Smoke from the fires was obvious but not too much of a problem on Saturday and the air was intensely dry Sunday. As noted, the first 5 miles is a cushy, well-maintained breeze. Like has been said, the 2.5 miles up to Jade Lake is a bear but the trail is bearable as ever and a sunny spot at the lake for lunch and a rest rejuvenates wonderfully. Very much worth the chest bursting ascent and knee busting descent and I'm anxious to explore a bit further up the Valley next time. Lost a set of poles and stakes somewhere between the north end of Locket and the main trail, so will be back sooner than later!

Great hike! Went with my dad and our dog and we all had fun. The first 5 miles or so were pretty easy just going through a valley and then after you cross the river and start heading up the mountain is where it gets tough. With the weight in our packs we only wanted to camp at Jade lake. We were lucky enough to get the platform to pitch our tent in which was really nice and flat. We dayhiked to all the other lakes and caught nice fish in all the lakes except Al Lake. The best fishing was in Lake Ilswoot which was really easy to get to. The trail to it could be marked better though. If the weather has been bad and it has rained I wouldn't go on this hike the trail could become dangerous if it is wet. For the most part I would definitely recommend this hike!

Day hiked Hinman up the Necklace Valley to La Bohn Gap. First 5 miles are pretty easy, minimal elevation gain. There are nice campsites every mile or so during this section. Then the trail crosses the stream and gets a little steeper. Reaches the Necklace Valley around 8 miles. Some of the lakes are pretty dried up, but it is still a nice valley. At the end of the valley we left the trail and ascended the La Bohn Gap. We didn't take the "waterfall route," instead we just ascended the obvious boulder gully. It was pretty straightforward, mostly just class 2. One group did the waterfall route, said it wasn't bad. La Bohn lakes are beautiful, no snow around. From there we ascended the shoulder of Hinman and stayed on the North side of the ridge. A few snow/glacier crossings high on the ridge around 7000 ft, but we were fine in just running shoes. Most of the ridge is just class 2 with a sprinkling of class 3, but the biggest annoyance is by far the lose rocks. During the last 20 minutes, just about every boulder we stepped on slid or rocked. We stopped at the ridge around 7450 ft, so technically were 40 ft short of the true summit, but that involved a more serious glacier crossing and we didn't have the time or gear for that, so started back. Total about 24 miles and 7000 ft gain. An incredible hike and great views. Travel is slow from the end of the Necklace Valley because it is sustained class 2 and lots of loose choss. Definitely worth it though.

Misty on Satuday; cleared up Sunday morning. Lots of people heading to tank lakes.

My first time out this trail. The length in my book was not as accurate as the WTA reported length. Believe it when they say expert level. Trail was in great condition, lots of friendly people coming down that gave us tips on where to camp and what was beautiful. I will keep my favorites to myself, but we got to enjoy views of Jade, Emerald, Al, Locket & Ilswood lakes, did some swimming at Locket. I only received a few mosquito bites and a couple fly bites. I did break out the deet at one point before bed. Weather was great, only one sprinkle of rain blew through. ENJOY!