Reminiscing Lake Tahoe

A couple summers ago, I was invited to spend Labor Day weekend in Lake Tahoe with a couple of friends. We had a full and ambitious itinerary planned - hiking, kayaking by moonlight, kite flying, parasaling, whatever else tickled our fancy.

I offered to plan our hiking adventure - summiting Mt. Rose (10,776 ft.), the second highest peak in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The hike was about 10 miles roundtrip and had an elevation gain of 2,000 ft.



As we approached the final stretch to the summit, we began stopping frequently to catch our breaths. The trail had become steep, narrow and rocky. We held our ground amidst gusty winds on the exposed slope. After what seemed like forever, the payoff: a 360 degree view of Lake Tahoe, surrounding mountains, and Reno.

The adventure had given me a mild case of altitude sickness, and we were so worn out from the hike that we missed the window for moonlight kayaking that night. The following day, the wind didn't cooperate with us. We couldn't go parasailing the due to erratic winds during the day, and then we couldn't find a single beach that had ANY wind so we could fly our kites in moonlight.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed a leisurely gondola ride at the Heavenly Ski Report. The resort's Sky Deck had spectacular views of Carson Valley, Desolation Wilderness and shore-to-shore views of Lake Tahoe (below). We also drove through the winding road of Highway 89 to hike the short but scenic Cascade Falls Trail.

So much to do, so little time. With endless possibilities for the mountain and water lover, I'd like to visit Lake Tahoe again.