CHS 2 Hike - West Fork Foss Lakes

Our plan will be to reach Big Heart Lake, though there will be many tempting lakes along the way!  Safety will be the highest priority.  The trail has been known to cause ankle injuries, and we want to avoid that at all costs.  My pace is at the low end of CHS2; 2-2.3 mph overall is likely on this trail.   We may spread out as we climb, but will regroup at trail junctions and water crossings.  

7:30 AM: We will meet at the West Foss Lakes Trailhead (47.63498, -121.30362) located at the end of West Fork Foss Road.  We will hit the trail at 7:45.  Directions to the trailhead, courtesy of the WTA, are:

One half mile past the Skykomish Ranger Station on the Stevens Pass Highway (US-2), turn south on the Foss River Road (Road 68). The pavement ends in 1.1 miles, and beyond that be alert for occasional potholes.

Continue on Road 68 and in about 1.3 miles, pass under a railroad trestle. Just beyond the trestle, stay right at the road fork. In about another mile, stay right again at a fork. The left fork goes to the Tonga Ridge Trail. In another 0.6 miles, pass by the trailhead for the Necklace Valley Trail, and continue on Road 68. In 0.7 miles, be alert for a left turn onto Road 6835 signed for Trail 1064, your destination. This intersection has good signs but they sometimes are partly obscured by vegetation. Continue on Road 6835 for 1.9 miles to reach the trailhead, a total of 6.7 miles from US-2.

Note that some maps-including Google-incorrectly show Road 68 going all the way to the trailhead. It does not, so be alert for the left turn onto Road 6835. At the trailhead, there is a privy, but no regular water source. A Northwest Forest Pass, or equivalent, is required.