Elwha Basin river crossing alternative describes a good way to avoid the standard crossing of the Elwha River, near its headwater, usually as part of using the Elwha Snow Finger route between the high-country and the lowlands (and the official trail system). The Elwha, though small here, is steeper than it looks: the normal crossing-point is impossible in any kind of high water; it is frequently dangerous, and usually difficult. There is a ready and favorable alternative, using the lower toe of Mount Seattle, which in the map-crop is the prominent ridge between the main river and Elwha Basin Way Trail, and the southern part of the Basin.Downstream of the Basin and the designated crossing-location, the slope of the river moderates strong, and timber swept from the channel passing along the base of the Basin is able to lodge and form large log-jams. These jams appear to be long-term features, and are easy to walk across … given of course the normal requisite care & alertness.
After crossing a jam, the traveler continues upstream on the far right bank of the Elwha, along the Seattle toe-ridge. If the water is indeed high and a problem, then wrap around the northern toe of the ridge and continue south, along its west side. This toe-ridge is heavily-timbered, and conditions are mostly open & clear in the understory. In bad water conditions, the goal is to traverse the upper part of the Basin where its tributary streams have divided.
In principle, it would be attractive to have a path along the Seattle toe that stays near the main Elwha, and then crosses the Basin-tributary immediately downstream the current crossing point. That way, the alternate crossing path could rejoin the Basin Way path as expeditiously as practical. Actually, there is thickets & brush in this area; the tributary is also steep itself, not as small as one might hope, and has cut an impressive little canyon of its own. But, thorough investigation might be rewarded.
Elk sign within the heavy timber of the Seattle-toe indicated that they use this timber-stand intensively in-season, for bedding and loafing during feeding-periods in the adjoining Basin. There are also elk-trails in abundance. If elk are present, parties should go out of their way to avoid unduly disturbing or displacing them.