Maggies Peaks

DATE: September 27, 2020
DISTANCE: 12km / 7.45 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 782m / 2566’
TIME TAKEN: 6:30
ELDORADO NATIONAL FOREST
DESOLATION WILDERNESS
ELDORADO COUNTY, CA
SOUNDTRACK: The Exploited: Maggie
STOLEN WASHOE LAND

SUMMITS:
• Maggie’s Peak South: 2651m / 8699’
• Maggie’s Peak North: 2590m / 8499’

PHOTO ALBUM
MAP

Maggies Peaks are a nearly symmetrical double mountain formation in south Lake Tahoe, near Emerald Bay and Cascade Lake. Supposedly they were named after a busty barmaid who worked at the Tahoe Tavern in the 1800’s! I had been interested in Maggie’s Peaks for quite awhile, and not for some kind of juvenile breast fascination. I thought it would be a really cool hike to make a loop through the beautiful alpine environment including Eagle Falls, Eagle Lake and Granite Lake. Today, that’s what I did. Maggie’s Peak South is the taller one, and has a strong use trail to the top, class one all the way, very popular with the dayhikers. Maggie’s Peak North is less tall but more challenging at class two, with plenty of optional class 3 for fun.

After some kind of family and friends gathering at my parents’ house in Jackson, Amber and I were set to have a short getaway to Lake Tahoe. My brother Alex, and my other brother’s girlfriend, Silver, were also free, and decided to join us in Tahoe for the day. Amber and I drove up in her van, and Alex drove himself and Silver in in his Toyota, so they could return to The Bay at the end of the day. We had to park up the road from our intended trailhead at Eagle Falls, it was a beautiful Sunday (the smoke had miraculously cleared) and the area was slammed. We started hiking from the cars at 11:30AM, enjoying views of the stunning Emerald Bay as we went down the road. In 20 minutes, we were at the Eagle Falls trailhead, and the area was quite full of people, even though the waterfall was barely in existence at this point. I didn’t care, I was too busy admiring the granite crags of Emerald Point high above to the north.

We arrived at Eagle Lake by 12:30, and in an effort to please everyone in the party, we spent about an hour swimming and picnicking at Eagle Lake. After that, I pushed my agenda on everyone to to my intended ascent of Maggie’s Peaks, Alex onboard of course, the girls… skeptical? We took the Eagle Falls Trail up to it’s junction with the Bayview Trail, through increasingly sublime alpine scenery. I was salivating over the excellent granite of Eagle Lake Buttress and it’s surroundings, which I hoped to climb soon. The melange of the pines and the granite dust, the warm sunshine and the cool breeze, it was intoxicating to me. But by now, Amber was hangry, was convinced I mislead her about the mileage of the hike, and Silver was functioning, somehow, hiking in cowboy boots, couldn’t have been happy. So we split off into natural pairs in between Maggie’s Peaks: the girls went straight down, back to the road, and Alex and I naturally took off up the use trail to Maggie’s Peak South. That had been my angle all along, of course, to have two teams to split into. The south peak had a good crowd of casual day-hikers at the main viewpoint, which dramatically overlooked the lake, so we enjoyed it briefly, then paid a visit to what we presumed was the high point, a more prominent rock just to the south.

Next it was off to the less popular Maggie’s Peak North, we found our own way there, over some open granite, admiring some spectacular Sierra Juniper trees along the way. We used a fun class 3 chute to ascend the peak (there was probably an easier way), and admired the views all around from Fallen Leaf Lake to Mount Tallac to Emerald Point. Not wanting to leave the ladies waiting too long, we then plunged almost straight down from the peak to Granite Lake, where Alex, always gung ho for a swim, sampled the waters of the lake. Then it was back on the trail, heading for Bayview Campground and the road, but we took another time saving shortcut, going north cross country and plunging down the steep hillside back to highway 89 where the cars were parked. We found the girls smoking weed in the van has we dumped the rocks out of our boots, and then made our way to Sonney’s Barbeque, where hunger was vanquished and thirst was relieved. Alex and Silver then returned to the Bay Area, while Amber and I remained to spend a few more days at the lake.

FURTHER READING
• Bob Burd: Knocks out both peaks in the snow
• Hiking Project: South Peak only
• Outdoor Project: South Peak only
• Maggies Peaks on SUMMITPOST
• Maggies Peak South on PEAKBAGGER
• Maggies Peak North on PEAKBAGGER