Forum Index > Trip Reports > Necklace Valley Loop (Iron Cap, La Bohn, Hinman) 7/20-22/20
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awilsondc
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awilsondc
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PostSat Feb 13, 2021 3:26 pm 
This trip got lost in the shuffle last year and I never wrote it up. I had a lengthy report written up and 80% complete when I had a power outage and I lost everything so I'm going to be brief here. East Fork Foss River tail to camp at Lower Tank Lake No, this isn't the Foss River loop or the Alpine Lakes High Route, this trip was a loop around the head of the Necklace Valley with camps at Tank Lakes and La Bohn Lakes and summits of Iron Cap, La Bohn, and Hinman. I started out up the East Fork Foss River trail up to Necklace Valley on a Monday and hiked up to Tank Lakes.
East Fork Foss River Trail
East Fork Foss River Trail
Fern row
Fern row
Creek crossing
Creek crossing
Jade Lake
Jade Lake
Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones
Nearing the end of the valley
Nearing the end of the valley
Cascade
Cascade
Starting the climb up
Starting the climb up
Waterfall and sunburst
Waterfall and sunburst
Arriving at Tank Lakes
Arriving at Tank Lakes
Tank Lakes snowed over
Tank Lakes snowed over
Lower Tank Lake
Lower Tank Lake
I was hoping for a Milky Way shot at lower Tank Lake but it was snowed over. I continued on and camped south of the lake. I found out that I had forgotten my tent stakes at home, so I had to find some sticks and a camp site with soft soil which fortunately I was able to do. Bugs were horrendous but I had a nice sunset and got up in the night for Neowise and Milky Way shots.
Time to relax!
Time to relax!
Sunset selfie
Sunset selfie
Chimney rock in evening light
Chimney rock in evening light
Sunset
Sunset
Blue hour colors
Blue hour colors
Bear's Breast blue hour
Bear's Breast blue hour
Neowise!
Neowise!
Milky Way from Tank Lakes area
Milky Way from Tank Lakes area
Neowise and my tent
Neowise and my tent
Glowing tent shot
Glowing tent shot
Iron Cap --> La Bohn --> Hinman Tired from getting up for night shots, I slept through sunrise which probably would have been the best light of the entire trip. I headed off for Iron Cap which is way out there! I think it took 2 1/2 hours from Tank Lake to get there. The north ridge class 3 tree section was interesting, and there were great views from the summit. Burnt Boot looked particularly appealing from up there and jumped up a couple pages on my to do list. I stayed a bit and headed back to camp.
Little Big Chief and Summit Chief
Little Big Chief and Summit Chief
Iron Cap
Iron Cap
Bear's Breast
Bear's Breast
Iron Cap - my route went bottom left to mid right
Iron Cap - my route went bottom left to mid right
Terrain leading to the ridge with the class 3 trees
Terrain leading to the ridge with the class 3 trees
Otter Lake
Otter Lake
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Iron Cap summit block
Iron Cap summit block
Huckleberry, Burnt Boot, Thomson, and Rainier
Huckleberry, Burnt Boot, Thomson, and Rainier
Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock
Iron Cap summit pano
Iron Cap summit pano
Looking back at Iron Cap
Looking back at Iron Cap
Afterburners
Afterburners
Tank Lakes to La Bohn Lakes high traverse Back at camp I started thinking about trying a traverse around the south side of La Bohn. I was originally planning on heading back down to Necklace Valley and taking the standard route to Hinman but I'm an elevation preservationist at heart and the route looked like it would go on the topo. Turns out, this route has been done quite a bit and probably documented somewhere but I had no beta and it was all an adventure to me! And a fun one! I traversed between 6150 and 6200 ft and had one class 3 step to deal with but it was mostly class 2 traversing over snow and talus. Once across I headed up to the summit of La Bohn.
Route starts out bottom right and climbs up and left
Route starts out bottom right and climbs up and left
This is the first gully, next photo is from the top and looking to the right
This is the first gully, next photo is from the top and looking to the right
Easy section to traverse, around the bend you see...
Easy section to traverse, around the bend you see...
This is the class 3 wall, I climbed up slightly left of center which pops you out to the...
This is the class 3 wall, I climbed up slightly left of center which pops you out to the...
Final traverse to La Bohn
Final traverse to La Bohn
Bear's Breast
Bear's Breast
The Citadel
The Citadel
Necklace Valley from La Bohn
Necklace Valley from La Bohn
La Bohn Lakes and Hinman
La Bohn Lakes and Hinman
La Bohn Peak summit pano
La Bohn Peak summit pano
Necklace Valley
Necklace Valley
Hinman Hinman was the gem of the trip. After La Bohn, I set up camp near La Bohn lake (also frozen over still) and was able to find a site that would take my stick stakes. Hinman was a great climb, lots of traversing over snow and talus. I got little too high near the summit which made things interesting. I tagged a few high points on the ridge to make sure I hit the true summit. Views of Pea Soup Lake and Mount Daniel were great with swirling clouds.
Starting up for Hinman
Starting up for Hinman
Point 6750
Point 6750
Hinman summit ridge
Hinman summit ridge
Daniel and Pea Soup Lake
Daniel and Pea Soup Lake
Hinman summit shadow selfie
Hinman summit shadow selfie
Hinman summit pano
Hinman summit pano
Pea Soup Lake
Pea Soup Lake
The descent was magical with golden hour light and long shadows. There was a particular spot close to the lake with a little fairy pool and some krumholtz trees that was really idyllic. I spent a good while there just enjoying the moment. Back at camp, I got up in the night again for more Milky Way and Neowise shots.
Talus field
Talus field
Descending from Hinman
Descending from Hinman
Shadows
Shadows
Golden hour is upon us
Golden hour is upon us
Idyllic
Idyllic
Sunset
Sunset
Last light on Bear's Breast
Last light on Bear's Breast
Last light over La Bohn Lake
Last light over La Bohn Lake
La Bohn Lakes Milky Way
La Bohn Lakes Milky Way
Later Newoise
Later Newoise
La Bohn Lakes back to the trailhead at East Fork Foss River The morning was moody and overcast, but kind of fun. I put on crampons for the descent but they really sucked wearing only trail runners so I found a class 3 rock route instead to descend back down to Necklace Valley. It was a looooong hike out. This was a much needed trip amidst the stressful changes of COVID world. I really enjoyed it!
Moody morning
Moody morning
Descending
Descending
Opal Lake - from afar
Opal Lake - from afar
Opal Lake - near
Opal Lake - near
Cascade
Cascade
far...
far...
...and near
...and near
Groot?
Groot?

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reststep
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reststep
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PostSat Feb 13, 2021 4:05 pm 
Beautiful, thanks for sharing. Interesting picture showing Pea Soup Lake and Dip Top Gap. I will have to get out my map and see if I can name some of the lakes in the Necklace Valley from La Bohn picture.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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Nancyann
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Nancyann
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PostSat Feb 13, 2021 4:37 pm 
That looks like such a fun trip, Aaron, made more interesting by your improvisations. Your pictures are exquisite and magical, thanks so much for taking the time to share them. Too bad we didn’t have a calendar contest this year!

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Gil
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Gil
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PostSat Feb 13, 2021 8:25 pm 
Fantaatic report, great photos!

Friends help the miles go easier. Klahini
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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostSun Feb 14, 2021 6:53 pm 
Thank you for the wonderful memories. I dont see well enough to ever do that again, but its wonderful seeing you rpictures. up.gif

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Bootpathguy
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Bootpathguy
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PostSun Feb 14, 2021 8:39 pm 
up.gif up.gif up.gif Good timing on posting this TR.

Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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Sky Hiker
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PostMon Feb 15, 2021 6:06 am 
Popular area in the summer. Thanks for posting the pics

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GaliWalker
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GaliWalker
Have camera will use
PostMon Feb 15, 2021 12:47 pm 
Spectacular!
awilsondc wrote:
This needs to be in the 2022 Calendar (or rather should have been in the 2021 one)!

'Gali'Walker => 'Mountain-pass' walker bobbi: "...don't you ever forget your camera!" Photography: flickr.com/photos/shahiddurrani
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Schroder
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PostMon Feb 15, 2021 6:38 pm 
up.gif up.gif Awesome photos

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awilsondc
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awilsondc
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PostMon Feb 15, 2021 7:42 pm 
Thank you for the kind words so far!
Sky Hiker wrote:
Popular area in the summer. Thanks for posting the pics
That seems to be the case, but I only saw about 6 people on the trail in, 2 people passing by Tank Lakes as I was getting ready on the morning of the second day, and nobody else until I was back on the trail to the car. It felt like I had the whole area to myself! It was great!

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puzzlr
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puzzlr
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PostMon Feb 15, 2021 11:38 pm 
Great report and really amazing photos. I've never seen the traverse between Tank Lakes and LaBohn Gap documented so well and I'm always looking for this kind of thing. Several reports have said it's not very hard to find a good way, as you did. Tank Lakes / Camp Robber is still on my to do list -- I keep putting it off. Your report makes me think I should allow time to get Iron Cap from that side. That looks like fun.

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silence
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silence
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PostTue Feb 16, 2021 8:31 am 
Perfect time to do this trip! Stunning photography as always. Way to get 'er done!

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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cascadeclimber
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PostTue Feb 16, 2021 12:03 pm 
Great trip, remarkable photos. And way to wait until mid-winter to fuel our stoke for summer. Do you have any shots down the west ridge of Iron Cap? Have a scheme in mind for this summer and that's one of the puzzles.

If not now, when?
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awilsondc
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awilsondc
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PostTue Feb 16, 2021 7:47 pm 
cascadeclimber wrote:
Do you have any shots down the west ridge of Iron Cap? Have a scheme in mind for this summer and that's one of the puzzles.
This is the best I got. I uploaded in full resolution, you can view on flickr or download it from there if that helps. Doesn't look too bad from what I can see here.
Big Snow from Iron Cap
Big Snow from Iron Cap

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puzzlr
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puzzlr
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PostWed Feb 17, 2021 3:39 pm 
Re west ridge route to Iron Cap: Matt's TR is very helpful as usual With the knowledge that the ridge would go we repeated it 3 years later but in the reverse direction. I didn't write a TR, but I put a lot of info in my captions. The final summit ridge to Iron Cap is an easy scramble. The most difficult section between Wild Goat and Iron Cap is a gap in the ridge with a cliff on the west side of it. But no ropes are needed, just explore around to find a route through the trees.
The cliffs above the gap
The cliffs above the gap

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