Mt Anderson(Olys) Approach question

[JoshK]

Anybody approached anderson from the enchanted valley side instead of the dose side? With the washout the distance difference is more like 4 or 5 miles each way instead of 9 or 10. I've heard the enchanted valley is amazing, so I thought it might be a neat way to go. Is this one of those trails that you can eat up the miles in trail hikers?

 

thanks,

-josh

[dkemp]

Yeah, the first time I clumb Mt A the High Bridge over the Dose was out. So we approached via Enchanted Valley. Beautiful forest, and we saw bears on the way up to Anderson Pass. We were there in August - no other summit registers for that year when we were there. Could see Kingdome easy.

 

The three of us did the hike out in one day - uh, not sure why we did that - long day, 19 miles? Had dinner at Dennys in Aberdeen at midnight. After the meal my pal ordered a whole pie with three forks. The waitress was stunned and hesitated, but he insisted "A pie with three forks!" We finished that pie... it was harder than climbing Mt A!

Doxey

[JoshK]

haha! awesome. I've heard the enchanted valley is gorgeous and extremely populated with bears. Does it open up to meadows higher up? Any pictures?

 

thanks!

-josh

[dkemp]

Oh yeah, Quinault rainforest is gorgeous. Enchanted Valley earns its name - meadows with waterfalls and peaks. Meadows higher, yeah.

 

We were above the valley, on the way up to Anderson Pass, when we stopped to eat lunch. We saw momma bear come out of the woods, about 2-300 yards away and downhill from us. She walked in a little circle, then dropped her head to graze. As soon as she dropped her head, two cubs came out of the forest. They bounded over logs, wrestling each other. Just the cutest goddam thing I ever saw. I got pictures but you cant really tell, know what I mean? They're just kinda dots in the photo. I know if I scan it it wont come out good.

 

I might have pics of the climb but its a cryin' shame how disorganized my photos are - I doubt I could easily put my hands on them.

[johndavidjr]

I hiked to A. Pass via Quinault about 12 years ago. Can't tell you anything of practical use that isn't posted above.

 

If you don't mind the hike & drive, it's quite lovely, with bigger timber than on east side, yet the place has its own character, & different from Hoh or Queets. There's practically no elevation gain until upper Enchantment Valley, which has mixed timber & meadows. A side note: There are some tiny, permanent snow patches on edge of enchantment valley that lie well below 3,000 feet in elevation (asserted from memory). They're from avalanches & nothing remarkable about them, except they might be the lowest, mapped permanent snow in park & I'd suppose in lower 48.

 

It was mid-August when I was there, and a gentleman and his young son told me they failed to climb Anderson via Flypaper Pass because of meltout in snow finger there. At some point since I did hike, there was a washout below Graves Creek campground (sounds familiar). I don't know if its been fixed but, was quite a while ago.

[mtn_mouse]

Anybody approached anderson from the enchanted valley side instead of the dose side? With the washout the distance difference is more like 4 or 5 miles each way instead of 9 or 10. I've heard the enchanted valley is amazing, so I thought it might be a neat way to go. Is this one of those trails that you can eat up the miles in trail hikers?

 

thanks,

-josh

 

The quinault/enchanted valley route is a great hike. Once you hit enchanted valley, it is open country, with great views of the burke range to the north. Most of the elevation gain is right at the end past white creek with a 2-3 mile climb. The drive and hike are both longer, so you will not save any time, but you start at about the same elevation now that the dose road is out.