East Fork Foss - Necklace Valley — Saturday, Jun. 3, 2023

Took this trail as an overnighter with my buddy.
The furthest we went on the trail was about half-way around the west side of Jade Lake but decided to stop for the night at the outlet of Jade Lake due to frequent post-holing following the trail around the snowy west side of the lake along the steep bank. The north side of the lake is more melted and we found a dry spot for a tent. The trail up is in good condition other than 2 large downed trees that hide the trail in spots. The only significant snow field before Jade Lake was just before the lake coming up the last boulder field. The snow was unavoidable here and the hardpack on top is hollowing out. We both broke through 1-2 times post-holing up past our knees. The next day we clambered up the ridge to the east of Jade Lake to get some views of the surrounding peaks and lakes. It looks like both Lake Ilswoot and Locket Lake are almost completely melted. If we had another day, these would be worth spending more time at. Though the banks were very snowy from our vantage point so I can't say whether or not there would be a good spot for a tent.
While the conditions aren't the best yet up at elevation, we thoroughly enjoyed our solitude in such a stunning area. The other perk this time of year is that the bugs aren't bad yet. We wore bug spray, but overall weren't harassed much by bugs and had no mosquito bites after trip.