The East Fork of the Quinault Trail has been cleared by the park trail crew to Fire Creek. Snow is now first encountered at No Name Creek. The suspension bridge just before Enchanted Valley has been overturned and is impassable. Fording the river may be difficult, unsafe, or unpassable, depending on conditions at the time. General snow conditions exist in Enchanted Valley.

EAST FORK TRAIL, GRAVES CREEK TO ENCHANTED VALLEY: Last report 4/13/99. Patchy snow from Graves Creek Trailhead to Fire Creek. Solid snow above Fire Creek, with a small slide blocking the trail one mile above Fire Creek (3.5 miles). Snow depth at O'Neil Camp (6.5 miles) is approximately 4.5 feet. Snow Depth at Enchanted Valley (13 miles) is 8 to 9 feet. The suspension bridge below Enchanted Valley has collapsed due to snow load, hikers must ford the river. Stream crossings are extremely hazardous due to steep, tall snow banks; also watch for collapsing snow bridges over streams. The door to the emergency shelter in the Chalet is blocked by snow 17 feet deep and is NOT accessible. Expect muddy conditions below the snow line and windfall blocking the trail. Trail is closed to stock use by order of the Park Superintendent until further notice.

ENCHANTED VALLEY TO ANDERSON PASS: Snowed in with considerable avalanche exposure. Map and compass advised.

Hiked down the Enchanted Valley trail on our way out from Heart Lake. The trail is dry, clear, and in excellent condition. Only a few major tributaries have water in them at this time, and all these had easy stepping stone crossings and/or footlogs. The Quinault is low and crystal clear. Enjoy!

This is a 26 mile roundtrip hike with your destination being the Chalet in the valley. The trail follows a river at a low elevation. The it's a rolling trail that is flat in many places. The campgrounds are spaced a fews miles apart. There is camping also available by the Chalet. My husband & I spotted a herd of elk before we reached Pyrite Creek, where we camped (10 miles). The only obstacle in the trip is to cross this creek. Hikers bring old sneakers & walk across. I chose to walk along downed trees. My 2nd day, I hiked to the Chalet & left my tent & gear behind. My husband carried his pack with a water filter & bottle, snacks & inflatable chairs. The Chalet area was beautiful. The Chalet was set in an open green meadow with the mountains streaming with many waterfalls as a backdrop. One snow-capped mountains stands out in the distance. We sighted 2 black bears on the mountainside by the chalet. We then headed back to Pyrite Creek to our campsite. Others also chose to camp there & leave their gear behind as they hiked to the Chalet. If you do go the full 13 miles with gear, the camping spots are very scenic. The signs discourage campers from overusing these sites. (6+miles) After 2 sunny days, day three it rained. We hiked back 10 miles to the car. The dense forest cover shieled us from the light rain. We spotted a grouse & a nursery of baby elk along the river in a green pasture. Two mother elk were there to protect them.