Necklace Valley is a beautiful place. The trail is in pretty good shape for this time of year. There is some mud and water on the trail, but don’t let that dissuade you. The leaves are down but mushrooms of every shape, size and color are everywhere. Not being knowledgeable of mushrooms we stuck to photos. We only saw one other party today (pretty quiet for a Saturday.) Be aware the trailhead restrooms are closed for the season. Unlike summer, no bugs so I would defiantly recommend this as a fall hike.

Trip Report YOLO Loop Sept 2013 For those who have a week to hike and like some off trailing, this may be for you. This route had good trails, bad trails, no trails and several hazards and may be attractive to some adventurous types. This is a write up of a trip that I did with my two sons, David and Jason in September 2013. We planned food at 2 lb./person/day with a caloric density of over 120 calories/oz. This would be around 4000 calories per day but even then I figured we would still be caloric deficient. We went gluten free and aimed for lower carbohydrates. To do this we used commercial gluten free mixes, added powered eggs, powdered milk and some protein powder. Also used peanut and almond nut butters for toping cornbread and pancakes. The nut butters have twice the caloric density as syrup and were a big hit. What we didn’t eat much of was summer sausages and beef sticks. Our packs weight in on average 43 lbs. Not too bad. This was named the YOLO loop for a couple obvious reason, at least to us. The loop entered the East Foss River trail head to Necklace Valley, then to Tank Lakes, Williams Lake, Deep Lake, Tuck and Robin Lakes down to Leyland Lake, up Square Lake, over to Deception Lake, out Tonka Ridge and then 10 miles walking on the road back down to the East Foss River trail head. Day 1: Trail head to Emerald Lake 14 Sept 2013(8.5 miles, start 1600’- end 4700’) Left Ballard and parked at the East Foss /Necklace Valley trail head and hiked to Emerald Lake. Had a nice camp site and a near full moon was hanging over the mountain to right of La Bohn Gap. Jason soaked in the lake and I got in up to my knees in the cold water. Day 2: Emerald to Williams Lake (7 miles, start 4700’- high point 5800’ end 4600”) Followed the trail toward La Bohn Gap and turned right to follow the stream and boulder field to Tank Lakes. Plenty of snow bridges over the stream and some interesting rock and crystals that we took time to enjoy. After taking some beautiful pictures of the Tank Lakes and the glaciated mountains (Summit Chief and Overcoat) to the south, we headed left toward Williams Lake. This is definitely cross country and the way is hazardous. There are extreme drop offs down to the Middle fork of the Snoqualmie river. We struggled here but I did find a route to a large boulder field which gave us safe passage down to Williams Lake. I broke off the lower third of my hiking pole, but fortunately the extended two remaining sections were just sufficient. Poles really are needed. David had to grab a bush to keep from sliding off the mountain. He found out later that this removed his wedding ring. To get by this hazard, best to stay to the left and high and find the boulder field for the descent. Got to Williams Lake and set up camp and again Jason got in the cold lake for the last time. Shortly after making camp the clouds started to boil up the valley. We got into our tent and had a very close up encounter with an extreme thunder and lightning storm. It must have lasted 45 minutes. It was continual multiple lighting flashes, and was right over us. Did a lot of praying. Day 3: Williams to Deep Lake (13 Miles, start 4600’-high point 5000, low point 3000’, end 4400’) Got up and put on our rain gear and headed to Dutch Miller Gap. This is the old Cascade Crest Trail so the was very nice. The waterfall into Ivanhoe Lake was really flowing with the on and off rain. Stopped for a break at Ivanhoe Lake during a brief sun break, but the rain returned so we headed on down to Waptus Lake. When we got there the sun was out so we spread out on the gravel breach, ate and dried out a bit. After an hours rest, we packed up and headed to Deep Lake for the night. Day 4. Deep Lake to Tuck Lake (10 miles-start 4600’ low point 4000’, high point 5600’, end 5300’) Left Deep Lake and while ascending the ridge and we were passed by a through hiker. He had started at the Mexican border and was excited that he had only a week or 2 left. He got worried when we told him that we started off from the Stevens Pass highway, since for him Stevens Pass was yet ahead and he thought maybe he missed it. But a little more discussion and he was fine. We got a bit higher and got into a white out. This lasted a few miles, until we got over the ridge and looking down onto Hyas Lake. There was a large wash out on the PCT which took some time to navigate, but got to the intersection with the Hyas Trail. We met a middle age son and his elderly dad at the intersection who were hiking between the passes. I was worried about them navigating the PCT washout that we just came over. We headed south a bit before ascending the Tuck and Robin Lakes Trail. This trail is as the guide books describes, a really steep climb. Got to Tuck Lake and the weather was windy, misty with poor visibility. I was tempted to push on but a couple who were camped at the lake’s outlet waved to us that there was a good campsite near them. This was a blessing since it was a protected nice dry camp. We had planned on camping at Robin Lake for the night, but since we had allowed for at least an extra day we took the extra day here. Jason cooked up some dried chili which came up on him during the night a couple times. Thankfully he made it to the outside of the tent each time and he was recovered the next day. Day 5: Tuck to Robin Lake (1.5 miles-start 5300’, end 6200’) Left Tuck Lake in a moist, windy and near freezing white out and headed up to Robin Lake, with our rain gear and pack covers on. Dave had a black plastic bag for his pack cover and when the wind blew it was inflated, and it looked like he had a double size pack on. We met a group coming down, and they said it had snowed last night and they were very cold. One girl in the group just had tennis shoes on! We got up to a ridge which would have been looking at Robin Lake but with 20 ft. visibility we could not find it. We walked around for a while until we got close enough and in the right direction to find the lakes. We were the only ones there so we camped at the campsite between the 2 lakes. Finally the weather started to break and we could see the other side of the main lake. We started to dry out and then begin to enjoy the views. Day 6: Robin to Square Lake (11 miles-start 6200’, high point 6400’, low point 3400’, end 5000’) Left Robin and headed to the Granite Mountain Potholes. Beautiful clear day now and the views were very welcome. Stayed high and went around the south side of the potholes and then over onto a large boulder field to Phoebe Lake. Easy going and fun traveling. From a guide book we thought we might find an old trail from Phoebe to Leyland Lake, but found nothing that went anywhere. So we basically slide down the hill toward Leyland Lake. We lost our plastic ground trap on the slide but the weather was dry now so not a big loss. Poor planning on my part and we ended up at the head of the lake. We then had to fight our way thru blowdowns and over growth to get to the outlet end. I slipped twice on the same large bare downed tree and fell flat on my chest each time. But no damage done. Jason tried to take a short cut across a little bay by walking across a floating log. His short cut was interrupted when the log started to move away from shore. He reacted quickly and jumped back to shore avoiding a deep dipping. We fought, slipped and fell but eventually made it to the outlet where we expected to find a nice trail. Well, there was not a trail to find. We did find a start of a trial but it quickly disappeared. We attempted to follow the stream down but gave that up and started again to look for a trial. Eventually we found the faint trail and followed it down to the intersection to the Square Lake trail. I was tried and slipped on the rocks crossing the stream and filled my boots up. But we thought that now we would be on a good trail. The trail disappeared after a few miles into an overgrown field of very tall fireweed. After the trail disappeared we headed up the ridge towards the obvious saddle and eventually David found the faint 6” wide trail which we then followed to Wolverine Lake. At this point the sun was down and we were traveling with head lamps. This trail section was very good and we camped at the outlet of Square Lake to the sound of water lapping over the dam. Needless to say we were the only ones there. A beautiful full moon came up as we set up camp. These 2 trails probably have not been maintained in 20 years. Day 7: Square back to East Foss trail Head (14 trail miles plus 10 road miles-start 5000’, high point 5600’, low point trail 3200’ trail, low point to East Foss trail head 1600’) We followed the trail around Square until it also disappeared. We got to the head of the lake and started up the ridge following a steep ravine. It eventually got too steep to follow and we tried to find a way out to the right but could not. After descending a bit Jason did find a nice boulder field to the right which we then followed up to the top of the ridge. At this point we were sure we were going to have good travel the rest of the way. We descended cross country and found a trail that lead to the PCT. Passed a few hikers at Deception Lake and made the right turn to the Tonga Ridge trail. There were some beautiful large Douglas Firs and a lot of mushroom the whole time. Jason got stung by some weird bee or wasp and his head inflated a bit. We took a bit of a rest and his head eventually started to go down and he was good to go. Followed the Tonga Ridge trail and the great views looking back to the mountains above Dutch Miller Gap which we saw close up earlier in the loop. Got to the Tonga Ridge trail head nearing dusk. We left the packs with Dave and then Jason and I started the 10 miles but 2700 ft down the road back to the trail head where our car was parked. We had talked about descending to Fisher Lake and then cross county 3 miles with 3 thousand feet of drop to pick up the Necklace Valley trail but we agreed that we had enough cross country travel and went for the Tonga Ridge trail head and the road. Maybe next time! As darkness descended on Dave, he heard some weird sound coming down the trail. It turned out to be a singing day hiker. Anyway the singer talked to Dave and explained he was singing in an ancient French dialect, the whole time shining his head lamp in David’s face. Go figure. A lake bagger picked Jason and me up and drove us the last 2 miles. He thought we were lost day hikers and was initially reluctant to pick us up. But we explained our trip and then he figured we were OK. He did remark that there was no trail to Square Lake and we totally agreed with him. Final notes, we probably only ate 1 ½ lbs. of food per day instead of the planned for 2. Our feet were wet for most of the hike so we had good blisters and the boulder fields left some damage. Overall it took a couple months to recover but we had a lot of adventure, and saw some great country. So give the YOLO loop a try!

Since we knew we were in for a long day (~18 miles) we got up early and started out at the trailhead a little before 8AM. The parking lot was already half full, which we suspected were over night backpackers. The weather conditions were perfect for this hike. The first 5 miles are fairly easy, with a few up and downs and good tread and mostly in the forest. On this segment there were quite a few varieties of mushrooms. At 5 miles, there is a nice campsite and a good place to rest before the tough section of this hike. After crossing the Foss River on a log, you have to negotiate a boulder field, so look for ribbons and cairns to lead the way. Then the steep climb begins, up and up. Though mostly shaded there were a few sections where when it was exposed it got quite warm with the sun beating down on us. You do cross by a few creeks so if you have a water purifier some nice cold mountain water hits the spot. About half way up you cross a memorial bridge over some cascading falls (very beautiful) and the way gets rockier and steeper. You finally see the light of day when you get to above treeline and at mile 8 come upon pretty Jade Lake, where we stopped to have some lunch halfway along the shoreline. After this rest, we ventured on the other lakes within the vicinity. There is an emergency cabin about 0.6 miles from Jade Lake that would work in a pinch should a storm approach. To the left we saw Emerald Lake and further ahead Opal Lake where we called it a day (9 miles). We turned around and rested on a rock slab that unfortunately my friend slipped on some wet moss and started to tumble down. She caught herself but in turn received a few big bruises on her elbow and hand while trying to catch herself. We ate the rest of our lunch here, in the silence of the wilderness as nobody was near us. Now we always preach that we enjoy the quiet solitude of being out in the woods but what happened next is something that probably will never occur again while hiking. Loud sounds started to echo over LaBohn Gap and all of a sudden 3 fighter jets flew right over us, probably not more than a few hundred feet right though the gap...it was surely a sight to behold and amazing. It was about 2:30 and we knew we had to hike out 9 miles so we headed out and made the long trek back. We couldn't exactly go fast on the way down as the trail is half rocky and steep down in places. Trekking poles are recommended on this hike. We saw a few parties going up while we descended, all carrying overnight gear. This was mainly a scouting hike for us as we too would like to return and camp overnight at one of the many lakes here. We finally got back to the car at around 6:30 PM, so all in all it was over a 10 hour day but well worth it. We definitely will be back, though at a much leisurely pace and staying up there for a few days as there are so many way trails to explore.

After doing a WTA work party on the West Fork Foss River trail, I've wanted to check out the Foss Lakes area on a backpacking trip. After reading some trip reports, I decided exploring the "High Route" and dropping back down the East Fork through Necklace Valley would be a worthy challenge and provide an opportunity to look upon a dozen or so alpine lakes. First, this is an absolutely spectacular trip. The views are amazing, the lakes are photogenic, and the terrain is rugged. You'll see 10+ named lakes, plus dozens of tarns, lots of peaks, and even some distant views. Second, this is HARD. The trail up to Big Heart Lake is in great shape, but challenging. Beyond Big Heart, the "trail" is more of a way trail. From Chetwoot Lake to Necklace Valley, there is no trail at all. Following cairns (if you're lucky and on the right route) or orienteering are the only ways to find your way. You're likely to be required to scramble up at least a few tricky spots, especially if you miss a cairn. Once you're in Necklace Valley, the descent is on a poorly draining, slippery, often muddy trail to the valley floor of the East Fork. 40' contour TOPOs, compass, altimeter, and the knowledge to use them are necessary. A GPS unit would be handy, but I wouldn't want to rely on it unless the weather made by-hand location fixing impossible. On to the report... We started from West Fork Foss River TH on trail 1064. The 1.5 miles up to Trout Lake is in great shape and is a pretty easy jaunt on very nicely rebuilt trail. If you've read the trail description, this is where the "up" begins. Over the next 2 miles, we climbed up a steep switchbacked section to the junction with the short Malachite Lake trail. Even though it's steep, the trail is in good enough shape that it is really quite doable, even for an out-of-shape dude like me. From the junction, it's an easy quarter mile to Copper Lake, where we refilled our water. The trail from Copper to Little Heart Lake is fairly easy and in good shape. Berries are EVERYWHERE. The trail condition remains good to Big Heart Lake, where we camped the first night amid plentiful berries and plentiful other backpackers. The bees are annoying at Copper and Big Heart, but they seem more curious than anything - I continually waved them away and they never behaved aggressively. After a warm night at Big Heart, we continued on the now unofficial trail toward Chetwoot Lake. The trail wraps around to the backside of the ridge between Big Heart and Angeline Lakes, and you can peer over a spectacular knife edge down to Angeline before heading up. At this point, cairns (occasionally) mark a route that involves less trail and more scrambling, but remains along the same spine between the lakes. After ascending some more, you finally attain the ridge between the Chetwoot and Angeline lake basins. Descending to Little Chetwoot is a bit steep, but doable. We might have missed the route to the larger lake - it's easy to do. Getting from Big Heart to Chetwoot took way longer than we expected it to. We refilled our water at the outlet of Little Chetwoot, and continued across the outlet, bushwhacking up to the talus slopes to the east of Chetwoot. From there, all semblance of trail was behind us. Following the advice of numerous past trip reports and forum posts, we ascended the talus to about 5400' and then traversed all the way around northwest arm of Iron Cap Mountain (the ridge that extends almost due north from Point 6077). This stretch was pretty straightforward. From there, we following through a gap at about 5540 or so toward Iron Cap Lake, approximately 5430'. 3 younger hikers ignored the cairns pointing toward the gap and traversed north around the bump, but then doubled back. We spent the night just above the outlet stream of the silty lake with 2 of the 5 people we'd encountered doing the same loop. The 3 younger guys, even after doubling back were way ahead of us. In the morning, we got an early start and followed the cairns ascending the north flank of Iron Cap Mountain. We reached a gully where the route was unclear - do we traverse left (looked tricky), or ascend right, so my hiking companion traversed some ledges without his pack to see what we found on the other side. There was a welcome cairn just around the corner from the ledges, so we knew we were in the right place. Ascending right would have taken us toward the summit and possibly been less steep overall, but the slot we hit at about 5600' was quite doable. Once we rounded the corner beyond that slot, we descended THROUGH some scrub trees and back on to talus and our next waypoint, Iron Cap Pass (about 5300') was within view. We dropped to about 5360 to a false pass before continuing our traverse to an area slightly above the pass to the right (WSW). We descended to the pass and enjoyed the views and a brief break. From Iron Cap Pass, the route finding was a bit of a challenge. Apparently there are several ways up, and we probably took one of the more challenging routes. We followed on-and-off boot paths and cairns to a thumb with a choice once again to go left or right. We each scouted one side, but elected to go left. A 40' ledged climb (handholds required!) ensued and we gained the ~5800' ridge containing Tank Lakes, Foehn Lake, and Tahl Lake. Once on top, we found the real "trail" wrapping around from the right. Oops. We only found the south Tank lake, and never found Foehn or Tahl. It was already after 2pm, so we continued with a grueling and hot but uneventful descent into Necklace Valley. We stopped just long enough for photos at Emerald Lake around 4pm, and a snack at Jade Lake before continuing down the very steep trail down from Necklace. We crossed the bridge over the East Fork Foss at 7PM and snacked again, and by 8PM had donned our headlamps. We finally reached the East Fork TH at 9:15 PM.

Wow! When people say this is a strenuous hike, they really mean it! The first five miles are indeed fairly flat - little ups and downs but mostly level. You get to see a beautiful tall grass field, some very useful marsh crossing logs, and more types of fungi then I had seen in several other hikes combined. I ran across one thing I would like to note: Some fool left their fire smoldering. I smelled it as I was hiking by and put it out, but remember we have had a lot of fires this summer - try not to add more damage by lazy fire keeping. Once you hit the wall - and I mean a literal wall of rock you climb carefully up, and up and up. It levels out after about a half a mile, then you feel like you have won the battle. However, then it starts going up again. You really have to use your hands both going up and down. The roots are extremely slippery and there are many on the way down that you don't even notice until they have snagged your foot. In other words, be careful! Jade Lake was a gorgeous lunch spot, but this late in the year Emerald Lake looked more like a flooded grassland with a small river and Opal was really more of a field with a small puddle lake. Another awesome thing about this hike though - I had never heard or seen so much Pika evidence! They had cities under the rocks with their own little sewer systems. I saw massive collections of Pika droppings that must have been pushed to the one area. Very cool. Oh, and other than one mosquito around Emerald Lake, they weren't biting. While I had lunch on the rocks by Jade Lake watching the fish jump, I didn't get bit once.