This was one of those backpacks I had been reading about and fantasizing about for years. I finally made it happen and was not disappointed. The trail is in great shape, the scenery is fantastic and unlike other areas in the National Parks there are no quotas or other unusual restrictions on camping. We followed the itinerary described in Douglas Lorain's ""Backpacking Washington"", but did not go over LaCrosse Pass and down into the Duckabush Valley, instead going into and out of LaCrosse basin via O'Neil Pass, avoiding a long descent into the Duckabush Valley.

Our group of 5 hikers ranging in age from 37 - 69, started at the Graves Creek Trailhead late morning, arriving at our first night's destination, Pyrites Creek at about 3PM. The area around Pyrites Creek didn't seem too appealing, so we pushed on to Enchanted Valley, getting there around 5:30. The trail along the Quinault River was quite scenic, often within sight of the water, with several nice camping spots along the way. Lots more altitude gain and loss than described in the book (I was using an altimeter that logged total elevation gain). The Enchanted Valley is a magnificent place. Lots of people there, especially considering the 13 mile hike to get there. But there's plenty of room and it doesn't feel crowded.

The next day we hiked to and set up our tents at Anderson Pass Camp. It's OK. The dilapidated shelter sitting in the middle of it is a bit of an eyesore. We hiked up to the Anderson Moraine trail to the overlook of the glacier where we cooked dinner. I would rather have camped near the small lake just below the overlook. It's a spectaculary scenic area. One of the highlights of the entire trip.

The next day we retraced our steps over Anderson Pass and did the long traverse to O'Neil Pass. What a beautiful trail, going in an out of meadows and forests, with a final glorious ascent of O'neil Pass. It was a bit of a let down when we finally arrived at Marmot Lake, so I left my pack and the rest of the group and went to explore LaCrosse and Hart Lakes. I'm glad I did. Hart Lake was my favorite and we spent two nights there. The place is magical. There aren't a lot of established campsites, but enough flat grassy areas to pitch a few tents. Someone has erected a few sculptures of balanced stones in the shallow areas of the lake.

We did a final night in Enchanted Valley on the way out. The trail over O'Neil Pass is definitely worth doing twice. There is a shortcut to LaCrosse Basin from the trail going to O'Neil Pass, but we didn't attempt it. We checked out the camping areas at Pyrites Creek and found them to actually be quite pleasant. When planning this trip, I calculated about 9000' feet total elevation gain. The total recorded on my altimeter was 14,000'. But it was worth it.