Trip Report
Backpack - Enchanted Valley
Fine hike on a good trail. We kept fairly cool in the woods during a heat wave.
Mike Kretzler
- Sat, Jun 26, 2021 — Mon, Jun 28, 2021
- Backpack - Enchanted Valley
- Enchanted Valley
- Backpacking
- Successful
- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The trail was in good condition, with a few blowdowns that had been partially cleared. We passed a trail crew on the way in to Pony Bridge. The river was high. The small, steep creek about 1.5 mi above the Enchanted Valley chalet was too wild to cross on the two small, wet, at-water-level logs.
Our backpack took place during a record-setting heat wave (highs between 90 and 105). It turned out to be a good place to be, as the trail is shaded nearly everywhere and we found a shady, breezy spot along Pyrites Cr. We day-hiked up to the Enchanted Valley and beyond toward the giant western hemlock, but were turned back by high water in a cross-stream about 1.5 miles up from the chalet. Saw two groups of elk, including youngsters, and one bear, hightailing it by our camp at Pyrites.