East Fork Foss - Necklace Valley — Sunday, Aug. 9, 1998

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West

Trail in overall good shape. Lower section (first 5 miles) is mostly level and a beautiful hike near the river; some mosquitoes in the lower portion were a little annoying but not bad. There are a couple of nice camp sites adjacent to the trail at about 4 to 4.5 miles. After a log bridge river crossing the trail begins a 2.5 to 3 mile steep hike up to Necklace Valley. There aren't many switchbacks but it is a rather steep and often rocky ascent. The trail is quite diverse in scenery and there are many shadey areas for breaks. Once at the lakes you will realize the sweat was well worth it. They are wonderful. I highly recommend taking off your pack (or keeping it on if still energetic) and walking among the different lakes to locate a campsite. There are a number of different spots. The best swimming lakes appear to be Locket and Ilswoot. The bugs were not bad in the 3 days we were there. Enjoy the mountain & valley roaming.