[Allison]

What is the best way in? Is two nights enough?

[Backpacker Joe]

Best, probably the Neckless valley. Two nights? Depends I guess. Sure. One night in the valley, and the second night in the tanks. Out on day three. You can go in via the DMG trail, but the Neckless is probably easier.

[Allison]

I'd prefer to go one of the routes from the MfK side, should have said that before. Also, "best" and "easiest" may or may not be the same thing.....

[Backpacker Joe]

Well then you can get in there easiest by climbing up from Williams lake. Or you can do the Chains, La Bohns neckless valley route, but that's much longer. Or you could climb up to Crawford and then traverse around to the Tanks, but that's longer too. Up from Williams would be the fastest.

[Allison]

Ok, let me try and clarify what I am looking for. I am not looking for the quickest or easiest way in there, I am looking for the best way in, in terms of quality of scenery and fun factor. I prefer accessing from the Mfk. If the best way in also happens to be the quickest and easiest, that is fine. There are many different ways into that area, so rather than be overwhelmed with options, I am looking for good advice on the best way to get to the Tanks.

[Backpacker Joe]

Well, I just listed the "only" way in from the DMG trail. Of the three the Chains La Bohns route would be the most senic. The trip up from Williams would be the easiest/fastest while still offering some nice views as you gain elevation.

[Tom]

I don't think you can go wrong with any route. I might suggest coming in via Big Heart, raft Angeline, see Chetwoot, Iron Cap, then Tanks, and then out Necklace. Wait a sec, no, hit La Bohn too, and while you're at it visit every nook and cranny in the Necklace, up to Lepul, and... er, how many days are you going to be in area?

[Damian]

And I might suggest Tom is a maniac. But all routes in to Tanks are good routes. No goin' wrong here. Be sure to hit the mine above Williams Lk iffin' thats yur route. Used to be an old cabin up near the Chains, but I may be revealing may age here... Lots of old rusty gear too.

[Dante]

I always just climb up from the west side of Williams. The route is pretty self evident on the USGS topo - Just follow the unvegetated (white) areas on the topo North and West from the lake until you are on the gentle contours running Northwest to Tanks. Looping around via Chain and La Bohn Lakes and the upper Necklace Valley is pretty, but it's much longer and involves more elevation gain/loss. You could also go in via Chetwoot and then follow Tom's route.

[solohiker]

I would concur w bpj that imho the "best" way there is through Necklass. Now, once you added the mfk criteria ... I'd vote for up from Williams, but that's a personal preference. It might be to boring for you. If I was going to the Tanks and had only 2 nights, I wouldn't mess around with going up to La Bohns "on the way." Mostly because they aren't on the way. Now the bons are certainly purdy and I'm guessing you can cover more territory per day than me, so you can make em part of a loop either direction if your just lookin' for a fun route that happens to include the Tanks, rather than a route specifically there. Keep in mind I'm coming from a totally different perspective than you. I approach DMG, by choice, from Wappie rather than mfk because I hate that road. Really hate it. Don't mind the long dusty (muddy in spring) haul over the horsey trail - it's jog-able, and seems to go by quickly to me (more on the way in than the long haul out, I'll admit).

[moosefish]

[Quark]

[Allison]

I would either eat a box of thumbtacks then hike to Wappie Lake. Some people on this here site already know how I feel about that hike and lake. Far as the idea of the Bohns, well, maybe. I'd really like to get somewhere on the first day, day hike the second day, and then huff it out on Day Three. Got to look at the best way to get that done. Me, I rather LIKE the MfK road! Yay, I've wanted to Tank for a long time now!!

[Jeff R]

So the main advocate of keeping pristene off trail lakes on the down low is now advertising them? And even the best way to them? huh? Interesting.

[Allison]

Their existence has been widely reported. There are scads of TRs on the place in our database. Are they pristine? That would really surprise me.