Quinault River-Pony Bridge-Enchanted Valley

If you are going to hike to the Enchanted Valley this summer (2011) you need to do it now. The Graves Creek access road will be closed and there will be no traffic allowed on the road from August 10 to September 17. This means cars need to out from the trailhead parking lot by August 10. Unsure why NPS is not putting this on their website but they have signs plastered all over the Graves Creek area.

Hiked in to the valley and day hiked up toward Anderson Pass. Was told by the Ranger that it is continuous snow beyond the O'Neil Pass trail cutoff. But about 10 to 15 minutes below that the snow pack took out the hand rail on the log bridge at the top of the White Creek waterfall. The Ranger cautioned that it is not safe to try to walk this 12 inch dia log so if you want to cross, do it sitting down. I was not even willing to do that since with one mistake they would be picking up your pieces as they floated by the Chalet.

Many folks hiked in to Pyrites Creek campground and day hiked up to the valley and up the Anderson Pass trail. Others hiked out to Pyrites Creek for their last night, in order to get the last 4 miles off the trip. It is that last 4 miles that really wears you down.

Saw two bears - both skedaddled as soon as they saw someone was watching them eat sweetgrass. The rest of the wildlife seems to have moved up with the snow melt.