🏔️ Enchantments Grand (Bulger) Traverse

🏔️ Enchantments Grand Traverse

THIS ISN’T YOUR GRANDMAS TYPICAL ENCHANTMENT TRAVERSE!!!

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/enchantment-peak-loop-a0a58f4?p=-1&sh=y72ka7&utm_medium=map_share&utm_source=alltrails_virality
Colchuck Peak • Pandora’s Box • Dragontail Peak • McClellan Peak • Enchantment Peak • Cannon Mountain

📅 Saturday, July 11, 2026
Style: Single-Push Alpine Traverse

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📖 Overview

This is a serious single-push alpine traverse through the Enchantments, linking six major summits in one day. Five of which being on the bulger list.

We’ll start from Stuart Lake Trailhead, climb to Colchuck Lake, ascend the Colchuck Glacier, tag Colchuck Peak, traverse through Pandora’s Box to Dragontail Peak, drop to the top of Aasgard, move through the Core, descend toward Crystal Lake, climb McClellan Peak, tag Enchantment Peak, cross toward Prusik Pass, summit Cannon Mountain, then descend Cannon’s west side back toward the Colchuck/Stuart trail system.

This is not a normal scramble day. The biggest cruxes are glacier travel, Pandora’s Box route-finding, staying on schedule, and the west descent of Cannon.

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📊 Trip Stats

🥾 Distance: 16.93 miles (AllTrails)
⛰️ Elevation Gain: 10,259 ft
🕒 Estimated Time: 15–18+ hours

🏔️ Summits

• Colchuck Peak
• Pandora’s Box
• Dragontail Peak
• McClellan Peak
• Enchantment Peak
• Cannon Mountain

🧗 Difficulty

• Glacier travel
• Sustained Class 3 scrambling
• Possible short Class 4 sections
• Serious off-trail navigation
• Long endurance push

Pandora’s Box is notably harder than the standard routes on Colchuck or Dragontail, and Cannon also has exposed Class 3–4 terrain depending on line.

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🚗 Travel Plan

🕐 1:00 AM

Leave Seattle.

Fuel the night before. Food, water, glacier gear, GPS tracks, and packs should already be ready.

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🕞 3:30 AM

Arrive at Stuart Lake Trailhead.

Final prep:

• Eat breakfast.
• Fill water.
• Headlamps on.
• Helmet accessible.
• Harness/glacier kit ready.
• Crampons and axe reachable.
• Confirm GPS track and backup route.

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🥾 4:15 AM

Begin hiking.

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🗺️ Route Plan

🌅 Stuart Lake Trailhead → Colchuck Lake

Move steady but controlled. Do not burn yourself early. The real route starts above the lake.

Target arrival:
6:00 AM

At Colchuck Lake:

• Fill water.
• Eat.
• Put on helmet.
• Transition for glacier travel.
• Decide whether the team is roping up.

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🧊 Colchuck Glacier → Colchuck Col

Ascend the Colchuck Glacier toward Colchuck Col.

This section determines your snow/glacier setup. If the glacier has open cracks, weak bridges, or questionable snow, treat it as real glacier travel.

Carry/consider:

• Helmet
• Ice axe
• Crampons
• Harness
• Rope
• Crevasse rescue kit if roped

Move early while the surface is firmer. Watch for moats near rock, softening snow, hidden cracks, and rockfall from parties above.

Target Colchuck Col:
7:30 AM

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🏔️ Colchuck Peak

From Colchuck Col, scramble up Colchuck Peak.

The route is mostly Class 2–3 on talus, blocks, and granite. Stay near the easiest ridge/weakness system and avoid forcing steep steps if easier terrain exists nearby.

Keep helmets on. Rockfall is possible, especially if another party is above you.

Target summit:
8:00 AM

Quick summit break, then return to Colchuck Col.

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🪨 Pandora’s Box

From Colchuck Col, after returning from Colchuck Peak:

1. Head toward the first obvious tower between Colchuck and Dragontail.
2. Do not climb directly over the tower.
3. Go behind the first tower.
4. Locate the gully/weakness behind it.
5. Climb up that gully to gain the terrain behind the tower.
6. Continue through Pandora’s Box by following the easiest weaknesses, gullies, and ledges toward Dragontail.

The visual beta from Steph Abegg’s report describes scrambling up a gully to a notch below Pandora’s Box, with mostly 3rd-class terrain in that section.

Important rule:
If it suddenly feels like sustained 5th-class climbing, you are probably off route.

Expect:

• Class 3 scrambling
• Possible short Class 4 moves
• Loose rock
• Route-finding around towers
• Exposure
• Slow group movement

Move one at a time through loose sections.

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🏔️ Dragontail Peak

After Pandora’s Box, continue toward Dragontail’s summit ridge.

The terrain should gradually become more straightforward compared to the tower section. Expect blocky Class 3 scrambling, ledges, and broad granite terrain.

Dragontail is your first major decision point.

Target summit:
10:00 AM

Eat an early lunch here.

If the team is behind, tired, or conditions feel off, descend Aasgard and end the big traverse.

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⛰️ Top of Aasgard Pass

Descend Dragontail’s scramble route toward the top of Aasgard.

Do not descend Aasgard unless bailing.

This is the transition from the Colchuck/Dragontail alpine section into the Core Enchantments.

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💎 Core Enchantments

Move efficiently through the Core toward Crystal Lake.

This should be your recovery section:

• Eat while moving.
• Refill water.
• Keep pace controlled.
• Stay on established paths where possible.

Do not waste time wandering through unnecessary boulder fields.

Target Crystal Lake area:
12:30 PM

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🏔️ McClellan Peak

From Crystal Lake, leave the main Core travel corridor and climb toward McClellan.

Aim for the most logical weakness/ridge system rather than charging directly at steep slabs. Expect granite benches, talus, slabs, and Class 2–3 scrambling.

McClellan can look simple from below, but it can waste time if you get pulled onto the wrong ramp system.

Key points:

• Stay patient.
• Keep checking your line.
• Avoid unnecessary slab detours.
• Watch for loose talus above Crystal Lake.

Target summit:
1:30 PM

Return toward Crystal Lake / upper basin.

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🏔️ Enchantment Peak

Continue toward Enchantment Peak.

This section is generally less technical than Pandora’s Box, but fatigue will be building. Expect granite benches, boulders, talus, and Class 2–3 scrambling.

Navigation can be confusing because the terrain is broad and similar-looking. Use your GPS track, but keep checking terrain features visually.

Target summit:
3:00 PM

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🏔️ Prusik Pass

Descend/traverse toward Prusik Pass.

This is a major decision point before Cannon.

Before committing:

• Refill water if possible.
• Check time.
• Check team energy.
• Check weather/visibility.
• Confirm Cannon descent track.

If the team is moving poorly, Cannon is the summit to skip.

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🏔️ Cannon Mountain

From Prusik Pass, climb toward Cannon.

Expect long talus, slabs, granite blocks, and Class 2–3 scrambling, with possible exposed sections depending on exact line. Cannon is known for steep uphill, boulder hopping, and exposed Class 3–4 scrambling, so don’t underestimate it just because it’s last.

Target summit:
5:00 PM

This is the final summit. Do not linger.

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🌲 West Descent of Cannon

This is the final crux.

Do not improvise here.

The west side of Cannon has steep forest, cliff bands, gullies, and complex navigation. Some Cannon beta notes that even low on the route, cliff bands can appear quickly if you are off the correct line.

Rules:

• Stay on your GPX.
• Confirm terrain constantly.
• Avoid being funneled into steep gullies.
• Keep the group together.
• Maintain spacing in loose terrain.
• Stop early if the line feels wrong.

Once you regain trail, switch into hike-out mode.

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🥾 Hike Out

Reconnect with the trail system and hike back to Stuart Lake Trailhead.

Expect a headlamp finish.

Estimated finish:
8:30–10:00 PM, possibly later if route-finding slows down.

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🎒 Gear

🧊 Glacier

🪖 Helmet
🪓 Ice axe
🥾 Crampons
🧗 Harness
🪢 Rope if roping up
🧰 Crevasse rescue kit if roped

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🎒 Essentials

🥢 Trekking poles
🗺️ Offline GPS
🧭 Compass
📱 Phone
🔋 Power bank
🔦 Headlamp + spare batteries
🆘 Emergency bivy
🩹 First aid kit

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👕

☀️ Sun hoodie
🧥 Shell
🧥 Lightweight puffy
🧤 Gloves
🕶️ Sunglasses
🧢 Hat

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💧 Food & Water

Carry:

• 3–4L capacity
• Filter
• Electrolytes
• 4,500–6,000 calories

Eat every 45–60 minutes.

Reliable refill points:

• Colchuck Lake
• Core Enchantments lakes
• Crystal Lake
• Potential water near Prusik Pass depending on conditions

Leave Crystal Lake/Prusik area with enough water for Cannon and the descent.

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⚠️ Objective Hazards

🧊 Glacier travel
🪨 Rockfall
🧗 Exposure through Pandora’s Box
🧭 Complex route-finding
🌞 Heat
🥵 Fatigue after 10,000 ft gain
🌙 Night travel
🌲 Cannon west-side descent

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🚨 Bailout Options

Before Colchuck

Descend the Colchuck Glacier back to Colchuck Lake.

After Dragontail

Descend Aasgard Pass to Colchuck Lake.

Core / Crystal Lake

Skip McClellan, Enchantment, and Cannon. Exit via established Enchantments routes.

Prusik Pass

Skip Cannon if behind schedule or tired.

Before Cannon Descent

If unsure about the west descent, do not force it in poor visibility or darkness.

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⏱️ Time Benchmarks

✅ Colchuck Lake — 6:00 AM
✅ Colchuck Col — 7:30 AM
✅ Colchuck Peak — 8:00 AM
✅ Dragontail Peak — 10:00 AM
✅ Crystal Lake — 12:30 PM
✅ McClellan Peak — 1:30 PM
✅ Enchantment Peak — 3:00 PM
✅ Cannon Mountain — 5:00 PM
✅ Trailhead — 8:30–10:00 PM

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🏁 Mission Priorities

1. 🏔️ Colchuck Peak
2. 🪨 Pandora’s Box
3. 🏔️ Dragontail Peak
4. 🏔️ McClellan Peak
5. 🏔️ Enchantment Peak
6. 🏔️ Cannon Mountain
7. 🌲 Safe Cannon west descent
8. 🥾 Return to Stuart Lake Trailhead