Thursday

08/06/2013 Update – Tahoe Rim Trail

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Directions: From Hwy 207 just west of the summit turn left (north) onto Benjamin Dr (which becomes Andria Dr) and drive 2 miles to the trailhead before the Forest Service gate. Roadside parking here is limited and there are no facilities.
                   
08/06/2013 Hiking Notes: Though the Tahoe Rim Trail is a 165-mile long-distance hiking trail that completely encircles Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America, we only hiked a little more than a mile up from the trailhead, just enough to get some really nice views of the lake and surrounding mountains (Fig. 01).  Overall the trail ranges in elevation from 6,240 feet at the outlet of Lake Tahoe to 10,338 feet at Relay Peak in Nevada. Climbing through a dense forest of large red firs and white pines, the trail led us to an elevation of around 7,880 feet. Though there are a few places where you have to navigate some large rocks and boulders (Fig. 02), the majority of this trail is easily identifiable, and provides relatively easy hiking. The point where we stopped (Fig. 03) was only an elevation gain of less than 150 feet from the trailhead, it provided some excellent views. Even though I would have liked to hike further, I decided that it was time for my mother to turn back. There were several slopes covered with the low brush shown in (Fig. 04 & 05), which I have yet to identify. The good thing was that we got to enjoy some of the great views (Fig. 06) all over again on the way back down.
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