I am in California to speak among the judges and attorneys of the Eastern District in Lake Tahoe on Sunday. As many on this blog know, I am an avid hiker and often take the opportunity of these trips to explore the local trails and forests. Yesterday, I hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail and then the Mt. Rose Trail. These trails take you along the Nevada and California border. The latter is quite difficult as you work your way up the summit of the highest point in the area. At roughly 9000 feet, it is the highest peak of the greater Sierra Nevada range. It is a gorgeous though strenuous hike.
The Tahoe Rim Trial will take you to a lovely waterfall with vistas with Lake Tahoe in the distance. There are plenty trails that intersect Tahoe Rim. After exploring the rim, I then took the Mt. Rose trail which is a steady rise in elevation. You are hiking up to around 12,000 feet above sea level on this trail. The big gulp moment is hitting the beautiful meadow and staring up at Mt. Rose. It is pretty daunting from down there.
The heartbreaker is at the end when, after a long grinding ascent, you hit a very sharp incline. It is worth it. The summit gives you a view with Reno in the distance on one side and Lake Tahoe on the other. It is very breathtaking (if you have any breath left). It is also quite windy and you hit snow and ice even in October. If you stay on just Tahoe Rim and then Mr. Rose trails, the roundtrip is 10 miles, but it can be slow going due to the elevation and incline. Bring a lot of water and a hiking stick can be useful on the sharp inclines.
Mount Rose is a bit too high and dry for the fall aspens and changing trees. I hope to get more of a fall hike in today with some of the trails on the other side of Lake Tahoe.
Here are a few pictures:
