Category: Backpacking

Valley View

Valley View

This is the Duckabush Valley in the Olympic National Park. This is looking east down-valley out to the Puget Sound basin. The mist is typical for a morning … when it’s not even more cloudy, or just downright raining. I believe the peak in the distance (the low spot) is Mt Jupiter … which is one of the peaks of Seattle’s western horizon. The image is an older one before digital cameras and is a low resolution scan. I find that the softer image has an appeal … even if there is significant loss of definition.

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We Were Down There. We Were Up There.

We Were Down There.

Boulder Lake is in the Elwha River drainage of the Olympic National Park. We climbed up Boulder Peak (except for the last dozen feet or so that were blocked by a 6 foot wall of snow) and enjoyed the calm, sunny weather and the view back down to our camp … in the trees just to the right of the bare spot on the upper left corner of the lake. The photo below is looking back to where we were.

We Were Up There.
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O’Neil Creek Camp

Elk O’Neil Creek Camp

If you are hiking to the Enchanted Valley on the East Fork Quinault River in the Olympic National Park, O’Neil Creek Camp is a nice easy mid-way camp at 6.7 miles (10.8 km). The river has wandered back and forth across the valley and there are nice sandy spots and fewer mosquitoes on the river bed than you find under the trees where the campsites are located. You can play with the rocks (or enjoy the work of others who have) or, if you’re lucky, watch the elk.

East Fork Quinault Henge (temporary installation)
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Enchanted Valley Trail

Enchanted Valley Trail 1

The Enchanted Valley Trail runs up the East Fork Quinault River valley in the Olympic National Park. It is one of the most heavily used trails in the park. The big attraction for hikers is in the spring and early summer when they hike in to see the abundant water falls (some claim a thousand) flowing off the ridge to the north side of the valley as the snow melts out of the high country. In the summer, many hikers cross the Olympics using the North Fork Quinault trail up to Anderson Pass and then continuing on the West Fork Dosewallips trail. Below is one of the many stream crossing.

Enchanted Valley Trail 2
View from the East Fork Quinault Trail

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O’Neil Pass and Mt Steel

O’Neil Pass and Mt Steel

Mt Steel is just south of O’Neil Pass. Lt. O’Neil established the first route across the south Olympics from Hoodsport to the Quinault in the 1890’s. The pass separates the Duckabush Valley from the East Fork Quinault Valley (The Enchanted Valley). It’s a beautiful remote area of the Olympic National Park. The image below is the same view but in a portrait mode.

Looking up to O’Neil Pass
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