Tahoe Mountain

DATE: Friday, October 9, 2020
DISTANCE: 3km / 1.87 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 160m / 526’
TIME TAKEN: 46 min.
ELDORADO NATIONAL FOREST
ELDORADO COUNTY, CA
SOUNDTRACK: Cathedral: Copper Sunset

SUMMITS:
Tahoe Mountain SE Summit: 2172m / 7127’
Tahoe Mountain: 2210m / 7249’

PHOTO ALBUM
MAP









I had established camp at Fallen Leaf, and it would be a few hours still until my brother Alex arrived, so I decided to enjoy the afternoon and go for a bike ride up to the Devron Connector trailhead, which connects into a neighborhood on the west side of Fallen Leaf Lake. It was quarter past five, but I had still enough light remaining for a short hike, so I locked the bike to a tree and went for it. After I gained some elevation, I could see out to the south, and saw some smoke haze lingering in the atmosphere, but it was much better than my visit in September. In about five minutes, I was at the Valley View Trail, which switchbacked me up to the top of the NW-SE trending ridge. I now had a good view out at Freel Peak, tomorrow's destination, and the red and white striped tower on Tahoe Mountains SE summit.

The top of the ridge was very flat and civilized, with dirt road access for the radio towers. I had a partial view of Lake Tahoe, to the north, through the trees. Fifteen minutes later, I was at the proper, taller NW summit of Tahoe Mountain. This one had a small shack structure on top, more trees, less views. But I could see the almost set sun going down behind Mount Tallac and Fallen Leaf Lake, and it was nature's glory indeed. I wasn't in a big hurry, because I had only a short way to go, and still enough light, but I decided to cut downhill through the woods from there, taking a shortcut back to my bike, and I rode my bike back down the road to the campground uneventfully. Alex showed up sometime after dark, and we dined on takeout pizza and decent beer, ah the joys of camping in Lake Tahoe!

CONTINUED: Saturday, October 10: Freel Peak

FURTHER READING
• The Long Green Tunnel: Description of this short hike
• PEAKBAGGER: Tahoe Mountain NW Summit and SE Summit