[pct-l] Tahoe access

[Mike Saenz]

Just back in from Tahoe. Had a great vacation. Weather was PERFECT the
entire week!

Unfortunately, I didn't get much hiking in. Spent all my time with
family and friends (exactly what vacations are for!) who are not hikers.
The few short hikes I did take didn't even get me onto the PCT/TRT. I
did get out to Red Lake off the 89 just below Kit Carson Pass for some
fishing (my boy and I each caught our limit!), but I only saw one
backpacker on the way that, from the UL look of his gear, made me
believe he was a Thru. But he was already at SLT, about 2 miles from the
88/50 "Y", so I honked/waved and kept driving to the lake. I crossed the
PCT/TRT on the highway up (88?) but saw no other hikers.

When I first got into town (7/8), the slopes around The Rim were about
20% covered with snow. By the time we left (7/15) the snow had melted
off to about 5% on the slopes that still had snow. I swear I could
actually see the snow diminish as I looked at it!

Along the 395, the snow on the east slopes of The Sierra was at about
20% coverage in the higher elevations. The contrast between the
blue-grey granite and the brilliant white snow fields made for stunning
views between Olancha and Tahoe!

Jeff- I'm sorry I didn't get your message until I got back. Had I known
a ride was needed, I would have been there for ya!

Steve- Skeeters weren't bad at all in town and non-existent in Red Lake.
We didn't camp (my wife's idea of "roughing-it" is arriving at a hotel
without reservations...). Stayed in a townhouse in The Keys.

Richard- Thanks for the info. I wish I had it before I left.

-Oilcan

Michael Saenz ,  Associate Partner
McLarand    Vasquez    Emsiek   &   Partners,   Inc.
A r c h i t e c t u r e  |  P l a n n i n g  |  I n t e r i o r s
MVE          MVE    Institutional         MVE    S t u d i o
w  w  w   .   m  v  e   -   a  r  c  h  i  t  e  c  t  s   .   c  o m

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Singewald [mailto:singewald at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 4:13 PM
To: Mike Saenz
Subject: South Lake Tahoe

Hey Oilcan,

Saw your note on PCT-L.  The Three Amigos just came into South Lake
Tahoe last night and will be staying at the Vagabond Inn on the main
drag until Monday afternoon.  If you are available we would love to hook
up a ride back to Echo Lake.  If you would like to hep a thru-hiker out,
give me a call at the hotel.  The room is reserved under Jeff Singewald
(Room 120).

Many Thanks if you can help us out.

Jeff x Elevator


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From: mtnguy2x2 at aol.com [mailto:mtnguy2x2 at aol.com] 
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 2:01 PM
To: Mike Saenz
Subject: RE:Most Popular Run-out into Tahoe


I'm up there 13-16th, staying at Fallen Leaf Lake. I heard the mosquitos
are pretty bad there.
Are you camping?
Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Woods [mailto:wpseditor at charter.net] 
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 3:40 PM
To: Mike Saenz
Subject: Tahoe access

Hi Mike,
Most people seem to take advantage of the Echo Lodge proximity to South
Lake Tahoe. PCT crosses Hwy 50 thereabouts and SLT is a short run down
the hill. It's a popular P.O. to pick up bounce boxes, do some minor
restocking and power down some junk food. Lots of traffic for a hitch,
etc. Ran into thruhiker Odie there July 5. Last summer I ran lollygagged
for an hour with half a dozen thru's there.

South Lake Tahoe is by far the biggest metro area around. Tahoe City to
the North is a little smaller, as is Truckee. Reno is an hour to an hour
and a half away, unless you get stuck in the afternoon traffic jam in
Tahoe City. Be warned! From noon on, expect a forty five minute crawl
the last three miles of Hwy 89 northbound. All the traffic from the
whole west side of the lake has to funnel down a two lane road, and
through one major intersection.

Otherwise, there are trails between west shore Tahoe and various PCT
junctions, starting from Echo Lake:
S. end Fallen Leaf Lake to either of two junctions before and after
Tamarack Lake (WNW, above Upper Echo Lake) S. end of Fallen Leaf Lake or
Camp Shelly to Mt. Tallac and west past Gilmore Lake to the PCT.
Eagle Falls at w. end Emerald Bay to either the vicinity of Dicks Lake
or Middle Velma Lake.
Bay View trailhead above Emerald Bay has a trail by way of Granite Lake
to those two lakes also.
FS road 14N42 goes west from Meeks Bay, a trail continues west from the
road to Lake Genevieve and on to a junction with the PCT Find FS road
14N34, the McKinney Rubicon OHV Trail leaving the neighborhood between
Homewood and Tahoma. A fork of the Rubicon Trail crosses the PCT near
Richardson Lake, and another a couple miles later at Miller Creek.
    If you're a four-wheeler the trail is apparently quite a challenge.
Barker Pass Road leaves the vicinity of Blackwood Canyon. Its a paved
road.
The Tahoe Rim Trail leads from Tahoe City to a junction with the PCT at
the east border of Granite Chief Wilderness.

There is a road out of Alpine Meadows ski area that meets the PCT near
Ward Peak, and a trail leaves the Squaw Valley main village to meet the
PCT maybe four miles up trail.

Day Hikes:
I really like the Middle Velma, Fontanellis , Dicks lakes area. I think
I'd park at Bay View trailhead, rather than Eagle Falls, with maybe 10
or twelve miles total round trip: 3.5 miles up to a junction with a pair
of trails leading to PCT junctions either at Middle Velma or north of
Dicks Lake. The loop is a bit over four miles.

Lots of people seem to do a pair of loops out of the parking area at
Lily Lake near the south end of Fallen Leaf Lake. One involves a bit of
road walking back NE to the lake shore, north a bit to a trail the
continues north along the west shore, to a junction that goes up the
Cathedral Lake, on up to Mt. Tallac, Mt Tallac to Gilmore Lake, a mile
of the PCT, and a complex four way junction including another trail
heading southeast that eventually meets a dirt road a mile and a half
west of Lily Lake.

Looking at the map, there is also a loop heading south from the road a
couple tenths of a mile east of Lily Lake, that passes west of Indian
Rock to a junction of two trails that both meet the PCT one east and one
west of Tamarack Lake. The PCT takes you northwest along the shore of
Lake Aloha, then east by Heather and Susie Lakes to the same four way
junction above.