Enchanted Valley (Olympic National Park, Washington)

 

And so it begins . . . the planned highlight of my trip to the Pacific Northwest is an overnight backpacking trip with my friend, Nick into the heart of Olympic National Park to the Enchanted Valley. I often browse trips that REI and other outfitters and guide services offer. I saw this one posted several months ago and was interested in checking it out, but after reading up on it, there didn't seem to be any great challenges and I simply decided to plan the trip myself. After mentioning it to Nick, he was excited to get back out into nature as well and we planned the whole trip around this adventure.

Day 1

We drove into the park and followed a gravel road along the Quinault River a few miles until we reached the Graves Creek Campground. Our trailhead is just around the corner from here. It seems this area is pretty popular as there are a lot of cars, but we're able to find a parking spot without issue. It's also worth noting that we only encounter one other group of people, despite all of the cars. This isn't so much a day-hiking area as it is a backpacking area, implying that most of the car owners are probably deep in the backcountry, where we'll be soon.

After taking few minutes to get our gear packed and readied, we begin the adventure. This trail travels slowly up hill over the next fourteen-ish miles as we approach ever more closely to the Enchanted Valley and the now abandoned chalet that once provided refuge to weary travelers and horseback riders. 

The first part of the trail is gravel with just a few larger stones and takes us deep into the lush rainforest. Everything is so wet here and the morning dew covers absolutely everything. As I mentioned in my last post about the park itself, trees grow out of their fallen brethren. I note some of the plants that I'm unfamiliar with. One small plant has leaves similar to a gingko tree, but in groups of three, each jutting out in a different direction so as to form a near circle. It's all quite beautiful.

Though I'm sweating profusely with all of this humidity, I'm still feeling pretty good. My pack is a little heavier than normal with the requirement for bear cannisters in force. I also brought a couple of other luxuries and learning that tonight will be a bit colder than originally expected, a little extra to keep warm.

Soon, we reach the first of the river crossings that we'll need to make as we hike our way up the east fork of the river. A well-constructed bridge traverses some thirty feet or so above the raging blue waters of the river below. We encounter our the first of the few other backpackers we'll see while crossing the bridge. These ladies are on their way out and speak of how gorgeous the whole area has been for them.

Continuing, the trail becomes single track and though the overhead sun has tried it's best to dry out the mud, a few puddles remain. Within these muddy areas, we can clearly see the tracks of elk. I hope we get to seem some of the large beasts, but from a distance. I've seen plenty of them in various places on past trips, but the majestic animals never cease to inspire.

As we stop to refill water at a rocky outcropping into the river, Nick ends up loosing one of his water bottles to the stream. It's unfortunate to litter like this (even though it was accidental), but it's also going to cause some issues with the water carry. Luckily, I have plenty and with several places along the route to purify and refill, I don't think it will be too much of an issue.

The day goes on and we begin to get progressively more tired. We probably should have stopped for lunch, but for whatever reason, we just kept hiking. Now, we're starting to pay the price of that decision. It can't be much further though and we tell ourselves that we'll just fix dinner when we arrive.

We encounter a middle-aged man with his two sons while we're taking short break on a log. He tells us that it's still two to three more miles to the chalet, which is a little disheartening. We thought we were within a half-a-mile. Ah well, nothing left to do, but push on.

Finally, we encounter a narrow one-railed bridge built over a a long steel beam that crosses the raging river once again. I'm not really scared of heights, but as I'm getting older, my sense of balance is not nearly as good as it used to be and I carefully make my way across the bridge, a little nervous the whole time. Nick starts across once I reach the far side. I think we have just entered the Enchanted Valley, but I can't see the chalet just yet.

As we round a corner, the trees start to thin out and a grassy meadow opens up before us. In the distance, I can see the roof of the chalet with a magnificent cliff of waterfalls in the distance. We've arrived. The remaining walk to the chalet itself crosses a couple of small tributary creeks, which have carved deep gorges in the meadow, but is otherwise very easy.

Now starting at the chalet, we start looking for a place to pitch our tents. As Nick is still a little behind me, I make the executive decision to camp near the chalet building on a little point sticking out into the one of the creeks. It's an established campsite complete with a firepit and logs set up as a chairs. I think this will do well. When Nick arrives a few minutes later, he agrees. On the other side of the structure, I see a couple of other tents, though we're all spread out pretty nicely.

With quite a bit of light still remaining, we decide to get dinner going first and then to set up our tents. Nick gets the stove fired up and I pull out my freeze-dried pad-thai. The water boils quickly and soon, we're both face first into our meals. I've always thought this one was particularly tasty as it includes peanuts, a pack of peanut butter, and a lime-sriracha powder on the noodles. The calories are just what I needed.

Finally filling our faces, we take note of the incredible beauty of this valley. This has got to be one of the most scenic places I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of places. The river cuts a path through the valley, separating this meadow and the chalet from the high cliffs on the opposite side. At the top of the cliffs, small patches of snow linger into the summer warmth and no less than six spindly waterfalls cascade their way over the drop of many hundreds of feet. It's truly breathtaking.

After enjoying a meal and the magic of our surroundings for a bit, we both start setting up our respective tents. As I'm well-versed with mine, it goes up very quickly and I end up having to give Nick a hand sorting his out. He uses one of the tents that is supported by a hiking pole, which I've never been a fan of. I prefer free-standing tents. 

Now that our tents are set up, we spend the next half-hour or so just breathing in the scenery. We also take some time to figure out where to stash our bear-cannisters and decide that over by the chalet structure (which is only hundred or so feet away) would be a good spot. As the sun drops behind the tall cliffs and the air cools, we decide to call it a night. We hiked about 15.4 miles today according to my GPS track. I think we've earned a good rest.

Day 2

When I camp, I generally toss and turn most of the night. Mostly, this is due to whichever side is on the ground starting to go numb and my needing to get circulation going again. I'm not sure what was different here, but I only woke once or twice through the night. It was nice. 

My first hint that morning had arrived was the symphony of bird songs that were playing in and around my tent. It never got too very dark this far north last night, but I could see through my tent's rainfly that the sun would rise soon. I don't think it got as cold as we were expecting last night and while it's till a little brisk, it's not totally uncomfortable for me as I crawl out of my sleeping bag and put on some fresh pieces of clothing.

After that, I crawl out of my tent and just take it all in for a few minutes. Nick seems to still be sleeping in his tent, which is dozen or so yards away and so, I just sit in my chair and stare wide-eyed at the waterfalls and the cliffs they run off of to our immediate west. A small cloudbank has set up shop towards the top and the river perpetually flows through the valley just a few yards from my chair. Across the meadow, I see two bull elk with their towering racks of antlers starting to stir. I watching them from a distance as they rise from the soft grasses, cross the meadow and enter the forest to the northeast.

Just as the elk disappear into the tree line, I hear Nick starting to stir. Once he's up and about, we fix a quick breakfast and start to breakdown our sleep systems and tents. With our gear packed snuggly into our backpacks and our bellies full, we hit the trail for the return trip. Our path back follows the exact same route, but this time it should be mostly downhill. With our early start (on the trail before 7:00 AM), we should be back to the car just after lunchtime.

As my feet hit the trail, I feel energized. Being out in beautiful places like this fills my soul and inspires every step. I wish I could stay forever, but that's not the case. The hiking seems a bit easier, but I'm still a little cautious as I cross back over the one-rail bridge. 

From there, the hike is just as I remember it from yesterday and the next few miles are uneventful. We do encounter a number of other hikers today though. It seems there were a lot of people in the backcountry last night. 

Eventually, we reach the parking area and celebrate the completion of our overnight trip to the Enchanted Valley, which fully lived up to its name. According to my GPS track, our total distance covered was 29.8 miles. This may be a little higher than what's listed, but I've used this app for many years and I'll stick with it. We're both pretty tired and food is high on the agenda. As we drive into the nearest town and sit down for a famous Dino Burger (3/4 patty, with grilled ham, Swiss and American cheeses, and lightly grilled onions on a sesame seed bun), we reflect on the trip and how enchanting the Enchanted Valley truly is.