ALPINE LAKES HIGH ROUTE | Big Heart Lake to Tank Lake | Not a hike for the faint of heart (3 nights)

[@zam6877]

Off trail makes you appreciate the magical qualities of a smooth trail! ✨️ I really enjoyed this and the ways you gave us information

[@kayla_sulak]

Ain't that the truth! Lol! Thank you so much. I imagine a lot of people struggle with that route. It was hard to find good info about it before, so I was really hoping my video might at least help a few people stay out of trouble out there 😅😂

[@kevinhudson]

Awesome video overview and great insights about the trail. Thank you for the trail Beta. You rock!

[@kayla_sulak]

Thank you! Cheers! 🤙

[@cjjohnson9413]

I think that a small lake I bushwhacked too, was up the Stehiken Valley. Going up a ruff trail trying to avoid Devils handshake, I ran into 2 hikers coming down trying to make the bus and ferry. They told me they left their raft by the lake. I found it and used it fishing, and then packed it out. A group came along and they introduced me to rooster tails....

[@kayla_sulak]

Lol nice, that's a memorable time and good fishin story!

[@abhishes]

Thanks a hard core hike!!!

[@FootstepsandForaging]

This is epic! We recently did this itinerary, but down through Iron Cap Lake. Would love to do the same scramble as you next time. Cheers

[@kayla_sulak]

Thanks! These days, OnX (multi-purpose map app that I use) shows a dotted line on the map where the lower boot path goes... A few years ago, that wasn't on the map and the only thing you could find online back then was about people doing the sketchy high ridge traverse. The hardest part up there (not shown in the video) before traversing below the summit, involved lowering yourself down with both hands to multiple small standing areas with cliff drop-offs-- so with both of us and our big backpacks to be lowered down with no room for errors, I couldn't (or didn't try to) film that part... the most technical, sketchy part, lol. It is extremely beautiful up on the ridge. Now I would definitely would take the low route, having done the high route once 😆👍 Iron Cap Lake must be awesome from the shore.

[@FootstepsandForaging]

@kayla_sulak it WAS awesome. Haha maybe we'll swap itineraries. There are definitely a few butt-clenching drops, even on the low route. Glad we all made it safely to joke after the fact. Stay safe, and happy hiking 🙏

[@anaburnsglobal]

Wow, great job Kayla. Thank you for sharing. My friend and I did did the Chetwood Lakes - stopped at the atrium between Big Heart and Angeline then returned back. It took us 12 hs.

[@bryanharris7200]

Great video. I've been in that area a few times and the terrain can be challenging but very rewarding. Good advice on your takaways. I'd also add that it can be very helpful to download a gps track and get beta from others who have done similar routes in the area. It can save you a lot in finding the best route and you can get an idea for the amount of time it takes to move through the area.

[@kayla_sulak]

Thanks for checking it out! At the time I could only find gpx tracks for a couple other people who did the same high ridge traverse over Iron Cap; it was hard to find much beta on the routes through there. This trip really improved my ability to read terrain maps though... the maps lie sometimes! 🤣🤠

[@HikingwithGus]

This one is on my must do list! Last August ( 2022) I managed to score a 5 day Core permit. It had been 35 years since I had been back in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. This year I'll be pounding a lot of dirt there. Thanks for the vid!

[@cjjohnson9413]

Went to these lakes with a raft. Beat Bushwaking!!

[@MahyarMohajeri]

Hi, enjoyed the video. Me and my friends are planning to do this hike in one day. We’re gonna camp the night before and start hiking at 3 am with headlamps from west foss trailhead. Any advice?

[@kayla_sulak]

The whole hike, as in you're doing a loop and exiting at the Necklace Valley trailhead? Or just an out-and-back from the West Fork Foss trailhead? I do not recommend attempting this whole big loop in one day. It took us 3+ days, even though we are in good shape.

[@MahyarMohajeri]

@@kayla_sulak The whole hike as in the entire loop. We are planning for an 18+ hour hike starting at 3 am and ending around 8-9pm. We are going to have one car parked at the West Fork Ross trailhead and another one in Necklace Valley trailhead to cut down a couple miles.

[@kayla_sulak]

Dang that's a heck of a day! My main advice would be to stay low and travel outside of the Iron Cap Lake basin, to get around Iron Cap... Unless you're specifically wanting to bag the Iron Cap summit. If you traverse OVER Iron Cap, you'll have to lose all that elevation gain and drop back down to the valley floor again, then go way back up yet again to get to Tank Lakes. The reason for that is because of "Iron Cap Gap" which is impassable without rock climbing gear, otherwise you could just hike down the shoulder of Iron Cap from the summit instead of going back down to the valley floor to get around it. Le sigh! Anyways, have fun and be safe out there

[@abhishes]

Let me try this hike out this summer. Do you know approximately when is the trailhead accessible?

[@kayla_sulak]

The trailhead might be accessible already (?) as it starts out at pretty low elevation. Once you get up into the hills, there could be snow til late June or early July. Some people say the portion to get around Iron Cap Mtn is easier when there is still snowpack (with appropriate gear-- spikes/crampons, maybe an ice ax), because there's a lot of slippery scree/gravel when the snow is gone. It's a heck of a trek. Bring a friend and/or an emergency GPS beacon if you can

[@bryrye4545]

Did that dude hike the whole thing in flip-flops? LOL..

[@kayla_sulak]

Haha. Yeah... The worst part is that he had shoes strapped to his backpack the entire time, but he insisted on wearing the flip flops instead 🤷‍♀️😂

[@bryrye4545]

@@kayla_sulak what a legend..