“Did someone say, Waterfall?”
Wednesday, June 25th another long drive to the trailhead. This time on the east side of Tahoe in Nevada. As always, I headed out early to get to the trailhead by 0600. There were maybe 3 or 4 cars parked in this large parking lot. There are bathrooms, but the doors were locked with a sign saying “closed for the winter season”. Hmmm!
Anyway, I headed out right away. There was one other hiker right behind me with her dog. We leapfrogged a few times on trail. About a ½ mile into the hike there was a sign stating, “Dogs can now be off leash.”
The first 3-miles go by really fast. The total elevation gains for those three miles were only about 440 feet. At the 2.68-mile mark there is a really nice waterfall. I pushed on, knowing that the steep climb was coming soon. The next 2.4-miles to the summit gained a total of 1,714 feet. It was a nice steady climb. When I reached the summit, I had it all to myself. At least for a few minutes.
On the descent, the trail branches off into a lollipop loop. I opted to skip that part of the loop so I could return to the waterfall and enjoy an early lunch. By this time, the crowds were coming. I was surprised at how many people there were. Some hiking to the summit. Some trail running. Some only hiked to the waterfall. After I ate, I decided to follow the Tahoe Rim Trail (Relay Peak Trail) up to connect with the Rim to Rose Trail (original loop route). That took me up and above the waterfall. There were a few patches of snow on this route but it was easily traversed. Once back on the original trail (a dirt road), I had about 3-miles to go before getting back to my truck. Along this route I was able to see Third Creek Pond and listen to all the frogs. The views from here out toward Lake Tahoe and all the surrounding mountains were just stunning!
I made it back to my truck recording a little more miles than what was planned. Just over 12 miles versus 10.7. And 2,641 feet in elevation gain versus 2,398. All the extra was definitely worth it for the time spent at the waterfall and the views during my final 3-mile descent.
Peak #6 of the Lake Tahoe Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge complete!
Responses