Hikers were uninjured, but not equipped for overnight stays
information released; photo was taken from the helicopter when the hikers were located. They can be seen in the middle of the picture.
Sheriff Mike Morrison reports on March 18th, 2024 at 2:30 pm, two hikers were reported overdue in the Enchantments area near Leavenworth. They were a 31-year-old female from Utah and a 35-year-old female out of California.
The hikers started at the Snow Lakes Trailhead on Friday the 15th and intended on completing the through hike ending at the Bridge Creek parking area on Sunday.
The reporting party said she received an InReach message from her friends at 9:00 pm Sunday night saying they had been stuck and would be spending one more night on the hike. She said they were not prepared for the additional night.
The InReach device provided coordinates for their location at the time the message was sent. They were camped near Tranquill Lake at the top of Aasgard Pass, only about halfway through the entire hike.
A Deputy responded to the Bridge Creek parking area and located the hiker’s vehicle at about 3:00 pm. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit was called to fly into the area to search for the overdue hikers. At about 4:45 pm the helicopter crew located the hikers about 100 yards downhill from Colchuck Lake. This was still about 8-10 miles from the parking lot. They were able to find a landing spot near the hikers.
The crew spoke with the hikers and found they were uninjured but were not equipped for another night on the hike. The air crew determined the best option would be to fly the hikers out to the parking lot to avoid further issues with the hike. Chelan County Mountain Rescue Volunteers were on standby in case further assistance was needed.
The Enchantments through hike is approximately 24 miles this time of year and although it is warming up in the lower elevations it is still very much winter through most of the hike. It is important to know your limitations and prepare for unexpected delays.
