Enchanted Valley via East Fork Quinault River — Saturday, Apr. 20, 2013

Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast

Two of us did the 13 miles to the Enchanted Valley, in and out, in an afternoon. A beautiful, stunning hike deep into the rain forest - an ecosystem that has remained the same for many, many centuries. The Quinault River was high but not overflowing, and the hike over the Pony Bridge shows the power of the river and the rapids. We saw many massive, ancient trees and encountered a couple blowdowns over the trail but nothing impassable. The weather was cool and moist and the dense loam of the forest floor smells incredible. It's a very special place. Things of note on the hike: - Very unpopulated. We passed only eight people the entire five hours. - Wet and rocky trails. Wear waterproof footwear with good support. You will have lots of rocks underfoot and be prepared to ford a couple of small streams. The trail is pretty wet this time of year. - Microclimates! Lots of them. Cool mist, light rain, sun and mist, pure sun, dampness. Wear layers and a well-ventilated shell (pit-zips are a plus). - Lots of flowers out, plenty of Skunk Cabbage in bloom as well. - The last mile of the trail before the Enchanted Valley (Eastbound) was flooded out with about a foot or more of water. Check with other hikers to see if it's still flooded before you go. It's passable but you need to be creative and go slightly around some of the trail using rocks to step on - it's not easy and might cause some to turn around. - Wildlife: We heard of many bears in the Valley as well as the approach. We didn't see any but there were fresh tracks and scat. Roosevelt Elk - lots of them, in herds - what beautiful beasts. Deer, a few here and there. This is a stunning hike and takes you back in time. It's a part of the world we are lucky to have in our state. Highly recommended if you want a 25 mile round trip hike that takes you deep into the rain forest. Respect the grounds and don't leave a trace.