The Enchantments permit ranger in Leavenworth flat out told me most people quit by day 2

Evan Wilson · 2026-09-29T05:50:03.379236+00:00

I did the full thru hike through the Enchantments outside Leavenworth, Washington last month and a ranger at the Snow Lakes trailhead told me something that stuck. He said roughly 7 out of 10 groups he checks in bail before finishing, mostly because they planned the route as a 2 day sprint when it should be 4. Groups blow through the core zone in a rush, hit the brutal 6,000 foot descent into Snow Lakes on dead legs, and just camp illegally or turn around. The real issue is people copy a route off a blog written by some trail runner who did it in 11 hours with no pack. My advice is to plan 4 days, 3 nights, and treat the top section as a slow day. Route planning should match your actual pace, not someone else's highlight reel. What is the biggest gap you have seen between a published route time and what a normal backpacker actually pulls off?

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The Enchantments permit ranger in Leavenworth flat out told me most people quit by day 2 | Backpacking Routes - SMM Buzz