Trout Lake, West Foss Lake Trail, Big Heart Lake

This trail is almost a Sunday walk in the park - after you get to the Malachite junction. Road 68 and 6835 to the trailhead for the West Foss Lakes trailhead is in very good shape. Most of the potholes have been filled and it is free of ruts and almost all washboards. The first half mile of trail 1064 is a cobbled stream bed but it soon emerges onto a nice trail. At one mile is the crossing of the stream. The bridge is history, but a well marked series of cairns directs you across a convenient log. On the other side the trail is very easy to follow. The river has carved out deep swaths of the side of the avalanche slope. Blowdowns are numerous from the trailhead all the way up to the Malachite bridge. The trail up to the Malachite junction is rocky and brushy and there are a lot of blowdowns. From the Malachite junction to Little Heart Lake is very nice trail, some steps, 3 blowdowns two of which are large. The trail to Big Heart Lake is strenuous but very clear and only 3 blowdowns. All in all this is a good hike and worth the effort. The autumn colors are just coming in and mushrooms abound. Trail time was 2 hours to the Malachite bridge, half hour to Copper Lake, half hour to Little Heart and another hour to Big Heart. The Malachite Lake trail is signed but appears to be heavily overgrown.