Tahoe Rim Trail 2014
Part 2: Tahoe City to Big Meadow
Part 2: Tahoe City to Big Meadow
After we finished up our errands around town, it was time to get back on the trail. We had a long day still ahead of us and pretty steep climb.
Climbing up and out of the Tahoe City basin we had to rush to get to our destination before dark. We didn't make it, but we were treated to a beautiful sunset. We arrived at Watson Lake after dark and set up camp, then set about making dinner and relaxing. The next morning we awoke to a frigid but beautiful day.
We met up again at Spooner Summit and enjoyed a yummy pizza dinner and nice night of camping. Ruth had to work the next morning, so it was super early to rise and hike out to the car so she could get down the hill. The hike continued and we walked through an awesome section of trail with wide open views of Tahoe.
Walking down towards Kingsbury Grade, we found ourselves in the trees again and the views almost completely disappeared. It was boring and dry hiking. When we got to the pass, there was construction and all traffic was stopped. We lucked out and caught a ride down to town in the back of a construction truck.
A friend picked us up in South Lake Tahoe and treated us to a really nice night of comfort, company and food. We were so grateful to get a shower and good meal, true trail angels.
The next morning we were back on trail and heading south. It was a beautiful day and we all felt refreshed after our night of luxury. We were hiking through ski slopes and everything was very dry, all of the water sources on the map were dry. After finding a water source, we camped high up on an exposed ridge. It was a cold and sleepless night.
The next morning we took it pretty easy on the hike to Freel Pass with a nice long stop for lunch and a nap at Star Lake. When we got to the pass James and Lakes climbed Mount Freel, and I hiked out to Trimmer Peak. We got a bit behind schedule and didn't get to camp until well after dark again, but the sunset was spectacular.
The next day started with a pretty leisurely hike out to Big Meadows Trail Head where we enjoyed a really nice picnic lunch provided by Lakes.