A pre-season lottery is held February 15 through March 1 of each year to allocate the majority of permits. Here are five strategies my friends and I employed to win the enchantments lottery on our first attempt. I know (beginners) luck is involved, but I believe these tips increased our chances.
1) Be strategic with the numbers.
The Forest Service releases historical lottery statistics on their website. Take note on which weeks have fewer entries.
2) Apply as the three musketeers (or find a third wheel).
My friends and I each entered separately for a chance to win. We also set our group size to three. Two went for a core zone, and one put in for Eightmile / Caroline Zone. The chances were higher to secure the last one, so we hoped we would have somewhere to camp. Unfortunately, the number of Eighmile/Caroline Zone permits has been reduced due to a wildfire.
3) Go clockwise.
My friends and I started at Snow Lake and worked our way through the core zone and Colchuk Lake. Everyone we saw along our journey was going the opposite way. I think this increased our chances and distributed the elevation gain.
4) Choose weekdays over weekends.
It will be less busy at Colchuk Lake anyway. It was a little bit of a zoo as we were hiking out on Saturday with a steady stream of people. I even saw a guy with an inflatable raft with no shoes!
5) Walk up.
Following the pre-season lottery, remaining permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis through the recreation.gov advance reservation system. This one is even more of a gamble. There are some permits given out day-of. I haven’t known anyone who won one of these permits.
Note: It is a good idea to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine.
Do you have a strategy that you would like to share? Feel free to leave a comment below.
Erin Kyleen 
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