Half day hike Friday June 12. 

Turned back at 2.75m in due to being soaked through via unrelenting and encroaching brush, mud and moderate rain. The brush is serious, especially for tall people. At times it was completely covering the trail. Very buggy. 

Sections early are well groomed and roll gently through quiet second growth forest. Overall there is much to appreciate here though I would recommend it on a dry day. With some pruners perhaps for those interested.

5.5m/650ft 

We were up for a pretty, quiet 10-mile hike today, and East Fork Foss was perfect. The trail leads all the way to Jade Lake and the other "jewel" lakes beyond, but we weren't in the mood to claw our way up to Jade today--a two-mile ascent up a craggy mountainside, on a good day. Instead, we enjoyed the rolling ups and downs of this lush, varied trail. Fecund, that's the way I'd characterize it--the brush, leafing trees, and wildflowers all plump with rain and health and life. The five-mile trek to the river's edge, location of a couple very nice campsites, made for a great turnaround today. I include a pic of the bridge that takes you on to Jade Lake, though. It looks passable, with a little foot dampening and easy hunt for the trail leading up---and I do mean UP.

But if you hike to this point only, you will see a roaring waterfall, a multitude of wildflowers, lovely mixed forest throughout, some grand old growth cedars and Douglas firs, a dramatic rockface, and several striking vistas of craggy mountaintops and valleys cleft with falls. The wildflowers we saw today included bleeding heart, trillium,fringed lungwort, bunchberry, fanleaf cinquefoil, and salmonberry blossoms--but there were others, as well. The overall sense of the trail is one of lush greenery and solitude. We only saw two other couples today, both friendly and social-distance observant. 

A few items of note: the road has some potholes that require weaving around, so be prudent, and you might consider wearing long pants, as my calves fell victim to nettles--some areas are pretty bushy once you leave the woods.

Just an update on trail conditions.  The final bridge before the climb is water bound on one side.  A side trail to access has been made or shoe removal is necessary. Also follow the cairns up the first avalanche field.  An old giant has fallen across the trail but can easily be crossed. This is after the steep avalance field full of vine maple. We hit snow about a mile below Jade Lake.

I have tagged both hikes because our intended destination was Tonga Ridge but we modified our plans and hiked the road of Necklace Valley trailhead. 

A group of three of us attempted to get to Tonga Ridge trailhead.  The road is snow and slush covered 8 miles before the trail head. We encountered two trucks that had just gotten unstuck. The sloppy snow was hard to navigate, even with a lifted truck, proper tires, and 4x4. We parked on the side of the road 8 miles before the trailhead.  I wouldn't drive past the railroad trestle with a low clearance vehicle. 

We all started out in boots and after a couple of miles, I put on my snowshoes rather than carry them. We did not hike the road up the Tonga Ridge, but the road to the Necklace Valley trail head.  The higher elevation it was more snowy but the majority of the time it was slushy rain. It precipitated the entire time. 

Left parking spot about 9:15 and returned at 2:15. Hiked approx 4.5 miles with an elevation gain of about 400 feet. 

*FOUND*

We found a lock-backing knife on our hike today. If it's yours, leave your email and my husband will contact you to confirm. We'll ship it to you or my husband can meet you if you're local to Seattle.

It's a pretty nice knife, so hopefully the rightful owner sees this...

- BL