Backpack - Indian Heaven via Thomas Lake

Meet at 10 AM Friday at the Lone Fir Cafe, 126806 Lewis River Road, Cougar, WA . 98616.  We wiil have an early lunch there before heading to the trailhead.

From the Lone Fir Cafe, we will caravan to the trailhead, involving heading east on SR 503, which becomes FR 90, turning right at the junction with FR 25 to stay on FR 90, turning right onto the Curly Creek Road, left at FR 30, right at FR 6507, left at FR 65 and then finding the Thomas Lake trailhead parking lot on the right in a short distance.  Each car parked there must display either a Northwest Forest Pass or a National Park Pass.  The three mile hike into our campsite at Junction Lake takes us by seven other beautiful alpines lakes, gaining 900 feet over the three miles, mainly occurring in two short stretches.  After setting up camp, we'll have our camp dinner followed by smores around a campfire.  

On Saturday, there will be an optional loop day hike that will take us eight other lakes and involve 7.2 miles  and 500 feet elevation gain in addition to the six miles and 900 feet gain of the backpack in and out.  So those doing both the backpack and the day hike will experience a total of 13.2 miles and 1,400 feet elevation gain.  We'll have a trail lunch and a possible swim at whatever lake we are near at Noon.  Saturday evening, we will again have a camp dinner followed by smores.  Sunday morning we will hike out after breakfast by the same route we hiked in. 

During the drive home, we will stop at the Lone Fir Cafe in Cougar for lunch, so we will only need to pack one lunch, two camp dinners and two camp breakfasts for this trip.  If traffic permits, we'll be home before dinner time on Sunday.