Backpacking Aloha Lake: Moonlight, Alien lore, and Unexpected Snow
“Moonlight backpacking,” this was Trail’s next big idea. We were just settling in at Track 7 Brewery for some goodness and burritos when she pulled out the moon cycle calendar on her phone… When was the next upcoming full moon? Where can we get moonlight reflecting granite? You available? This is how Trails, Route, Curtis, and I ended up hiking out to the Aloha Lake region of the Desolation Wilderness between the…
The Majestic Rubicon Trail and the Tiniest Shack of a Lighthouse, D.L. Bliss State Park
I might be a lighthouse snob. I think it is a common trait among Michiganders, both those currently living in state and displaced. You know what they say, “with Great Lakes comes great lighthouses”. Heck, even the light marking the entrance to the Keweenaw portage is magical. So, about this ‘Rubicon Point Light’ – it may have been the highest-elevation lighthouse in the US, but that’s if you are taking…
Tahoe Stateline Point: Worthy Views just outside the Casino
This September my parents made the long flight over to visit California- and to visit me too! They managed an epic rental road car road trip to Point Reyes, San Francisco, the always exciting Sonora and Groveland, and Lake Tahoe. I met them in Sonora, after their time in the North Bay, to drive over the beautiful and windy Sonora Pass to Lake Tahoe. This was their first visit to Tahoe,…
Round Top & Winnemucca Lake Loop: a 5 mile Jaunt from Campsite to High Country
Earlier in the month I happened on a new hiking book in the library, Alpine Sierra Trailblazer. The hiking, biking, and skiing guidebook covers the area between Sonora Pass and Lake Tahoe. As luck would have it I soon found myself visiting the Tahoe area in early August without any game plan… meaning it was a great opportunity to put this book to the test! I chose to visit Highway…
Winter Camping: Staying Warm, Safe, and Scooped!
I know, it is already spring, why all the winter? But to be fair, I attended winter camping training the day after spring officially began and we miraculously found enough snow to winter camp in during the 2015 California drought winter. Personally, I’ve had a few “Surprise” winter camping trips in the midwest – waking up under a dumping of snow in June – and while this training was geared towards have a fun, safe, and planned…
Kingsbury North & the Finish of Thru-Hiking the Tahoe Rim Trial – Day 12
And at 8:30 am I started walking the final 7 miles back to the car we had abandoned 12 days prior. In this final stretch of trail I began daydreaming about lunch, beer, and my beautiful bed. It is exciting to finish a backpacking trip and return to the wonders of a normal meal, if not a little sad to be leaving this amazing place I had grown accustomed to. True story: at some point over the past 12 days (and let it be known it was not day 1) I had grown accustomed to the aches, the mid morning snack break, the push up switchback after switchback, and the grandiosity of an omnipresent Tahoe vista…
South Camp Peak, Tahoe Rim Trail – Day 11
Last full day on the Tahoe Rim Trail – Crazy, right?! It seemed like just a few days and couple baby toe blisters ago that I had just started. Time flies when you are having fun… or slowly convincing your body that it CAN make 165+ miles.
The number one thing I “learned” (re-learned?) on this trip is how much a hiking routine helps to get the miles done whilst remaining sane…
Marlette Peak Campground, Tahoe Rim Trail – Day 10
It has become a tradition in the last couple of years to take a backpacking trip over the 4th of July weekend. Unfortunately this has meant we missed out on the yearly firework shows, instead “settling” for sunsets and the calmer sierra canyons.
This year though, as Trails and I headed into our 10th day on the trail, we were picking up “The Boys” who were joining us with their mountain bike just in time to bring 4th of July essentials: Whiskey, wine, flags, and enthusiasm…
Mount Rose Campground, Tahoe Rim Trail – Day 9
Beginning June 25, 2014 I thru-hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT), circling Lake Tahoe in 12 days. Accompanied by my friend and fellow blogger, Trails, we bravely took on this 165+ mile loop. I will be blogging a day-by-day rundown of each day’s hike, night’s campsite, and my contemplations while beating down miles. Check out my complete trip report for the TRT here – This is day 9. One of the peculiar…
Hello! I am a 30-something outdoors-lady, backpacker, and resident of Groveland, California - 
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