Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Dan A. Nelson/The Mountaineers Books East Fork Foss River Snowshoe
Featured In:
Snowshoe Routes - Washington,
by Dan A. Nelson.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. Snowshoe up the road as it gently climbs alongside the Foss River. The first mile is a multiple-use winter recreation area, so expect to see, or maybe just hear, snowmobiles along this section. But once past the Tonga Ridge Road (FR 6830) junction, the route is reserved for nonmotorized recreation, so plan on peace and quiet for the remainder of the journey. At 1.8 miles from the parking lot, leave the wide roadway by climbing off the left side of the road onto the Foss River Trail. This narrow wilderness path follows the east bank of the East Fork Foss River for 5 miles. The trail is generally easy to follow, and is fairly flat and gentle, making easy going for snowshoers of all abilities. It was, in fact, once the route of a narrow-gauge railroad that steamed up and down the valley hauling ore out of mine claims and supplies up to the hardrock miners. But this trip is not all just boring trail walking. Along this stretch of trail there are countless opportunities for you to dip down into riverside meadows to explore the snowy landscape and the water's edge--just be careful not to get too close to the river's edge. The river valley is wide and beautiful with enough openings in the old-growth forest to allow views up toward the jagged peaks of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Bald Eagle Peak towers over the western valley wall while glacier-studded Mount Daniel fills the sky to the southeast. Look straight up the valley to see the 7899-foot mountain as well as its neighbor, 7492-foot Mount Hinman. Numerous fine campsites are all along this stretch of the trail, but the best are in the broad riverside meadows about 5 miles from your car, and again at 6.8 miles, where the trail suddenly veers west away from the river and climbs steeply into the high lakes basin of Necklace Valley. This corner near the river, with good views all around, and good selection of campsites in the surrounding forest, is the end of the road for all but the most fanatic snowshoers. If you want to push your skills and endurance to the limits, and if the avalanche danger is low, struggle up the last 2.5 miles of trail as it climbs some 2200 feet to reach the lower lakes in the Necklace chain. The payoff is great, with the wide lakes basin, deep snow bowls, and awesome views of the major Alpine Lakes peaks. However, the expense is extreme physical exertion in an area highly prone to avalanche danger. It's much more enjoyable to skip the last leg of the trail and simply bask in the glorious beauty of the winter wilderness environment of the East Fork Foss River. Save the high alpine lakes for summer hikes. Author’s Rating: More Difficult Some previous snowshoe experience helpful. Some winter survival skills recommended (basic knowledge of avalanche evaluation, emergency shelter construction, etc.). Elevation gain is usually less than 1000 feet with a gradual slope.
Driving Directions:
To get there, from Everett drive east on U.S. Highway 2 toward Stevens Pass. After passing the Skykomish Ranger Station on the left, continue another 0.5 mile and turn right (south) onto Foss River Road (Forest Road 68). Follow this road nearly 2 miles to the end of the plowed road and a wide parking area at 1300 feet. Recent Trip Reports
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Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns | Water on trail | Snow on trail
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My last trip report of the year. We wanted to hike the West Fork Foss trail at least to...
My last trip report of the year. We wanted to hike the West Fork Foss trail at least to see the new bridge, but the snow was too deep and slippery for the car beginning at the Tonga Ridge turnoff. So we parked there and hiked up the road. The snow on the road was 4-6" deep. Off under the trees it was less. We got to the concrete ford in the road and found the water rushing fast and deep and our boots would have soaked. So we hiked back down the road to the East Fork Foss trailhead.
What a gem the East Fork Foss trail is! Barely a half to full inch of snow, steady even path, a couple of blowdowns but nothing serious. Gaiters and poles were all we used. No snowshoes or even trax. Lots of rivulets gushing across and down the path. Some drainage work is needed. We went about a mile in, then our need for coffee brought us back to the car and on to Index for Espresso Chalet. Great way to end the year. Snowshoe/XC Ski
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Snow on trail
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Three possibilities on this day: Miller River Road, Foss River Road & Beckler Peak. Avalanche concerns kept me away...
Three possibilities on this day: Miller River Road, Foss River Road & Beckler Peak. Avalanche concerns kept me away from Miller River, and upon inspection,
Beckler Peak (Rd 66) will take a little melting-out before it's safe to park off US2. Arrived at the Foss River Road parking area at 1015. Great weather, very sunny and bright with all the new snow. However, very cold (Baring weather station recorded a high of 17 during my trip). Short-term objective was upper River bridge; longer-term was Sobieski Mtn (all on Road 68). A mile in, I realized I'd left the car without bringing my gaiters, so was anticipating an abbreviated trip. There had been an accident on the FRR about a mile in. At the parking area, there were several PSE trucks that seemed to be preparing for some work along Rd 68. Didn't check with the workers about their purpose. Also at the parking area was a new sno-cat that would be treading Road 68 most of the day. Laid down some very nice wide tracks in the still-powdery snow. The wind/breeze was negligible all trip. This was fortuitous because of all the snow-laden alders shrowding the road. Occasionally, the skiers/hikers got the odd dump, but for the most part, the low temperature and lack of breeze kept the snow on the branches. Everywhere, the snow was far deeper that I'd seen a month earlier. Depth on the road was 18" or better throughout. Made it to the bridge (2.5 miles) at 1130. Attached pictures show the view up and down river. The new sno-cat tracks appeared to extend for miles. Turned out my gaiter problem wouldn't be a problem after all. But instead of donning skins and beginning up Sobieski, I retreated 1/4 mile to the gate (W. Fork Foss Trail) and had lunch. The sno-cat passed by as I ate. Mostly in sun, I was able to make a quick return to the car; the snow conditions were near perfect. Returned to the car lot at 1315. Possibly the best conditions and prettiest scenery I've ever witnessed in the backcountry. More pics at https://picasaweb.google.com/wmknickers/20110225FossRiver# if you're interested. This is why we put up with the rain. Snowshoe/XC Ski
Issues:
Water on trail | Snow on trail
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Arrived at the plowed parking lot on FS Road 68 (Foss River Road) at 1000 and left on skis (no...
Arrived at the plowed parking lot on FS Road 68 (Foss River Road) at 1000 and left on skis (no skins) at 1010. First car in the lot. The snow was relatively loose and light, about 18" depth and the lack of wind in the valley had kept a good layer of snow on all the trees. Temperature was just below freezing and didn't change the rest of the trip. Snowfall was either very light or non-existent at the outset. Visibility was poor, no more than 1/2 mile horizontally and about 300 feet vertically.
Two snowmobiles crept up at 1 mile just before the Tonga Ridge cutoff (RD 6830) and headed toward the ridge. I stayed right on 68 and entered the voluntary non-motorized area. At 1.7 miles arrived at the parking lot for Trail 1062 (Necklace Valley) and started on the trail. The snow depth on the trail was a disappointment. Probably because of the sheltering trees the depth ranged from nothing to a few inches. In 1/2 miles on the trail, I had to take off the skis three times to ford small creaks. By 1220, I'd run out of energy and decided to have lunch at about 2.5 miles from the start. Even with the low snow depth and with the snowfall increasing, the surrounding forest was beautiful. Headed back on Road 68 and the snowfall increased to the point that visibility reduced significantly. All of the overhanging trees began to dump snow and I was covered by the time I returned to the parking lot at 1430. I didn't get an opportunity to visit any riverside areas (either the Foss River or the East Fork) since I never made it to the meadows on Tr 1062. When I return I think I'll stay on 68 or 6840 and leave the trail until later in the winter. A good training trip in the micro-climates of the Foss and Skykomish river valleys. No blowdowns or other obstructions on the limited route I took. More pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/wmknickers/20110109FossRiver# Day hike
Issues:
Water on trail | Snow on trail
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We parked in the small lot after the railroad trestle. The county road ends here and the FS road isn’t...
We parked in the small lot after the railroad trestle. The county road ends here and the FS road isn’t plowed, making it a good winter trail. We were the first to leave tracks on the packed snow, while snowshoeing 1.8 miles to the Necklace Valley trailhead. We enjoyed the beauty of this heavily forested trail for almost a mile to the Burns Creek waterfall at the bridgecrossing. After returning to FS road 68 we turned left and continued on farther to Foss River Campground sharing the road with x-country skiers.
East Fork Foss River Snowshoe
— Dec 21, 2010
— Ross Bleakney
Snowshoe/XC Ski
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This was a ski trip, not a snowshoe (why isn't that an option?). Anyway, I got a late start today,...
This was a ski trip, not a snowshoe (why isn't that an option?). Anyway, I got a late start today, but still managed to get a ways up the Foss River road. I parked by the railroad trestle, but cars with higher clearance could probably get to the fork with the Tonga Ridge Road. The snow was spotty up to the fork, but was pretty thick after that (I kept my skis on after the fork). There is a big tree across the road a little while after the fork, so no cars will go that way for a while (at the moment, no cars had gone past the fork). The snow was good all the way up. There were snow shoe tracks, but no snow mobile tracks (they aren't allowed past the gate, but they are allowed before that). I think some snow mobiles had gone up towards Tonga, maybe even some cars. I made it up to the turn off for road 6846 (towards Evans Lake). I went a little ways on that road, to see if I could get a good view of Hinman and Daniel. I was able to see through the trees, but unfortunately, most of the big peaks were in the clouds. Iron Cap and some other peaks were out though, so it was still a pretty day.
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East Fork Foss Snowshoe. Photo by Jaltice.
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