LaCrosse Basin,  Olympic National Park,  Aug 12, 2002 - Aug 16, 2002     page 9 / 19

Wednesday was our day to explore and relax. We ate, hung our food on the bear wire we had strung and departed for Hart Lake. Another bear was spotted there. We followed a troop of boy scouts up the hill just north of the lake. A way trail cuts over the ridge creating a documented and often used short cut into the Quinault Valley. This route can save hikers about 5 miles of walking, by skipping the trail through O'Neil Pass. We simply went up the ridge for the view. There were enough scouts there that we decided to continue higher to a peak on the ridge. The summit was at 5300 feet, providing an outstanding view of Mt Anderson, the Quinault Valley (also known as the Enchanted Valley), the LaCrosse basin, Mt Steel, Mt Duckabush, the Brothers, and many more!