanks for the comment 😊.
What an inspiration! My boyfriend and I do this next week and i'm pretty nervous. We attempted it last year but got to the top of Aasgard and lost all visibility due to weather changes and there was still so much snow that the trail wasn't visible. Watching y'all complete it though has me really excited! Awesome job you 2
Hello and thank you for the kind comment. We were nervous too going into the hike. I’d developed a hip and knee issue going into the hike so I knew it would be a battle for me. Lezli’s main struggle was Aasgard and mine was the descent from Lake Vivian to Snow Lakes. We just took our time and persevered. You’ll do fine and you should be excited. It will be a memory of a lifetime 😊.
I backpacked into the Core Zone for my 60th birthday. That was 15 years ago. I hope to do the whole hike this year on my 75th. We started at the Snow Lake trailhead and got chased out by a big storm so this time I hope to complete it from the other end, the way you did it. I admire your determination and really enjoyed your camera work. It helps when the weather cooperates!
Wow, its very inspiring to hear of your desire to hike the entire trail. Will you break it up into a multi day hike or will hike the entirety of it in a single day? I went into the hike with hip and knee problems and it was so very hard. Lezli could have finished it much quicker if she didn't have to wait on me. It's a one and done hike for us but we're so grateful we finished it. Thanks for reaching out to us with the kind words. I'm already cheering you on from our winter resting place in FL. Happy Trails!
Livin' it up! That's a mondo hike, and what a fun adventure. Permits are hard to get there too so what a clever way to see so much of it! Thanks for sharing
We tried to get a permit but we struck out. So we said, let’s thru-hike it. We knew it would be hard but it was harder than hard 🤣. Maybe someday for you!
@@BuckeyeDrifters absolutely LOVE that mindset. We’ve def discussed it! Another hiker we watched do it slept in her car at the finish because of how tiring it was! We did a 40 mile loop last weekend fri-Monday in the backcountry of Olympic national park, 13k elevation gain and my goodness we got worked! We would really have to step up to the plate to knock this down in a day. We’re mid 30s, your video made us smile. We love seeing couples going hard in nature like you two! ❤️
Your backpacking trip sounds amazing. Olympic is a beautiful place. Thanks again for watching and reaching out to us. Happy trails!
You are right, it's a beautiful place, we are excited to see your next adventures!@@BuckeyeDrifters
Such a great hike. You have just about everything on that one
This hike and our Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike are the 2 most memorable hikes we've done. The Enchantments was very hard for us which made it so rewarding to finish. The scenery is beyond words. Thanks for the comment and happy trails!
All I can say is wow! Thats an incredible hike, all the lakes are gorgeous but man looks exhausting and extremely hard to do. One that I wish I could do but deep down I know its impossible for me. Well done guys!
Wow is right! We've hiked hundreds of trails over the last 6 years of our full-time RV adventure and this ranks in the top 2 of our most memorable hikes with our Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike being the other. The Enchantments was so hard but the beauty of the scenery kept us going. We appreciate the comment and wish you the best in your future adventures!
Wow, amazing hike. Probably more than most people are capable of doing.
I wanted to ask, since you’ve been at this for 5 years, would you mind sharing a list of your 10 most favorite hikes, please?
We’ve only been a handful of places more than once. Really enjoy Zion and Bryce. Ditto Grand Canyon, Sedona and Glacier.
It was an amazing hike. The elevation gain and descent, uneven trail surface and distance made it very challenging. Its definitely a "one and done" for us at our age, lol. I'm glad you asked the question of our favorite hikes. We've considered making a list ranking our favorite hikes but never got around to it. My wife and I just took a few minutes to compile a top 25. Its hard to put them in order but here is our stab at it. Let us know if you have any questions.
1 Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Grand Canyon NP
2 Enchantment Trail Leavenworth, WA
3 Mist Trail Yosemite NP
4 Skyline Loop Trail Mount Rainer NP
5 Maple Pass Loop Trail N Cascades NP
6 Angels Landing Zion NP
7 Mount Yale Buena Vista, CO
8 Devils Garden Trail Arches NP
9 Eagle Creek Trail Columbia River Gorge, OR
10 Trail of Ten Falls Trail Silver Falls SP, OR
11 Fairyland Loop Trail Bryce Canyon NP
12 Boy Scout Tree Trail Redwood NP
13 Hidden Lake Trail N Cascades NP
14 Grinnel Glacier Trail Glacier NP
15 Hart Tree Trail Kings Canyon NP
16 James Irvine / Fern Canyon Trails Redwood NP
17 Upper Yosemite Falls Trail Yosemite NP
18 Little Wildhorse / Bell Slot Canyon Hanksville, Utah (near Goblin Valley SP)
19 Precipice Trail Acadia NP
20 Black Elk Peak Trail Custer SP, SD
21 Fire Wave / 7 Wonders Loop Valley of Fire SP, NV
22 Peekaboo and Spooky Slot Canyon Grand Staircase Escalante NM
23 Gunnison Route Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP
24 Sulphur Creek Trail Capitol Reef NP
25 Guadalupe Peak Trail Guadalupe Mountains NP
Wow, that’s an impressive list of favorite hikes!
We enjoyed getting to spend the night in a hiker cabin at Phantom Ranch by taking South Kaibab down, and Bright Angel back up. The trip you did from North Kaibab looked amazing.
We also enjoyed getting to do the hike to Grinnell Glacier a lot.
Didn’t know if you’ve done Blue Lake near Ridgeway, CO? Or any trails in and around Sedona, such as The Hangover Trail (less crowded and very scenic), Devil’s Bridge, The Subway Cave, Cathedral Rock, etc.
Thank you very much for the list!
Oops-I just now found your video about Sedona. Please disregard the query concerning it.
Looks like you’ve been almost everywhere!
We drove through Ridgeway on our way from Black Canyon of the Gunnison to Mesa Verde. The Blue Lake hike does look amazing. Maybe someday we'll have opportunity to experience it. Our most memorable hike in Sedona was Mount Wilson. We really enjoyed the area.
No problem. We did 2 videos of our stay in Sedona. Happy Trails!
This is one of my dream hikes!
Totally worthy of a bucket list hike. Day hiking it is tough but so rewarding. Hope you can do it! Thanks for the comment 👍.
I'm planning to do this in mid August but am daunted. You two are an inspiration and just exude goodness. Thank you for sharing your grit and adventure with us!
What a kind comment 😊. Daunting is a good word for this hike. We’re so glad we have the experience to look back on. You’ll make it, just prepare yourself physically for a long day. Best wishes!
Did this hike but started from the east side and went west towards Asgaurd. Such an amazing hike!
@@BlGGESTBROTHER congrats. East to west sounds like the harder direction. R2R and Enchantments are our most memorable hikes. Thanks for watching 👍.
Congratulations on that incredible hike you guys, beautiful place we want to go very soon! Subscribed!
Thank you. It’s an amazing hike, one we hold very dear. Happy trails!
Thats was a awesome video thanks for sharing nonsense of w&j
It was an unforgettable day! Thanks for your continued interest in our channel!
Wow, beautiful, majestic, jaw dropping and amazing scenery. You both are amazing! I have climbed rocks like that up and downhill but not for 21 miles and cant believe you both did that..what a feat!! Thank you for sharing this adventure and I hope you were able to get some rest for the next several days:) Thanks for sharing!
It was such a battle physically and mentally. The fact that it was so beautiful kept us going. Thank you for the continued interest in our adventures and the kind words. We really appreciate it!
Great video of your hike! If you ever feel like doing it again, go in late-September/early-October when the larch trees in the core turn gold; it is fantastic.
We would love to see it during that time of the year but we may have to resort to looking at pictures taken by other hikers. The hike was just too hard on us. We feel so blessed to have completed it just the one time. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 😊.
Some of those views don't even look real. Amazing.
Scenery like we’d never seen before on a trail . It’s a premier hike in the country for sure. Thanks for watching 👍.
Thank you for a beautiful video of the enchantments. What time of year did you do this hike?
Thank you for the kind remark and also for watching our video. We hiked the trail on July 17th. Best wishes and happy trails 😊.
Hi, I am writing from Poland from Europe. It's not fair that your country has everything oceans, mountains, large lakes, canyons, deserts and that you live on the dollar at the expense of the whole world.
Hello and thank you for watching the video from Poland. We are blessed to live in a beautiful country. Thank you for the comment and we wish you the best!
Nice
Thank you for watching! It was an amazing hike.
How did you parking your vehicle?
We parked at the Snow Lakes Trailhead (our finishing spot) and caught a shuttle to the Stuart Lake Trailhead (our beginning spot). What a day!
what month did you go on this hike?
@@benbauder3314 mid July 2023. It was a perfect day for us. A memory of a lifetime 😊.
Welcome to the Infantry. People ask me, why do you go up there? I ask them when do you think you are going to do it? When you retire at 65-68? Just stop. Sit down. Lay down. You have 13 hours of daylight in the summer. Divide the miles into the hours you can walk ridiculously slow and still finish. I went 17 up White Mountain last year and everyone passed me. Everyone. Guess what, when I got to the Jeep I still had hours of daylight left. 12800 feet. White is easiest in west road to the top, 14252. After knee surgery had dozens of 80 year olds pass me on same mountain. Everywhere I have been in the west I have had 78 year olds on the same trails in the summer. Literally. Now they are all skinny and small. Wiry.
64 now, these two would pass me finish hours before me. Three knee replacements, 200 pounds, should be 170. In my current condition what I do is just lay down take a nap. I take an army poncho and liner. Down pants. Polypad. If way out there just sleep. Freeze dried moutain house food. Jetboil. Coffee. Bam done. I generally do not go where a dog cannot go. Which leaves this out. You want high and easy, go to Beartooth Pass, park at switchbacks, walk right out ridge to Spirit Mountain with your dogs. I did 99.9 percent of hikes alone because could never find anyone who would go do it especially in the winter. In WA winter equals a giant fog bank. And it doesn't melt until July or later if high and high here is low. 4000-7000 feet. Once it does melt great trails though! I like the easy stuff like Naches Peak/Sourdough Pass (dogs allowed)/Yakima Peak (Rainier) extremely busy area on weekends. Snowqualamie but that place is packed out on weekends, AND THE GO TO AREA HERE ESMERALDA BASIN. I like that Lake Chelan route up the river, another easy one, it comes out someone up around Washington Pass on the hwy, I am more of an out and back guy. Or loop. SPent 28-45 days at a time in the woods as an infantry guy so not a big fan of camping out in the rocks and woods more than a night or two.
Makes me appreciate the Sierra and Yellowstone trails. One step at a time. Cascades just are not user friendly in terrain or weather. I will stick to PCT at Snoqualamie and Longs Ingalls area. If I want to suffer I will go up the backside of Stuart. And they require permits to do this now. Summer. If you want to spend the night go over Longs Pass, it literally has a road down to the creek. Then it is 18 miles around and out. The Icicle side you are mosquito bait but if you want you can go over Ingalls and around and out down Icicle Creek side. Or you can take four people in a SUV split the gas sleep on the ground, go straight to Yellowstone/Teton. The Tetons are similar to this, Go up Death Canyon go out Cascades. Drop pack go up static peak or Buck Mountain is want some.
Yellowstone my personal favortie out of 200 or more summits around the west is Barronette in July. Park at Icebox Canyon, walk across the road, take ridge up.
I try to leave Washington by June 16th and don't come back until August. Then start the hikes here. I live right up the road from here.
Wow, what a wealth of information. It’s great to hear from others who are passionate about hiking and the great outdoors in general. We appreciate the post and wish you many more fulfilling adventures!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful hiking experience. I liked it!
Glad you enjoyed it! It’s a great memory for us.