Tom, Oscar, and I finally were able to hike the Lake Tahoe area early October, 2022. Our Tahoe planned trip last year was canceled due to the heavy smoke associated with the 2021 Tamarack Fire (we went to Washington State with last minute planning)  and I canceled in 2020 due to COVID.  On this trip, with help from Tom and Oscar, I also completed the last segment of the 165 mile Tahoe Rim trail on this trip.

 

Our first hike was an easy trail to “Picnic Rocks” just off the Tahoe Rim Tail (TRT) for a great view of Lake Tahoe from the south end near Kings Beach. Oscar is taking in the view.

 

 

Our second hike was a short loop trail along the east shore of the Lake Tahoe. This photo is overlooking Secret Cove.

 

 

Boater’s beach on the east shore of Lake Tahoe.

 

 

A view from the TRT along the east side of the lake (from Tahoe Meadows to Tunnel Creek Road).  Lake Tahoe is 12 miles wide and 22 miles long and is the 2nd deepest lake in the USA (Crater Lake is the deepest)

 

Most of the trees in the Tahoe basin are pines but there are a few aspen that were changing color with the cooler temperatures.

 

View of Lake Tahoe coming down Tunnel Creek Road from the TRT.

 

View of Mt Rose from the TRT. Mt Rose is the 2nd highest mountain in the Lake Tahoe Basin at 10,785ft. Tom and I hiked to the Galena Falls and Oscar went to the summit of Mt Rose. The highest mountain in the area is Mt Freer on the south end of the lake which is just a bit higher (10,881ft) but harder to get to.

 

 

Tamarack Lake with fall colors. This “Tamarack Lake” is at the base of Mt Rose. We will hike to a second Tamarack Lake in the Desolation Wilderness later.

 

Tom and I at Eagle Lake, a nice hike in the Desolation Wilderness with a trailhead that starts at the southeast corner of Lake Tahoe.

 

A view of Emerald Bay and Lake Tahoe from near the Eagle Lake Trailhead. You can see Fannette Island (the only island in Lake Tahoe) and the tea house on the island.

 

Star Lake is on the TRT segment that I needed to complete the 165 mile Tahoe Rim Trail. In 2013, I started working on completing a section or two per year and finished with this section. The hike to complete this section was from Armstrong Pass to Kingsburg South and was 15 miles and 2051ft of elevation rise. Tom shuttled us and Oscar and I hiked this last section. It was a hard hike but fun (The longest day hike I did to work on completing the TRT was over 20 miles in a day).

 

View of the south end of Lake Tahoe from my “last section” of the TRT.

 

Oscar on the TRT with Eagle Valley behind him. This section of the TRT was a high shelf trail overlooking the Eagle Valley 3000+ feet below.

 

We also hiked in the Carson Pass area including portions of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Here is Round Top Peak  (on the left) and the Sisters (on the right) near Lake Winnemucca.

 

Tom and Oscar “sort of” on the trail to Lake Winnemucca.

 

Tamarack Lake in Desolation Wilderness above Echo Lakes. We had lunch here and watched 2 people that thought they were going for a swim only to give up after getting their feet wet in the very cold water.

 

Another photo of Tamarack Lake

 

Ralston Lake in Desolation Wilderness – near Tamarack Lake.

 

Tom watching us bivouac our way to Cagwin Lake.

 

Cagwin Lake: The Desolation Wilderness is filled with alpine lakes. The map showed a trail to this lake but it was more like an unused deer track.

 

Upper then Lower Echo Lakes beyond me. The “brown” color on the mountains is the burned area from the 2021 Tamarack Fire.

 

Tom clinging on a cliff edge for dear life (but refusing help).  After a while he walked away…. (His feet were always touching the ground)

 

Upper then Lower Echo Lakes in the Desolation Wilderness. The combined TRT and PCT are along the left shore of these lakes. The brown areas are the burned trees from the 2021 Tamarack Fire.

 

Fall colors along the Pacific Crest Trail at Donner Pass

 

Me, Tom, and Oscar on Mount Judah overlooking Donner Lake, our last hike of the trip.