Enchanted Valley Trail

Well, I would have to say this was the most exciting camping trip yet. Katie, Jim, Mike and I embarked on a weekend hike-in camping trip in Olympic National Park along the Quinalt River on the Enchanted Valley Trail. Katie and Jim met at our apartment on Friday and by 6:20pm we were on the road fighting rush hour traffic. Even though we were in a hurry to get there we had to stop by Panera or else Katie was going to be very disappointed! We didn't arrive to the trail head until 11:00pm so it was already dark. We threw on our packs (Mine weighed in the heaviest at 46 pounds) and started off on an "extremely flat trail" (per Mike) which ended up being and "extremely uphill trail" (per the rest of us). We knew we were taking a gamble in there being available campsites, so as luck would have it, after hiking our planned 2.5 miles to Pony Bridge, every site was taken - all 3 of them. The hike was quite adventurous, we had head lamps and Jim had a bear bell (or a dinner bell, depending on how you look at it) so as not to sneak up on any bears. The trail was steep and laden with rocks, roots, potholes, small streams and MUD! At points we were dangerously close to the cliff side! So, after we found the campsites to be occupied, we hiked about another mile up the trail but were unable to find any suitable places to pitch camp. They are sometimes really hard to find, off the beaten path and usually not even marked. Finally, at 1:30am we were all tired, scared of bears, and hurting from the packs so we stopped at an opening on the trail right near the river and pitched our tents. No one could sleep for fear of bears!
The next morning Mike awoke early and went further up the trail to find us a real site. He quickly came back, all excited, saying he had found the best campsite ever. Katie and Jim were still sleeping and Mike and I picked up our tent and carried it 200 ft to the most beautiful campsite I have ever seen!! We then went back to get Katie and Jim before they woke up and thought we left them. The site was right along the river, which was a beautiful gray-blue color (due to the glacier melt that feeds the river), with rocks, cliffs, trees and mountains as the backdrop! We made cappuccino (instant) and Quaker oatmeal for breakfast, then got ready to head out for a day hike. We didn't leave before digging a poop hole, which sounds gross but there are no bathrooms. We hiked about 3 1/2 miles up the trail to a privy (outhouse) which ended up being the grossest!!! It was the most beautiful hike any of us has ever been on - if you are ever in the area I would highly recommend it. We ate Katie's Famous Trail Mix and Luna Bars for lunch.
When we got back to camp, it looked like rain so we decided we better eat. Katie brought dehydrated food from REI, so for appetizer we had the garlic mashed potatoes, which were awesome, then we made spaghetti and jar sauce (we brought a little burner that has a propane tank), then we finished off the meal with mixed veggies that were dehydrated. It still hadn't started to rain so we all sat around the campfire, which Jim did a fantabulous job sawing wood for and Mike getting and keeping the fire going since the wood was soaking wet from rain the night before!! The fire was small but surprisingly, very hot. We made S'mores (Katie ate 7) and played 2 rounds of Old Maid - Mike and Jim each lost once. We were so tired from the hike that we were in bed by 9, and once again afraid of bears. All of our food and anything that smells (toothpaste, chapstick, etc.) was put in the bear cans and kept about 200 feet from the camp.
Sunday morning we woke up, took our time eating mini-bagels and trail mix and began our hike out anxious to see what our Friday night hike looked like in the daylight - quite precarious in some parts! The 2 1/2 hour hike in took us only 1 1/2 hours to hike out and that included stopping to take pic's!
It was another great weekend trip and we hope to go back later in the summer, maybe reaching the Enchanted Valley some 13 miles out!
*Pictures*