Aasgard Pass is a mountain pass in Chelan County, Washington. It sits roughly 17.6 km (10.9 mi) SW of Leavenworth.
Aasgard Pass, officially identified as Colchuck Pass, (elevation 7,841 feet (2,390 m)) is a mountain pass on the east side of the Cascades in Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness southwest of Leavenworth. It is the shorter and steeper of two primary hiking routes into the Enchantments, one of Washington's most popular hiking areas. It separates Colchuck Lake (elevation 5,570 feet (1,700 m)) to the northwest from the Upper Enchantment Basin (elevation ~7,500 feet (2,300 m)) to the southeast. Aasgard Pass is located at the saddle between Dragontail Peak and the Enchantment Peaks.From the Wikipedia article “Aasgard Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aasgard Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 53° NE | 9:05 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 125° SE | 4:15 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Mountain passes sit above valleys, so they reward sunrise and sunset with layered ridges, valley fog and long shadows.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 28m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Aasgard Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:36 AM – 2:56 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:07 AM – 1:57 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:38 PM – 12:58 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 10:50 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.57 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 51 | 51 | 64 | 75 | 86 | 95 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 78 | 60 | 45 |
| Low °F | -11 | -4 | -1 | 16 | 22 | 31 | 37 | 39 | 28 | 12 | -6 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this mountain pass
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Summer and early autumn are the main season; winter visits depend on plowing and avalanche conditions.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Warm layers, Road-condition app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Aasgard Pass, closest first.
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Waterfall
State Park
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Eightmile Campground8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Eightmile Group Site8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Bridge Creek Group Site9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Icicle Group Campground11.8 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Teanaway Guard Station13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aasgard Pass?
What time is golden hour at Aasgard Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aasgard Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aasgard Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aasgard Pass?
How far is Aasgard Pass from Leavenworth?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.