Did the loop from the West Fork Foss trailhead to the Necklace Valley trailhead as a 2 night backpack over the weekend. We started in the early afternoon on Friday and easily made it up to Big Heart Lake to camp for the first night. As other reports have mentioned, there IS a bee's nest directly in the center of the trail shortly after the turnoff to Malachite Lake. Our group crossed one at a time, quickly and purposefully, and no one got stung

Day 2 was an adventure! We took the low route (opting not to go over Iron Cap) from Big Heart to Tank Lakes. About 5 miles is technically off trail, and although there are some cairns for most of the way, GPS and route finding experience proved extremely helpful. Going was SLOW across endless boulder fields and a few very steep spots - plan more time than you think you need. Word of caution - if camping at Tank Lakes (and you should, it's beautiful), there are several mice at the large campsite overlooking the lake, and they are not shy. A few of our group felt them run across their feet while cooking dinner and one unlucky member had their tent chewed on due to accidentally leaving m&ms in a pocket.

Getting down the moraine the first mile from Tank is slow going, but after that the trail is easy to follow. The descending is pretty much done after 5.5 miles, and you can fly down the remaining miles to the car. 

• Big Snow to Chetwoot is definitely 'wilderness' no-trail backcountry
• Chetwoot onwards is more 'established' backcountry routes
• Middle portion follows Foss/Necklace Alpine Lakes High route (ALHR)
  • This part is fairly popular so won't cover too much here
• This is a backpacking high route, with some scrambles
  • Rather then a true "crest" mountaineering HR

• Big Snow Mountain / Gold Lake is a beautiful area,
  • You definitely feel 'out there'
  •  In character with the place, will just list critical waypoints
• Tried Chetwoot south shore option to avoid the infamous bushwhack
• Route 100% snow free, except Hinman Glacier ( what's left of it )
• Summited Iron Cap ( standard route )
• Summited eastern peak of Mt Hinman ( see bottom for discussion of which might be the "true" summit )
• Blueberries in full force, typically 4300-5000', but is transitioning 
• Body scratch total for trip: 62
• Great wx first day, then was inside the smoke filled ping-pong ball
• Only met/passed a dozen folks the whole trip, but all super cool, including:
  
  • Catherine, heading out to climb Overcoat ( looked amazing from Big Snow )
  • Carly, shared a blood red sunset & stories at La Bohn
  • M & S, high on Mt. Hinman, doing an amazing bike/hike/climb adventure through the region

• Started/Ended at Dingford TH ( middle fork )
• Garfield potholes have been filled
• Dingford road is legendary in it's roughness, 
  • Not sure why it gets so little love given the popularity of the middle fork
• 4WD may not be needed, but wouldn't do without high clearance
• TH toilet clean, and stocked
• Spruce mine was active based on cars/noise ( old link below )
• Used bike as far base of Hardscrabble TH:
  • Road with full pack was ~95% bike-able uphill, 98% downhill
  • Surface varies from smooth to bouldery
  • Was quite tiring on my old non-suspension bike, but still was worth it

Hardscrabble TH to Upper Hardscrabble:

• TH not marked, but obvious up short rutted slope
• Trail to lower Hardscrabble pretty good shape, little overgrown in places
  • Bit scrappy at 4000' near the 'bivy' rock
  • Big Snow's massive East prominence looms ominously above
• Lower to upper Hardscrabble goes climbers left of nice falls
  • Look for ribbon after couple big boulders
  • Didn't see obvious camps, but know people do camp there

Upper Hardscrabble to Big Snow Mountain:

• Trail starts out easy/obvious, but then unsure what to recommend
  • Went climbers rightward, but ended in a hellish bushwhack 
  • Including a 12' slide on ball bearing pine needles :)
  • Suspect climbers left may be better, but don't know for sure
  • Try to find the most 'open' path, aiming for ~47.53492, -121.34390 @4948
• Big Snow Gap Gully
  • Once you get to the talus, the rest is easy boulder hopping
  • Gully Snow free
  • Exiting the gully is a wow moment, with great views of Gold basin, and back across the valley
• Big Snow Summit
  • Follow the famous slabs upward towards summit
  • Tarn at 5850' is currently dry
  • Path to summit is straightforward, but quite long
  • Amazing views all around, especially across to Overcoat/Chimney/Lemah/Chiefs
  • Saw campers down at Big Snow Lake ( Myrtle lake approach )
  • Thanks to whoever built the fun quartz summit cairn :)

• Some folks take the 'western' drainage which would be a more direct to camp
• But since my pack was near the gap, I took the 'eastern' drainage
• Note, if you drop directly, you will get cliffed out
  • Instead from the gap start towards the two ~5500' tarns, looking for cairns
  • Then follow cairns down a gully to lower shelf
• From there pleasant rambling to lake
• Was getting twilight, saw blueberry scat, and black bear paw prints
  • Don't normally take bear spray in ALW, but glad I did for this trip
• 1x site SE lake, then a up/down route around lake to get to...
• Several great sites on the peninsula/bay

• Several options, none easy
• Most folks acquire the NW ridge Wild Goat somewhere around 5300-5500'
• I probed a couple early gullies, but didn't commit as couldn't see the way ahead
• Instead chose a cairned gully further north:
  • Starting ~47.55717,-121.34657
  • Topping out at ~47.55836,-121.34561 @5240 ( cairn )
• From here some folks drop down quickly, but weary of more bushwhacking...
• Did a little up, then sidling descent towards main Wild Goat talus ~47.55684,-121.34256
• From there dropped heather slopes, then talus, to turn the corner ~47.55846,-121.33215
• Ascend, tending climbers right, some cairns, some faint boot paths, some talus, some bushwhacking
• Eventually arrive at small tarn ( more bear prints ), and the col above Chetwoot
• Next the expected "crux" of the day, which way around Chetwoot?
  • Most reports describe a hellish bushwhack following NW shore
  • Certainly could feel the pull, as offers fastest bird-fly way round
• But chose to try the South shore, which worked well, except for final talus
  • From col, sidling descent to above the SW bay ~47.55443,-121.32225
  • Ascend easy slope just enough to clear the chossy gully  
  • Traverse really enjoyable heather benches with great views, then easy talus
  • To avoid the last cliff, you will have to ascend 100-200'
  • Then descend, aiming for NW corner of lake
  • The talus in this section is steep/loose enough to be slow going
  • In the end, not sure which way is 'best', but without more knowledge would probably go the same way next time as prefer talus over bushwhacking

Chetwoot to Iron Cap Lake ( Camp II ):

• Joined the Foss/Necklace ALHR
  • Wow, civilization, complete with humanoids and regular cairns!
• Considered doing iron cap via W ridge...
  • But was a long route with full pack, and timing didn't work
• Trail to Iron Cap Lake is pretty, and fairly straightforward, albeit you will still lose the trail briefly in places
• Really neat views turning the corner at ~47.56092,-121.29518
• Warm night at Iron Cap Lake due to smoke,
  • Hard to sleep with the Eurovision Pika/Marmot contest reverbing off the cirque
  • Real 'alpine' feel
  • 1-3x sloping sites

Iron Cap Summit:

• Forgot to research this, but apparently guessed right on NE ridge route:
• At flat area on main trail ~47.55799,-121.28288
• Look up, and follow climbers rightward talus finger, with cairn at apex
• Follow scrub/bolder cairn trail until break out of bush
• Aim for summit following easy heather/talus
• Great views of Overcoat/Chimney, worthy side trip, easy class 2 if on-route
• When descending stay above line of trees that mark the eastern cliffs

• Continue the meandering Foss/Necklace ALHR trail to Tank Lake slabs
  • Was last at Tank lakes several decades ago and is still super pretty
  • Smaller tarns dry, so even nicer a month or so a go
• Trail drops fast down towards the Necklace Valley
• Nearing the bottom decided to traverse talus towards La Bohn
  • But suspect it wasn't worth the trouble vs. just going down to meadows and back up
• Ascent to La Bohn Lakes: 
  • Gully route half melted.  Spoke with Carly who said it wasn't fun
  • Anyway the water fall route has always appealed to me, so went that way
  • Steep and clambery, but felt safe, with periodic views of falls
  • Topping out is abrupt and delightful, right at the bench tarns
• Whole area from here to chain lakes is stunning

• Had a long way to go, so just planned to go up "just a little" to get a view, but you know how that goes...
• Route up to 7200' was snow free, straightforward and quite enjoyable, although it is a long way
• The first obstacle is a short ice/snow patch, sure easy when soft, but at the time was icy, so...
  • Tried first to skirt on rock above ice, but...
  • Was that horrible teetering unconsolidated glacier talus
  • Took the ice/snow on return, no worries with softening ice
• Traverse/ascend to reaching the N ridge corner at the edge of the main upper glacier
  • Sad to see how much glacial retreat there's been
  • Lots of cute LBBs ( little brown birds ) feasting on ice bugs
• I did carry some ancient instep spikes with me, but the ice was  still morning-hard 
  
  • So didn't fancy the direct ascent up the "bulge", with a long run-out on gritty ice
  • Instead traversed low angle ice to the rock rib on the far "eastern" peak
  • Followed easy rock up to ridge prominence at the eastern end, with views down towards Daniel
• There seems to be a lot of confusion over where the "true" summit is, see discussion at end
• Without better gear, or waiting for softer ice, the risk/reward of getting to the middle summit wasn't worth it for me on this day
  • Probably could have followed the rock moat, but concerned it was that crappy rock as earlier
• So playing it safe, called it good, and enjoyed the amazing near views ( far views shrouded by smoke )
• Then started the almost 6000' 17mi descent to car...

• Descent to Chain Lakes is quick and easy
  • Chain Lakes stunning, worthy of spending time
  • Some waterfalls still running, but would amazing a month or so ago
  • Cool mining cabin ruins and "display" at S end
• Then, you guessed it, yet more talus...
• At the constriction I think was on auto-pilot and messed up...
• Followed cairns down a gully that dumped me out at the top of the talus field
  • From there it was slow going through talus
  • Many cairns placed all over the place, suspect many were old mining folk ones
  • Instead watch the GPS, and look for what looks like the 'new' trail
  • At the bottom joined what appears to be said trail at...
  • The mine tailings with rusty rails, visible from the lake
• Followed scrappy boot paths around Williams lake
  
  • Lake is pretty, and reeded, quite different from the alpine ones
• Crossed outlet, then descended to Dutch Miller Gap junction
• From there smooth sailing to horse camp, then Dingford TH
• Nice river slab/slides at 47.54511,-121.27567, and 47.51590,-121.33426
• Was getting near dusk, so felt a bit like a cat toy for cougars
• A few short rises along the way getting between you and French fries

First 5 miles were super easy. Hiked that after work on Friday and stayed at site by the river. Climbing started in earnest past 5 miles.  Lakes were less exciting that I was hoping. Jade was very pretty but other two weren’t visible from trail. We took the trail on All Trails up to Tank Lakes. Apparently there is another one to take that is less of a scramble, we never saw that one but recommend finding it instead. Super tough/steep climb on way we took but rewarded with beautiful views at the top. Definitely a popular hike, probably saw 20 other people at the top on a Saturday, but still managed to find a good campsite. 

I went with my friend and my dog. The trail started with gentle grade uphill for about 1.5 miles, then it was more up and down but trending up for about 3 miles. Some parts of trail have overgrown vegetations, and like others mentioned before, there were some stinging nettles so I was glad I had long pants on. The foot bridges were all easy to cross. A few camp sites dotted along the way. 

The true elevation gain came after the main river crossing at about 4.6 miles. The rocky and at times exposed trail went on for about 2.5 miles. Once we got to Jade Lake, it was more gentle grade upwards through the meadows until end of Opal Lake (could not really see much of it). Lots of huckleberry bushes so I imagine it could be a feast of berries by fall time. There were 3 camp sites at Jade, one we can find at Emerald. The old cabin near Emerald Lake didn't seem safe to stay in.

There were a couple of boulder fields to cross, and for both of those, if you hug toward the left, it seemed easier. After that came a big moraine with a high ridge to the right side. A couple of trail runners doing the loop went the lower route (mark in photo as blue), but we were advised by a group of backpackers who just came down to go up the ridge (marked red), which was what we did. Be careful with the loose rocks; a big one rolled down and almost hit my dog. Both the lower route and upper ridge route had cairns marking them so we were confused a bit at first. 

No snow until we were almost at Tank Lakes, and it's only a small patch that's very easy to cross. We were the only people camping at Tank Lake that night. 

Mosquitos were not bad at first when there was a breeze going through, then it got worse by late afternoon. Thank goodness for head nets. We could hear Marmots and pikas calling out but could not make them out. Our ears were mostly filled by mosquitoes buzzes until the sun went down. 

We left Tank Lake at about 7am this morning (7/20), and it was already hot coming down the rocky ridge. It got hotter and muggier the lower we went. Mosquitos were only bad when we were not in motion. Plenty of places to filter water. 

So worth it! Did this as a day hike; 8am-9pm. Emptied my car of everything and left it unlocked after reading about broken windows in another review. Glad I wore long sleeves and pants — some of the stinging nettle got me through my clothes! It’s very overgrown, so I was soaked with dew. (BTW, there will be blueberries here, but they are not ready yet!) But the path is not hard to find, just brushy. Met a park ranger who advised taking the right-hand trail instead of the left one highlighted on the AllTrails map, as a previous review suggested. After the long valley walk and river crossings (over, not through), started the ascent to Jade through the woods. As other reviewers have mentioned, I was glad I had the map as there are a couple of places throughout the hike that I made a wrong turn (left after the river crossings, not right, and yes, you climb straight up the moraine) but could quickly check the map and find my way. Before I got to Jade, I doused myself with bug spray to fend off the skeeters. They were an annoyance anytime I stopped or slowed, but not until past Jade. Reached Jade in about 4 hours. Passed Emerald and Opal — both very shallow and almost boggy — you won’t even see Opal from the trail unless you’re looking carefully for it. Lot of frogs in the hobbit-shire meadow full of streams in this section, and even an old cabin! Then at the end of this section, look carefully for that right-hand turn-off to begin to climb the moraine — it’s easy to miss and not as obvious as the trail highlighted on All Trails. Then, go up! The ranger’s words to me: “attain, attain, attain” — you’re looking to get as high up as you can as quickly as you can, so take every opportunity to attain elevation. (I shed my layers and applied sunscreen to make this hot climb.) Then you are in an endless landscape of granite, from huge slabs to boulders to piles of pebbles. Use the All Trails map AND your common sense (sometimes it tells you to walk through water) and you will find your way! Suddenly, when you think it will go on forever, a huge double-peaked mountain appears on the horizon! Walk towards it and the first Tank Lake materializes before you. Be sure to take time to explore — this is a beautiful view, but there is so much to see in this granite playscape. The aforementioned ranger told me I should look for Foehn Lake, so after walking around the first Tank Lake for a bit, I headed across the granite north to the second Tank Lake (not as impressive in my opinion but still fun), climbing some granite piles to see Glacier Peak farther to the north, and then headed to the east. Before I got to Foehn there was a beautiful little unnamed lake that was on the map — then up over a ridge to gaze at Foehn from above. So beautiful! The patterns (I’m guessing from the rock beneath the surface) popped orange and blue, with what I think is La Bohn peak as a backdrop. Then I headed back down, thankful again for the All Trails map. About a half an hour from the trail head (just before the Alpine Lakes Wilderness sign) at dusk I heard a sizeable commotion in the underbrush off the trail a ways — I tapped my poles and shouted and whatever it was grunted (chuffed? I don’t know how to describe the sound) loudly at me. We did this for a few call and responses before I decided to just keep heading down the trail making noise until I was far enough away to feel safe running. And I ran the rest of the way. The end.