Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

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RobinB
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Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by RobinB » November 11th, 2016, 4:41 pm

A couple weeks ago, my dad and I took his yearly birthday hike, this time a quick overnight up the East Fork Quinault to Enchanted Valley, in the southwest corner of Olympic National Park. I still feel like I don't know the Olympics: I've been maybe a half dozen times, up long valleys to distant peaks, but I still don't know how to describe it. Maybe there's no "it" - maybe the Olympics are just too varied to be captured in a single description. There are so many rivers and ranges, so many far away glaciers, so many possibilities for week-long rambles. You could spend months exploring. Years. Looking at the map when we got back, I almost wanted to pull a Robert Wood, and just spend the rest of my life trying (and failing) to come to grips with it.

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Opening picture: a creek eats our trail.


Friday, Oct. 28

We woke up at four - actually, my dad did, and I slept in the car - and drove through the drizzling dark up I5, across to Aberdeen, and up 101 to Quinault Lake. I hadn't been to this side since I was a kid, and it was crazy how different it felt from the east: wetter, and somehow wilder too.

We stopped in the still dark morning to get our permits, then drove gingerly up the potholed road to Graves Creek. The road was just closed for repair, and there are a few spots that have obviously seen some trouble. The whole thing feels precariously close to collapsing into the river.

It was still raining when we made it to the trailhead, so we scrambled for rain gear and pack covers, then set off slowly across Graves Creek and up the old road toward the Pony Bridge.

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The East Fork Quinault was much siltier than I was expecting - so light blue it almost seemed white, rushing through its deep cut canyon.

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Past the crossing, the trail traipses up and down along the river for a few miles, past Fire and Noname and a bunch of other (actually) unnamed creeks, most of which shared the trail for a while before continuing on their ways to the river. And there was moss. Tons of it, hanging from every limb and rock. I guess I knew, in a vague sort of way, that this was a rainforest. But man. It's really a rainforest.

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Clouds came and went all morning, up and down the valley walls, and the rain came and went too, sometimes spitting, sometimes pouring, but always there. I used to hate that sort of weather, used to let it keep me home. But I almost like it now, especially the solitude it buys.

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The only possibly rough crossing of the trip was over Pyrites Creek, where half of the bridge had been washed out. It wasn't a problem, really - there was a big, stable tree across the bridgeless branch - but we did meet a guy who'd been turned back by it, so your mileage may vary.

We had lunch after the creek, then continued on the last couple miles, through clearing skies and even a little sun.

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Then, all of a sudden, we were there! There's a bizarre old gate at the foot of the valley, a tall, slippery bridge across the river, and then an unfathomably idyllic meadow, with waterfall-covered walls and an unfathomably out of place Chalet sitting squarely in the middle.

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We set up camp near the Chalet, hung out our wet stuff on the porch to dry, and headed out on a short evening stroll a little bit further up the valley, toward Anderson Pass.

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Eventually it started to get dark, and we rambled down back to camp. The clear skies held all evening, through cocktail hour, as we ate on the porch, as we drank our hot chocolate, as we sleepily ambled into the tent, and as I lost a late night game of cribbage.


Saturday, October 29

The clear skies didn't hold indefinitely, though. We woke up to morning rain and equivocated about getting up, but eventually tumbled out to the porch, where we made breakfast, and watched a herd of elk across the way.

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The rain got stronger throughout the morning, and the tent was soaked by the time I finally got around to packing it up. And things got soggier still as we walked out, but I always feel sort of impervious to rain on the way out. Like, "What, there's a dry car waiting for us? Who cares if I'm carrying an extra two pounds of water in my shirt?"

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sgyoung
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Re: Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by sgyoung » November 13th, 2016, 11:40 am

Nice report. Sorry the weather wasn't more cooperative, but it still looks like a fun trip. Plus, the whole birthday hike with your dad thing is pretty cool. :)

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Naturebat
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Re: Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by Naturebat » November 14th, 2016, 4:21 pm

Ooooh, I really like the name "Pony Bridge."

Those pics of the cascading waterfalls on the cliffs above the Enchanted Valley bears a strong resemblance to the Valley of a Thousand Falls in the Canadian Rockies.

The Olympics really do have a unique sense of wild to them. Looks like a fun trip!
- Previously ElementalFX

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RobinB
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Re: Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by RobinB » November 15th, 2016, 8:39 pm

Thanks, guys!
sgyoung wrote:Sorry the weather wasn't more cooperative, but it still looks like a fun trip.
Well, given that the Quinault's a rain forest, it almost felt like the best conditions for seeing it. Almost.
Elemental Fluttershy wrote:Ooooh, I really like the name "Pony Bridge."
:D

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BigBear
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Re: Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by BigBear » November 16th, 2016, 12:35 pm

I backpacked that trail three times in the 1990s and enjoyed it profusely. I was blessed by good weather which I can see that it was a true blessing from your flowing trails.

On the cabin door one year, there was a sign which read:

This cabin is for emergencies only.
Rain is NOT an emergency.
This is a rain forest.

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retired jerry
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Re: Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by retired jerry » November 16th, 2016, 12:39 pm

I thought the cabin was locked

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RobinB
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Re: Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by RobinB » November 16th, 2016, 1:12 pm

retired jerry wrote:I thought the cabin was locked
It's definitely locked - or at least, was definitely locked when we went - but I gather it wasn't always locked before the move?

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buckwheat
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Re: Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by buckwheat » November 16th, 2016, 8:56 pm

How long have you and your father been taking these birthday hikes? A couple years ago, I took my father up Mt St Helens and he seemed to enjoy it, but he hasn't had any interest in backpacking with me besides that.

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RobinB
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Re: Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by RobinB » November 17th, 2016, 11:02 am

buckwheat wrote:How long have you and your father been taking these birthday hikes?
As far as I know, he's been taking them basically forever - or, at least, since my brother and I showed up and made backpacking a special occasion thing. I just started going with him a few years ago, when I got back into it after losing the hobby at some point in college.
buckwheat wrote:A couple years ago, I took my father up Mt St Helens and he seemed to enjoy it, but he hasn't had any interest in backpacking with me besides that.
Oh interesting. Maybe some more mountain climbing's in order? South Sister's not too much different than St. Helens, and probably a bit easier...

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Greendrake
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Re: Enchanted Valley (Olympic NP), Oct. 28-29

Post by Greendrake » November 17th, 2016, 7:34 pm

Incredible
Thank you :)

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