7-21-17

The air looked much clearer when we woke up so we grabbed our trail shoes, backpacks & headed to hike Mt. Tallac...

The trail up was nothing short of spectacular with the numerous & colorful wildflowers. Put Pyramid Peak & surrounding snowy mountains as a backdrop and WOW!

As we climbed higher the terrain turned rocky but there were still pretty wildflowers growing through the boulders.

The Summit! 

Mount Tallac

9,739 ft.

July 21, 2017

I wished I had a "sign" to hold at the top but then Bob & I agreed that peaks under 14,000 ft don't need a sign (poor Mt. Tallac). It certainly felt like we climbed a 14er. It was 5 miles up with 3,500 feet of elevation gain (similar to a CO peak). And this mountain ranks up there as one of the best day hikes & summits we have ever done! B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L!

Look who greeted us at the top! Mr. Marmot plus about 3 of his Marmot friends. We like these cute critters but always watch your pack (they know where the food is).

Here's the view to the other side of the summit. Behind us is Desolation Wilderness. In the photo you can see Gilmore Lake (the nearest one), Susie Lake, Heather Lake & Aloha Lake (which still had ice on it).

We spent a good while on the top eating snacks, taking photos & meeting other local hikers. Said good-bye to Mr. Marmot & headed down a different trail.

After looking at the map we were confident we could take the path past Gilmore Lake & out by Glen Alpine Springs & Lily Lake. It would add a few extra hiking miles & we'd have to hitch-hike about 5 miles back to our car. We took the risk.

Our plan worked perfectly! We had the luxury of trekking new ground, hiking most of the way in solitude & snagging a car ride as soon as we ended our hike. 13 miles total & a full day (7 hours) = tired legs but happy us!

PS: I'll post a few more pics from this amazing day in another post. If you like hiking & if you are ever in Tahoe...you must hike to the top of Mt. Tallac!

7-20-17

The haze over Lake Tahoe created a gorgeous sunset last night.

It had a glow across the water that was unique & so pretty.

Bummer knowing it was smoke from the Mariposa fire though. :-/

We've been lov'n the Tallac & Valhalla events this summer. Tuesday night we went to a local artist's open house. Her acrylic paintings were lovely & we bought an 8"x8"piece. Last night we attended a concert on the lawn.

Bring a chair, food & enjoy the country music.

This was a different day at Valhalla but it shows the lovely green grass and BIG pine trees.

"Hi(gh) tree!" - Bob

"Yep, this one is big too." - Jane

Trying out a new local brewery near the "Y".

South Lake Brewery has been open 1 month & it's pretty cool (dog friendly too).

Bonus: It has a ping pong table!

Game 1: Jane gets the W.  :-)

7-19-17

Wednesday morning yoga at Kiva Beach.

It was a big class with Erica!

Stealth pic taken to prove that Bob (on my R) & Harley were great yoga students!

After class it was playtime on Harley's favorite dog beach. 

She loves running this narrow stretch of sand.

So yesterday & today have been smokey days in the Tahoe basin. The Mariposa Fire (which as of today is 10% contained) is West of Yosemite & spreading rapidly causing large evacuations. Sadly many homes have been destroyed. Praying for rain in that area to help put out that fire.

7-18-17

Yappy Hour with Harley.

Charity event to benefit dogs with cancer.

Live music, dog treats, adult drinks @ Base Camp hotel.

Mountain Biking for Bob.

Trail outing on 2 wheels to benefit the body & mind of riders.

Bob leading the downhill. 

Sunset for Jane.

Dusk at Lake Tahoe benefits everyone who is there. 

Me on the dock.

I'd say it was a beneficial day! ;-)

7-17-17

Yes...Harley has couch privileges at Moon House Coffee. :-/ They love her & she gets the royal treatment. I'm catching up with the blog, social media, e-mails & phone calls here (it's one of my favorite wifi hangouts). Then Harley & I are off to pick up Bob in Sacramento. Excited to have Bob in Tahoe with us for the next 5 days! We have some fun things planned already. :-)

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This was our hike this morning. The Van Sickle Trail.

Great views!

A big Sugar Pine. Funny that the big pine cones are all green. Haven't noticed that other summers. They look like bananas. ;-)

"We made it to the waterfall for delicious drinking water!" - Harley

Another Sugar Pine (the largest pine cones in the world).

Harley had a spring in her step all morning. She loves hiking. What an enthusiastic pal! 

7-16-17

The higher you climb the better the view. Also the more it hurts!

I rode solo today & had a great time.

It was a hard ride but worth some suffering to reach the Tahoe Rim Trail. I cruised down the Armstrong & Corral Trails. Wheeeeee!

7-15-17

Bijou Pier...ski boats getting ready to go.

Dog Pier...Harley relaxing in front of Pope Estate.

This is the Pope Estate built in 1894. This area was a thriving area for the rich in the late 1800's through the 1920's. Many of the cabins are still here & are now furnished like they were during that time. You can take a self (or guided) tour to see the elaborate estates & charming cabins. Harley & I did much of the self-walking tour this morning. Lucky Baldwin established a resort here in 1890 & wealthy folks came from San Francisco & Virginia City to do exactly what we do today; boat, fish, swim, hike, lawn games & picnics (no mountain biking). :-). It was 1907 when Al Richardson opened his more affordable resort which attracted everyday people. Camp Richardson is still hopping today with summer campers & adventurers.

Great photo from that time!

This is Dextra Balwin. She was the granddaughter of Lucky Baldwin. She was sporty; racing speed boats on Lake Tahoe and she loved to dress up.

This is Ethel Vernon. She & her husband had their honeymoon on Lake Tahoe in 1911. They rowed the 72 miles around the lake in a double rowboat, camping along the way. She has written several books (one about her honeymoon). For the next 46 years she lived at Lake Tahoe. She was into hiking with her loyal dog, Sky Boy (see photo) and she loved photography. 

A famous photo from Lake Tahoe. It's a painted mural on a South Lake Tahoe building.