East Fork Foss - Necklace Valley — Friday, Jun. 24, 2011

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West

My original plan was to hike to Lake Dorothy but the railroad had the road closed for construction. I made a quick decision to try nearby Necklace Valley which I had not hiked before. FSR 68 is in good condition. There are some potholes but nobody will have trouble getting there. I found 3 cars at the trail head when I arrived but only saw a couple coming in near the end of my hike out. Solitude was the game of the day! Weather wasn't terrible either, sunbreaks and occasional sprinkles. I did have one other visitor early on in the day. It was a large rodent and he charged me! He scurried down the trail and he was gone as quick as he came. The forest was lush and green the whole 4 miles or so I hiked up the trail. Wildflowers became more abundant the further up the trail I went. Vegetation was plentiful and overgrown in places and crowding the trail. There were several creek crossings, mud, mudholes and water in general. My feet stayed fairly dry in my boots and my trekking poles came in handy at the creek crossings. Less than 2 miles in I entered the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and bagged my first of the year. About 3 miles in the blowdowns started. All were easy to navigate around. Somewhere over 3 miles in I finally found myself above the East Fork Foss River. I continued on a bit further until I became level with the river. I found a polished rocky spot to stop and take my break. The river was full with runoff and moving fast. I ate lunch and enjoyed the sound of the rushing water. Too soon it was time to start my way back, it had taken longer than I thought it would to get to the river. If you're looking for a easier hike in a great section of forest, look no further.