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Enchanted Valley proves it was aptly named
By KAREN SYKES ![[Bio]](../image/bio_bttn.gif){kind=small}
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
Everyone kept telling me about the beauty of the Enchanted Valley in the Olympics, but only this summer did I finally experience it.
And experience is the proper word. The Enchanted Valley is not just a hike, it is truly an experience. Whether you are passing through on your way to someplace else or making it your destination, the splendor of this valley will stop you in your tracks.
The Enchanted Valley was created during the last ice age when a glacier filled the valley and left a moraine at the lower end. Though it may be hard to imagine so today, this valley once was a lake formed when the glacier retreated. The valley seems far from the tumultuous world, bordered on the northwest by cliffs of the Burke Range, with the southeastern side formed by a forested ridge.
In early summer, melting snow creates hundreds of plunging cascades. Thus, it is sometimes called Valley of a Thousand Waterfalls.
The Enchanted Valley Chalet was built almost entirely from materials packed in for a summer resort in 1930. Today it is used as an emergency shelter.
The view recently up the valley toward the Linsley Glacier on Mount Anderson was definitely a Kodak moment as the sun poured sherbet colors across the snow. The meadow was anchored by white pines and beaded with dew.
You may feel the need to whisper and tiptoe as you pass through. But you cannot pass through quickly -- you'll want to spend time here. Only someone training for a marathon would consider doing it in a day.
A leisurely backpack is best. The trail gains only about 1,000 feet, with gentle ups and downs, is usually open by March and can be hiked as late as December in a low-snow year.
If 13 miles is too long a stretch to carry a pack, there are several campsites along the way. Set up camp, then hike to the chalet. Several campsites are along the river in a rain-forest atmosphere of moss-festooned maple, alder, vine leaf maple and hemlock.
If you're lucky, you may see elk, and hang your food because this is home to black bears. We heard rumors of bears all week but never saw one. Remember that you are in the valley of the Quinault, one of the major rain forests of the Olympics, and rain shouldn't be a surprise, so dress and plan accordingly.
Getting there
Drive U.S. 101 around the western side of the Olympic Peninsula to the Lake Quinault South Shore Road. The road turns easterly and skirts the lake. Pavement ends at 12 miles. Drive another 6 miles to the Graves Creek trailhead at 907 feet. Early and late in the year, check the road's conditions because flooding can wash out portions of it.
Trail detail
The trail begins on an old logging road and climbs through forest. A picnic table signals the end of the road and, after a short descent, a crossing of the Quinault River on Pony Bridge at three miles.
From the bridge, look down into a narrow gorge walled by vertical rock, softened by masses of maiden-hair fern. Families with small children could easily make this their destination for the day. There is a lovely canyon under the bridge that would make an ideal lunch spot.
From the bridge, there are gentle ups and downs and several camps to choose from as the trail alternates between river bottoms and terraces above the river. At seven miles a side-trail descends to O'Neil Camp, which is often crowded. From here, hardy folk can ford the Quinault and explore the abandoned Mount Olson Trail. Good campsites also can be found at Noname Creek (8.5 miles) and Pyrites Creek (10 miles).
At 10-1/2 miles, you'll leave the forest and enter the valley. At 12 miles, the Quinault is crossed on a suspension bridge. The trail wanders through meadows to the Enchanted Valley Chalet, near the western end of the meadow. Several options are available to backpackers who have more than a weekend to play.
From the chalet, the trail climbs to 4,500-foot Anderson Pass, a 2,500-foot ascent in five miles. At the pass, the route becomes the West Fork Dosewallips Trail. For a one-way backpack, descend the West Fork Dosewallips Trail (10 miles to the trailhead).
Another trail leads to O'Neil Pass and a cluster of lakes -- Hart, LaCrosse and Marmot, the latter likely to be crowded.
Trail data
Round trip to the Enchanted Valley Chalet, 27 miles, 1,050-foot elevation gain. For additional information, refer to "Olympic Mountains Trail Guide" by Robert Wood. (The Mountaineers, 303 pages, $14.95)
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