Backpack - Enchanted Valley

Thurs. evening April 11 after work, place TBD

This is a mentored backpack lead for Delores Braaten. All questions directed to dj_sweeney@msn.com Leader permission required and you must have hiked or backpacked with Delores (or Meryl) before.

Thurs. April 11 - We'll leave Olympia after work and camp as close as possible to the TH, TBD.

Fri. April 12 - Assuming we can park at the Graves Creek TH, we'll divvy up group gear at 8:30am and leave at 9am.We will walk in 9 miles to Pyrite Camp the first day along the south fork of the Quinault River over Pony Bridge, past O'Neill Camp, with a bit of fun root scrambling over a washout. Though the net elevation gain is about 1,000ft, the roly-poly nature of the trail makes it much more strenuous. We'll likely make camp at Pyrite on the creek and settle down f or a beautiful night out.

Sat., April 13 - After breakfast and securing our food/stuffs in bear-proof containers, we'll head for Enchanted  Valley. It is about 3.5-4mi to the valley from camp, so we'll leave at 9ish and, with light packs, we'll beat a pace of 2mph to reach the valley around 11 and enjoy 6hrs in one of the most beautiful places on earth. If we're lucky, we may even see a bear! And watch snow falling from Chimney Peak. And, of course, all the waterfalls... We'll leave this heavenly place around 5pm to reach our camp before dark (so as not to surprise any critters trying to get to  our food). We'll have dinner in camp and drift off to sleep with the sounds of the creek, Quinault River and forest. We may even see some elk.

Sun., April 14 - We'll have a leisurely breakfast, break camp and hike out the 9`mi to the TH. At least one carload will stop at the Salmon House for delicious meal after our big weekend out.

I (Delores) have done this backpack 6 times and know the place well. It is a sacred place for me and I look forward to sharing it with you.

Caveat: As of now, the road to Graves Creek is closed, up to 10mi from the TH. We do not know exactly where that is, or when it will be cleared. In the event that this backpack isnt possible, we will find a suitable, if less strenuous alternative.