Last Labor day weekend we took a 5 day break from work and headed up to Tahoe. Our goal was to find a ski cabin for the upcoming season and do some days hike in Desolation and Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Areas.
Our first day hike was just after signing our ski house lease. We drove up Blackwood Canyon at about 5pm and saw the day come to an end. This is one of my favorite hikes. The great views are easily accessed and the total hike time is under 1.5 hours.
The next day we headed further south on 89 to hike to Round lake. This route uses part of the Tahoe Rim trail. The trail was created in 1981 and was in excellent condition. The round trip was about 6 miles/ 1300 elev gain. A perfect length for a day hike. We were amazed at beauty of this lake and surrounding peaks.
We then drove south for a hot tub and diner in Markleeville. Unfortunately the old Inn has been turned into chez Wolf Creek restaurant. It was very nice but I somehow still miss the old Inn look and funky bar. The next day we drove over Ebbits Peak and marveled at the beauty of this high alpine pass. Our plan was to hike to Noble canyon but the trailhead was at almost 9000 ft and we felt it that day. We jumped back in the car and decided on an easier lower route. This was our day to drive home too so hiking less was a much better idea.
Again we found a route that was under 7 miles round trip. This distant really suits us well for day hikes. We climbed up 1500 ft to Bull Run Lake. Both Stef and swam out to the island and Gretta even managed a short doggie paddle. It was a classic alpine lake and great way to end a successful and fun weekend.
Trp notes- 6 mile trips with 1000-1500 elevation took us about 3.5 - 4 hours of hiking. We also stopped for 1-1.5 hours for lunch. We didn't bring a filter since I was able to carry 3.5 liters of sport drink which seemed to be just enough. All our routes were found in Karen and Terry Whitehill's "Best Short Hikes in Northern Sierra". We also had another book called the Sierra Tahoe by Jeffery Schaffer. Both books are excellent.
