Hello Skiers,

The major holiday appears to be over as many skiers have left the area. There are still a good number of people on vacation through this week, but the crowds are gone. This year the traffic and ski hill crowds did not seem as congested as in past years. There were plenty of riders, and not enough terrain, which made the slope look and feel over crowded, but the parking lots were not filled to capacity on many prime days.

The snow surface remains reasonably good, especially in the early morning on the nicely groomed portions of the mountain. I skied the lower portion of High Yellow, Wolverine Bowl, the Face, and the Sisters over the past couple of days. The snow on all these runs was nice winter pack, sprinkled with the tops of trees, bushes, and a few rocks. There are plenty of obstacles, even on the groomed runs, and they seems to show more as the day progresses, but slow skiing and plenty of turns will help you avoid most of them and enhance your enjoyment of our current conditions. Later in the day the nice soft surface of the groomed runs is shaved smooth by the constant turning of skis and snowboards creating a rather firm surface in certain spots and small piles of soft shaved snow in other area.

The good news is that a storm is forecast for Wednesday night and into Thursday with the potential of over a foot of new snow. Some weathermen have been heard to whisper 1.5 to 2 feet of snow, but I will wait and see what happens to make my prediction. Wednesday the winds are supposed to increase again. This is getting a little tiring, as the high winds are closing lifts, or just a nuisance, and they tend to blow existing pack over the ridge tops.

Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello Skiers,

Last night it snowed enough to make the mountains look just perfect as the sun rose this morning. We received a total of about 14 inches of snow at the base area and additional amount at the upper elevations.
Trees are laden with snow all the may down to the Truckee River, as the warmer temperatures that we experienced yesterday dropped over night into the teens. Today the sky is partly cloudy.
It was definitely a powder day at Alpine this morning as a large group of people waited at the base of Summit Chair for the rights to place first tracks in the seasons deepest powder. It was a joy to make tracks in the powder this morning, although I remain somewhat cautious. There was an cloud creating foggy conditions hanging over the upper mountain. This made visibility somewhat difficult in the bowls. We skied the D7 and D8 areas as well as Sunspot and found plenty of powder to cut up during the first hour or so of the morning. Scott was turning but was not scheduled to open until noon. The mountain looks much better with coverage 100% improved from yesterday. We still need more snow, but things are looking good.
Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello skiers,
Today felt a little bit more like a normal ski day as Summit open for the first time this year. Alpine also started turning Hot Wheels this morning. The temperature finally dropped into the twenties over night and appears to be steady in the mid to high twenties this morning. Thus, snowmaking is occurring on the hill in various areas. The warm wet weather that we have experienced the past couple of days has not changed the mountain experience very much. A firm base exists under the nice soft topping that fell during the day yesterday. We did not receive much new snow and the sky cleared during the night. The storm forecast for last night must have taken a different track, however it did leave an inch or two of snow on the upper mountain. Skiing in the bowls was much like skiing on wind buff on the first couple of runs. Coverage is fair in certain areas, but you cannot just let go and ski at a normal pace. I was taking one turn at a time and stopping to check out areas that I could not see in an effort to save the bottoms of my skis and not take an unnecessary fall. There were some good turns in D7 and out in the middle of Wolverine Bowl as well as in the center of Alpine Bowl. Dance Floor remains well covered as does the moderate Weasel Run which was covered with death cookies when I skied it. Blue and Green Trails are the same as they were the other day. Good snow, but the coverage is minimal. I watched too many skiers come down the Face at one time and decided to skip it. Be careful out there and have a good time.
A friend of mine recently returned from Alta where he enjoyed four days of great powder skiing. There is good snow and excellent coverage somewhere out there.
Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello skiers,

One good day leads to one that is not so good. After a very nice morning of skiing on Monday we have been watching it drip warm wet drops from low gray clouds. It snowed, a very wet three inches on Monday night at the base area of Alpine with up to five inches on the upper mountain. Alpine has been talking about opening the Summit lift on Thursday, as it appears that there is just barely enough coverage in the bowls. However, the constant drizzle and overnight rain that we received last night which is continuing this morning are not helping the situation. Early this morning, in an effort to get some fresh air and a little exercise, we skinned up to the top of Roundhouse and telemarked down. It was raining, or at least drizzling, the entire way up. It appeared as if a quarter of an inch of wet snow fell sometime during the night on the upper third of the mountain, but it was not snowing at all at the top of Roundhouse. We did not see any snow falling above Roundhouse as we peered out from under our dripping hoods. The run down was wet, but pleasant on spring type groomed snow. The weather people appear to be changing the forecast for the weekend. The heavy snowfall that they were talking about yesterday is being downgraded to a less intense storm. The Reno weatherman indicated that we may receive 6 inches of snow over the weekend. However, they are continuing to forecast very cold temperatures.
Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello friends,

Vibrant yellow leaves are gently waving in the wind today. Although overnight temperatures are been dipping into the 30's, daytime temperatures are still in the sixties. This is do to change in the next day or two according to the weather people. Rain drops, thunderstorms and cooler night and daytime temperatures are forecast for the coming week.
I am glad I was able to paddle my kayak along the west shore of Tahoe the other day under calm, warm, and sunny skies. This time of year is great for paddling in the lake, as most of the motor boats are not being used, especially during the week. The lake tends to remain calm and smooth without the heavy motor boat traffic that occurs during summer months. We paddled along the shoreline from the beach at Bliss State Park to the Tea House on the island in Emerald Bay. The round trip is about 8 to 9 miles and takes between about 3 hours. This does not include a stop for lunch on the island while sitting in the sun filling one’s senses with the exceptional view of Emerald Bay afforded from the Tea House. Sunday was the closing date for Bliss Park, thus the beach is no longer accessible for this season.
A little rain this week would be great for mountain bike riding, as the dust on the trails would disappear.
Hopefully, the wind and rain forecast for the week will not cause our fall leaves to drop prematurely from the tree. We are hoping to have a nice long fall with plenty of color for riding and hiking before winter sets in, and we drag our skis out of the closet.
Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello friends,

Fantastic fall weather and slowly turning Aspen leaves are keeping us outdoors this week in Tahoe. Yesterday I tried to keep up with one of my friends riding the Tahoe Rim Trail from Tahoe Meadows along the Mt. Rose Highway to Marlette Lake, and then onto the Flume Trail. The cool air made for great riding conditions for this 23 mile ride. Trail conditions, with the exception of a few sections along the way where the ground is sandy, were pretty good yesterday. I dismounted a few too many times where granite rocks create steps between Tahoe Meadows and Tunnel Creek Road, and sucked oxygen too deeply into my lungs on the climb to Marlette Peak (lack of uphill conditioning), but the views of Marlette Lake, Lake Tahoe, and Washoe Lake on the east side of the range, made up for the pain. We did not stop often on this ride, but we did take in the view from the top of Marlette Peak and a spot along the way where Marlette Lake appears to be part of Lake Tahoe. This was the first time that I have seen people fishing in Marlette Lake in all the years that I have been riding the Flume Trail. We road around the west side of Marlette Lake after dropping down from Marlette Peak and hooked on to the Flume Trail. Tahoe lay below us as still as I can remember viewing it.

The Flume Trail should be ridden one more time this year, perhaps in a week or two when all the Aspens have turned color.

Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello friends,

Apples are ripe and hanging from various trees in the area. This is the time of year to think of a trip to the foothills near Placerville to pick apples at the various farms in the Apple Hill area. If your timing is right, and you know where to go, you can find a tree or two filled with apples in the Sierra Valley area. I was in the area a few days ago and came back with a nice bag full of apples.

Yesterday, after a couple of windy days, and a couple of days with smoke hanging in the air, we took our annual trip to the top of Mt. Tallac. We parked just passed the fire station at the west end of Fallen Leaf Lake walking to the Glen Alpine trailhead from the car. We park at this location because our route always involves a loop hike and this makes the return to the car after hiking 13 miles shorter. If you were hiking an out and back on the Glen Alpine Trail, then you might as well park at the trailhead. Other than a chilly wind that was blowing at our short stop on the shore of Gilmore Lake, the day was perfect. Cool air, not really cold at all, made hiking up the 3300 foot elevation gain to the top enjoyable and less stressful than at other times when the air has been hot. Very little wind was blowing as we sat for an extended lunch on the boulder filled top of Mt. Tallac, overlooking a very deep blue Lake Tahoe. Fallen Leaf, Cascade, Aloha, Gilmore, Heather, Middle Velma, and Fontanillis Lakes all were lying peacefully far below us. After lunch we hiked down to Fallen Leaf Lake ending at the north end of the Stanford Camp property. As usual the trail down is a rocky road that can make your feet sore, but the views are worth the agony. Orange, red, and yellow are the colors showing themselves these days we begin to move through the fall season.

Looking for an excellent price on a home in Alpine Meadows. I just listed a custom designed home in the lower valley of Alpine. This is a 3 bedroom plus loft home with 2 baths. Open beam cathedral ceilings, concrete hydronic heated floors, and stainless steel kitchen, are just some of the features of this home constructed in 2000. The house is approximately 2300 sq.ft. with plenty of paved parking and good winter access. You can ski through the backcountry from Lakeview Chair to the house or jump on your mountain bike and ride to Page Meadows from the front door. A warm outdoor spa is included in the price. Aggressively price at $799,000. The seller will also consider selling a ½ interest for $450,000.

Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello friends,
The other day we ventured about an hour or so north of Tahoe to take advantage of perfect hiking weather in an effort to scale to the top of the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout. This is about a 5 mile round trip hike with approximately 1600 feet of vertical gain, including the multiply strings of metal stairs leading to the glass lookout sitting atop the world. The view is inspiring to say the least. Standing on the catwalk looking northeast over Sardine Lake takes nerve, as there is nothing below you for a thousand feet or so. The trail is steep and cluttered with loose rocks and soil in certain areas, and gentle, or well graded in the shade of tall trees, in others areas. You can see many small lakes below as the trail winds along the ridge line between Packer Saddle (the start of the Downieville Downhill bike ride). You can find the trailhead for this hike by taking Hwy. 89 north of Truckee through Sierraville toward Quincy. Take Hwy. 49 where it leaves Hwy. 89 up and over Yuba Gap until you reach Gold Lakes Road or Bassetts Station. Turn right onto Gold Lakes Road and follow along this scenic road until you see a sign for Sardine Lake. Turn left toward Sardine Lake looking for a right turn leading to Packer Lake and Packer Saddle. Follow the road, narrow at times, up to Packer Saddle where you will see signs indicating the way to the Sierra Buttes Lookout. A portion of this trail merges with the Pacific Crest Trail.
After working up a sweat hiking to the Sierra Butte Lookout we drove north on Gold Lakes Road to Gold Lake. This is a good size lake that offers some lovely campsites on the south west shore line. We unloaded our kayaks at the boat ramp and took a short kayak tour of the choppy water (there was a pretty good breeze blowing). Having not gotten enough exercise by the time we completed kayaking, my small group decided to hike another few miles along the 4x4 road that follows Gold Lake’s shore line, and visit Little Gold Lake (a beautiful little lake that appears to be emerald in color). Little Gold Lake is about 1/4 mile south of the southwest corner of Gold Lake. Returning late in the afternoon to the car, with stomachs screaming for food, we decided to drive on to Graeagle, and then to Johnsville. Johnsville is a cute, but very small old mining town, where you will find the Iron Door Restaurant.
For all of you who have been asking about Dave Lane’s fall ski equipment sale, take note: THERE WILL BE A COMBINED SOFT AND HARD GOODS OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT SALE AT BOREAL RIDGE ON SEPT. 16 BETWEEN 10 AND 2 IN THE PARKING LOT. This is the fall sale that some of you have been looking for, so go to Boreal and get what you need for winter at great prices.
Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello friends,

This past week we hiked a piece of Tahoe’s rim. A portion of the hike followed the Pacific Crest Trail/Tahoe Rim Trail, and a portion diverted to a lovely string of lakes do to lack of a water source.
Our three day trip began at the Pacific Crest Trailhead atop Barker Pass (just passed the end of the paved road that winds through Blackwood Canyon). We heaved our backpacks onto our shoulders and began hiking south along the wooded trail. Amazingly, wildflowers are still in bloom in the more moist areas. We walked for about seven miles before arriving at Richardson Lake. This is a pretty lake that is home to the Ludlow Cabin, and a number of rustic campsites. You can drive into Richardson Lake from the Mckinney-Rubicon Road. The group rested here, taking in the cool blue site, while enjoy our first simple lunch. We wandered on in the cool shade of forested areas with occasional stops to soak in far off views. No day in the wilderness is perfect, and this was not an exception. It was not long before tender feet began to heat up and blister form with little warning on certain members feet. In addition, one hiker fell to his knees in pain as his weak ankle rolled, collapsing and leaving him wiggling in the dirt. His fortune changed after a second fall that appeared to realign the ankle back to its original location. A change of footwear assisted with ankle support, but skin bubbled up on the heel of this hiker as the higher boots caused friction where it was not welcome.
As the afternoon progressed, we realized that our original goal of camping along Phipps Creek a little to aggressive. However, we were walking along a ridge line with no lake or creek in sight. In an attempt to find a place to camp with water, and a place to take off our boots, we left our designated route and dropped down a faint trail to General Creek (a creek that flows out to Meeks Bay). To my surprise, and my companions, General Creek was dry. Tired and thirsty we pulled out the map one more time, and realized that our only real option was to head for Lake Genevieve. As we arrived at Genevieve, a beautiful lake with a perfect level camping spot, the only other people in residence were just packing up to leave. We spent the night at this lovely lake in peace and quiet under a clear star filled sky. You can access Lake Genevieve easily, as a day hike, from a trailhead located off Highway 89 in Meeks Bay.
Our new route took us along a string of lakes the next morning. This was really a wonderful hike that skirted Crag, Hidden, Shadow, Stony Ridge, and Rubicon Lakes before heading up to Phipps Pass where we stopped for lunch and stared out into the Desolation Wilderness. Our destination for the evening was Middle Velma Lake which we reached around three in the afternoon. There was a little wind, and the water was a little cool, but it did not keep us from enjoying an afternoon swim. Our camping spot was perfect, just beside the lake, and in a location that allowed us to watch the sun set into the early evening while relaxing on slabs of smooth granite.
The last day of this journey took us around Fontanillis and Dicks Lake in the morning, and up and over Dicks Pass to Gilmore Lake, sitting under Mt. Tallac, in the early afternoon. Incredible views of many lakes and mountain peaks are offered along this section of the trail. Wildflowers covered the hillsides, especially in the section between Dicks Pass and Gilmore Lake. We finished the hike at the Mt. Tallac Trailhead near Fallen Leaf Lake. This was about a 28 mile hike. There are a number of possible long day hikes that one could do to view these areas without carrying all the gear needed for an overnight.
Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello friends,

Tahoe Meadows is the big meadow area that the Mt. Rose Highway passes through on its way to Reno. This lush meadow is supported by water from snow melt that collects into Ophir Creek as it drops down into the Carson Valley. There is a trail that follows Ophir Creek from Tahoe Meadows to the Carson Valley. You can park at the Tahoe Rim Trail parking area on the south side of the Mt. Rose Highway and begin walking west on the Tahoe Rim Trail. The first portion of the trail follow the Highway back towards Lake Tahoe. Soon the trail turns south to a junction in the meadow with a sign indicating the beginning of the Ophir Creek Trail. I walked this trail for about 3.5 miles (one way) to Upper Price Lake the other day. The trail drops about 1400 feet in elevation as it passes through some lovely meadow land that is still filled with wildflowers. There is an amazing amount of water still flowing in Ophir Creek. Upper Price Lake is set in a basin that is surrounded by tall peaks with views off into the Carson Valley far below. There is a trail that splits off (signed) from the Ophir Creek Trail leading a short distance to Upper Price Lake. After a quiet rest at the lake, no one else was around, I turned around and headed back up the trail. If you can plan it correctly, continuing down the trail makes a nice day hike. Of course, two cars (or a friend who had something to do in Reno or Carson City) would be required unless you wanted to round trip the hike.
Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello friends,

We make a habit out of locking our doors, especially at night. There are many residents in our area who leave their doors unlocked all the time. The doors were shut last night, but with company visiting someone forgot to turn the deadbolts to the lock position. I woke up just before six this morning and heard the sound of cellophane crinkling from the kitchen. My first thought was that the grandchildren, or their mother, were certain up and about early. Perhaps one of them was taking bread out of the package for toast. I was wrong, and the crinkling noise was continuing for too lone a period of time. Finally, I crawled out of bed to see what the heck was going on in the kitchen. As I walked out of the bedroom toward the kitchen, I met a good sized cinnamon colored bear. Lucky for me, he seemed to be heading up the stairs and back outside. I told him to leave and go back outside in my most stern voice. Without a word he obeyed and left the house. I think he had been in the kitchen for a rather long time and walked in and out of the house a few times, as we found a number of items outside under a tree where he must have sat for an early morning picnic. I must admit, he was very careful and rather neat in the house. Drawers were open, cabinet doors open, but not a scratch to be seen. After an initial clean up we realized that, although the refrigerator door was closed, he had been in the refrigerator. A jar of peanut butter was neatly removed from a shelf along with a few leftovers from the day before. Evidently he was able to open the front door by twisting the door knob and just entered to have a few snacks.
Double check your doors at night and be careful about windows left open that are low to the ground. There have been many instances of bear breaking into homes this summer.
It is another beautiful day in Tahoe. I think I will go out and take a hike to forget this bear incident.
Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello friends,
The other day I rode up the ski area's summer lift access
road to the top of D8 chute (nearly the top of Summit Chair).
This year the ride was somewhat easier than in the past, as the ski area placed old
crushed asphalt on the dirt road part way up the
mountain. This surface is a little more firm and less
dusty than the old dirt surface. There are sections
that are short and rather steep with loose gravel that
require a sprint to complete passage along the way,
but many sections can be ridden without extreme
effort. I found myself searching for air after the
short sprints, but totally enjoying the ride through
Wolverine Bowl (a nice long easy switchback through
the bowl. The road begins at the Alpine Lodge and
winds up the Weasel Run along the Hot Wheels Chair. ¾
of the way up the Weasel Run the road forks. I
followed the fork that leads to the base of the Alpine
Bowl Chair (this is the Weasel Loop Run) where it then
turns toward the top of the Yellow Chair and continues
across Blue Trail heading into Wolverine Bowl near the
top of The Face. Blue Trail was a cascading yellow
field of Soft Arnica on the day I rode across it.
Wolverine Bowl is lush green and filled with various
spring flowers in full bloom. I spotted a cluster of
Sierra Primrose half way up the road through
Wolverine. At the top you can enjoy the view and then
retrace your tracks to the bottom. The ride is about
1.5 hours in length at a moderate pace.
Yesterday we ventured out of the area toward
Kirkwood to check out the lakes and flowers on the
very popular Winnemucca Trial that begins at the
ranger station atop Carson Pass. We hiked a 9.5 mile
loop that included some good elevation gain and loss.
Our route began at the ranger station and followed the
trail to Frog Lake, about 1 mile. It continues to
Winnemucca Lake, about 1.5 miles. The water was
pretty cold in the upper lakes, as snow fields are
still melting at these higher elevations. Another
mile hike with a little more elevation gain will bring
you to Round Top Lake. We stopped here for lunch,
relaxing on a soft, level grassy area. The flowers
along the paths to these lakes are worth the hike.
The hills are aglow with color. I spotted more Sierra
Primrose along the way, as well as some Yucca Plants,
Western Blue Flag, and all flavors of Paintbrush,
Lupine, and Penstemon. I also believe I spotted Pink
Gilia near Winnemucca Lake.
The weather continues to be excellent with clear
skies and reasonably moderate temperatures. Yesterday
we enjoyed a nice cooling breeze for most of the day.
Enjoy your day. Andy

1.

Hello friends,
The hot weather has moved out of the Tahoe basin leaving us with some really nice clear and warm (but not hot) sunny days. This is prefect hiking, or biking weather for those of you who want to get into the wilderness and experience spring in the upper elevations. A friend of mine is attempting to complete the Tahoe Rim Trail. We joined him for one of his last legs of the 150 plus trip. We hiked a 15 mile stretch of the Rim Trail from Echo Summit to Big Meadow. This portion of the trail uses about10 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail that runs from Echo Summit to Meiss Meadow. The flowers are showing there blooms as if it were mid spring. All along the trail fir, pine, hemlock, and juniper trees are growing out of lush green meadows teaming with blooming flowers of all colors. We passed through granitic areas where huge granite walls lined the path that wound around equally impressive granite boulders. Lazy streams falling through cracks in the granite and chirping birds broke the silence that a windless day can create when you walk away from civilization. We walked through meadow after meadow viewing the lush green carpeted ground where moisture gathers from melting snow. About 6 or 7 miles into the hike the forest opened on to a huge sierra bowl that still held snow along the crest and between volcanic chutes. The entire bowl was filled with flowers. Fields of lupin, blue bells, groundsel, hemlock, and Indian paint brush painted the slopes. Lupin were growing four feet tall all along the trail and as far as the eye could see. We arrived at a lovely lake that sits beneath the long ridge line known as Showers Lake. This is a perfect spot to stop for lunch. After lunch we walked through more moist areas filled with flowering plants and through level meadows until we arrived at Meiss Meadow, a large meadow that was once a ranch. A couple of old building remain standing at the end of the meadow. Near the south end of the meadow the Rim Trail leaves the PCT turning east toward Round Lake. Round Lake is a popular spot to hike to from Highway 89, so it was more populated than the rest of the areas we hiked on this day. Round Lake is also a beautiful mountain lake and well worth visiting. We hike up and out of the Round Lake basin and then down through a forested area to Big Meadow arriving at the Rim Trail parking area where we had left our car earlier in the morning. Our day began at 9 in the morning and ended at 5:30. This was truly a beautiful hike and our timing was perfect. Just in case you decide to try this hike in the very near future, and you are interested in flowers, I have compiled a list of the flowers that I remember from our hike that we identified along the way.
Enjoy you day. Andy

Yellow Flowers:
Alpine Buttercups
Common Monkey Flower
Single Stemmed Groundsel
Sulphur Flower
Cinquefoil
Mule Ear
Soft Arnica
Wooly Sunflower
Alpine Dandelion
Nodding Microseris
Western Wallflower
Golden Aster
Bloomer Goldenbush
Purple or Blue Flowers:
Larkspur
Broad Leaved Lupin
Large Leaved Lupin
Brewer’s Lupin
Streamside Bluebells
For-get-me-not or stickseed
Meadow Penstemon
Aster
Giant Hyssop

Pink or Red Flowers:
Aanderson Thistle
Oregon Sidalcea
Red Heather
Columbine
Sierra Onion
Elephant’s Head
Little Elephant Head
Lewis Monkey Flower
Alpine Paintbrush
Applegate Paintbrush
Indian Paintbrush
Fireweed
Jeffrey Shooting Star
Scarlet Gilia
Bridge’s Gilia
Granite Gilia
Snow Plant
Spreading Phlox (white or pink)
Pussy Paws
Mountain Spiraea
Pennyroyal
Aster
Waterleaf Phacelia
Pride of the Mountain Penstemon

White Flowers:
Spreading Dogbane
Hemlock
Chickweed
Yampah
Yarrow
Naked Buckwheat
Mariposa Lilly
Marsh Marigold
Corn Lilly
Cut leaf daisy
Rain Orchid
White Veined Pyrola
Cow Parsnip
Sierra Angelica
American Bistort
Douglas Catchfly
Dusky Horkelia
Phlox

Hello friends,
The sky is cloudy and the temperature warm today. We may get a thunderstorm or two over the weekend, at least that is what the weatherman is predicting. All this warm weather has raised the temperature of the water in the lake to something bearable. It is actually warm enough to dive into the lake and take a swim. Most hiking trails appear to be just about free of snow, with a few patches remaining in the highest elevations. (this is in the Tahoe area). There still may be a good amount of snow in the desolation wilderness.
If you love to fish in lakes, catch and release, then you might want to drop a line in Marlette Lake (near Spooner Summit). This is the lake we ride around when mountain biking the Flume Trail. For the first time in many years that lake is open for fishing. There should be some big trout waiting for your bait.
I road the Rim Trail yesterday between from Tahoe Meadows (south of the Mt. Rose Highway) to Tunnel Creek Road and then down to the old Ponderosa Ranch. This section of the trail is 9.5 miles plus a couple of miles down Tunnel Creek Road. The trail is free of snow and in very good condition with the exception of the normal loose, sandy soil on Tunnel Creek Rd.. You can only ride this section on EVEN days. Hiking is allowed on any day. Great views of the Lake and Carson Valley can be found along this trail that passes the top of the Diamond Peak Ski Area. A shuttle is required, unless you treat the ride as an out and back (18 or 19 miles to Tunnel Creek Road and back). There area a few technical granite stair steps to negotiate along the way, but most of the trail can be ridden with out much trouble. You might not want to try this ride if a thunderstorm is predicated, as it is high in elevation and exposed at times.
The Truckee River is still flowing at a low level, but people are rafting down from Tahoe City to River Ranch.
It looks like a nice weekend, barring rain or lightning, is one the way.
Enjoy your day. Andy

Hello friends,
Summer is moving right along in Tahoe (a little too fast for me). Our weather has been just about perfect lately, although yesterday the winds kicked up a little. It is amazing to see snow still
lying rather deep on many north facing slopes in the upper elevations. A couple of friends and I hiked along the Pacific Crest Trail beginning at Barker Pass (on the west side of the ridge line above Blackwood Canyon), and headed for Twin Peaks. Just over a mile into the hike we encountered a rather large field of snow covering the trail on a rather steep slope. Other hikers had negotiated the slope and continued hiking, but we decided to turn around and try something else. There are a number of hikes available from Barker Pass. These include hiking the PCT north or south, hiking to Ellis Peak, or driving a little further west to the Powderhorn Trailhead. We decided to try hiking south with Bear Lake as our new destination. None of us had ever been to Bear Lake, so this sounded like a good plan. The map we took from the PCT, and Tahoe Rim Trailhead, kiosk indicated a road led to Bear Lake from a point a couple of miles down the PCT.
The hike to the road was really very nice. We walked through fields of flowers, open slopes covered with green grass, or slopes filled with two foot tall Corn Lilies. There were stretches in the shade of tall trees, including at least one grove of Hemlock. This stretch of the Tahoe Rim Trail and PCT is very well graded and a pleasure to hike. There were plenty of birds, flowers, and even a honey colored bear to identify along the way. After about two miles of hiking we arrived at the dirt road shown on or map. This turns out to be a pretty well graded OHV trail that is apparently well used by 4x4 owners, ATV riders, and off road motor bikers. With the exception of a couple of bikers, who zoomed by us creating a storm of dust, those traveling on, or in, motorized vehicles were courteous and slowed down when passing us. The mile and a half walk on the dusty road was not exciting, but it led us to Bear Lake. This is a very nice medium size lake with a few camping spots long its edge. I imagine the lake warms up enough for swimming during the summer. It did not appear to be really cold. We turned around and traced our tracks back to the car. This ended up being about 11.5 miles of hiking. If you want to venture out to Bear Lake in a motorized vehicle, get a map. It can be done off the Barker Pass road or from the McKinney-Rubicon Road. Of course, I prefer to walk to these hidden treasures. There is a way to make a loop of this hike that would require hiking beyond Bear Lake toward Ellis Peak.
Looking from the trail at the Desolation Wilderness one see mountain covered in snow. Many of the upper elevation trails appear to remain covered in snow. We met a couple of hikers making their way to Canada from Mexico along the PCT. They reported lots of snow along the route. Apparently this has not slowed them down, but they had been using crampons to negotiate many slopes.
The Truckee River is running very low. It is too low for good rafting at this point in time. Tahoe is full to just below the rim and looks so inviting.
Enjoy your day. Andy