Heybrook Ridge — Sunday, Jul. 9, 2017

At 8:00 AM I was the first to this trail head, which is really just a 4-5 car plot of land in front of the yellow gate.  You can see that beyond it will someday be a proper parking space, where the current kiosk is.  The trail was almost entirely empty, I met 2 groups on my way back down.  There were wild huckleberries along the path, some ripe enough to eat.  The final 0.25 mile or so is very overgrown, wear long pants and a long shirt for comfort (I didn't, just a minor annoyance).  The view from the summit was spectacular, partly from the sheer peacefulness of no one else being up there, but the view really is great.  This is a gem of a trail,

I hadn't been to Index before and I really enjoyed the views along the river after my hike.  Keep driving down Index-Galena Road after your hike and you'll get some great views: