5 miles after leaving the trailhead near Lewis Lake, you catch your first glimpse of Heart Lake as you near the top of the Paycheck Pass above Witch Creek. Factory Hill, covered in downed trees left over from the big fires of 1988, rises above the valley to the west of the trail. Chicken Ridge and the Continental Divide can be seen just south of Heart Lake, with wild Big Game Ridge a bit further south, beyond the valley of the Snake River.

Witch Creek drains the valley that you enter as you approach Heart Lake. For most of the short descent to the valley floor, you'll be passing through a large thermal basin. It's interesting to note that you can hike from the eastern shore of Yellowstone Lake, starting at the Thorofare trailhead, and hike to the Heart Lake trailhead near Lewis Lake, crossing the Continental Divide along the way, and this small rise is the largest climb that you'll make during the entire 50 mile trek. The climb is all of 270 feet. That's amazing, considering the fact that you're traveling through the heart of the Rocky Mountains.