Leaving Tahoe Early

Both vehicles outside the locked gate at Emerald Point Campground, Tuesday, August 24, 2021.

    The season for Emerald Point Campground at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe was scheduled to end on Labor Day, September 6, and we had planned to leave after the holiday rush on Tuesday, September. 7, but the Caldor Fire changed that. On Saturday, August 21, California State Parks announced that all the Lake Tahoe State Parks would close for an undetermined length of time due to the very real, though (according to the thinking at the time) distant possibility that the fire could reach the Tahoe Basin. On Sunday we were told the closure would be on a "week to week" basis, so we planned to stay in place and find opportunities when the smoke wasn't too thick to do some campsite cleanup. On Monday morning, August 23, we were informed that the campgrounds would all be closed through at least September 7. We were welcome to stay if we wanted to. There were no evacuation orders or warnings for the Tahoe Basin in place at that time, but the smoke was extremely bad at times so we decided to pack up and leave on Tuesday, August 24, two weeks ahead of schedule. So now instead of one week to "camp out" at our home base near Colfax in preparation for flying to Europe September 11, we have three weeks. Our Colfax property is also impacted by the smoke, some days worse than others, but so far no days as bad as the bad days with falling ash we experienced at Tahoe. On Sunday, August 29, we learned that Emerald Bay as well as the city of South Lake Tahoe, were under an evacuation warning, and by Monday, August 30 the warning turned to mandatory evacuation orders for a large part of the south Lake Tahoe Basin. 

    For the past several years California wildfires have been setting records in terms of acres burned and property destroyed, but the moisture content of vegetation this year due to prolonged drought and record breaking heat, has caused unprecedented difficulties in getting fires out, especially those in rugged mountainous territory. As of August 13 there were 9 days of record high temperatures at Lake Tahoe since mid June. I couldn't believe how hot June was. June has always been fairly cool, even unpleasantly so at Lake Tahoe. Many years ago camping at Tahoe for a week in June, it rained every day, and many years there is even a snow flurry or two, but not this year. When I worked at Kings Beach, north shore Lake Tahoe, for 11 years I remember the local tourist bureau's attempt to get vacationers to the lake in June by calling Memorial Day weekend at the end of May, "Opening of the Lake." Locals all laughed at that because they knew it would be too cold to enjoy traditional summer activities. But not this year! I was shocked by the warmth of the lake's water, even in June - there was none of the Tahoe, bone chilling, cold that I remember so well.

    During our last week at Tahoe we spent most of our time inside the RV because the smoke was so bad, but Thursday morning, August 19, and Friday morning, August 20, the smoke was bearable so on Thursday morning I hiked down to Vikingsholm and back on the Rubicon Trail, and on Friday morning I hiked almost all the way to Eagle Lake - I had to turn around so we would be able to leave in time to catch a children's musical production in Kings Beach that afternoon.  Except for one brief glimpse at some blue sky directly overhead on August 22, those would be the last days we saw any blue at Tahoe. It was so sad to have the beautiful scenery obscured by smoke, but not nearly as sad as the runaway destruction being caused by the horrid wild fires that continue with the only real hope for their being extinguished to come with the first autumn rains.

August 19 on the beach near Vikingsholm, looking at the mouth of Emerald Bay

Spider webs along the trail that are covered in ash.

A view of Emerald Bay looking north from the Rubicon Trail on Thursday, August 19.

A Stellar Jay that landed on the arm of my chair while I was sitting in it.

Looking north from the Overlook the evening of August 19

This was the first time in a couple of weeks that we could

make out the outline of the mountains to the north. It would be the last time before we left Tahoe.

Looking into Emerald Bay from the Lookout the morning of August 20.

Looking east from the Overlook on August 20

Mt. Tallac from the Overlook, early August 20 - the last time I'd be able to see Mt. Tallac in 2021.

The weather never cooled down enough for me to attempt to hike to the top of Mt. Tallac, so that will have to wait until next summer.

Fannette Island in Emerald Bay as seen from the west shore on my way to hike up to the Eagle Lake Trail on Friday, August 20. Even though the air was clearer than most of the days at the end of our time at Tahoe, you can still see the smoke in the air.

The entrance sign to Desolation Wilderness on the Eagle Lake Trail, August 20, 2021.

All of the federal lands around Lake Tahoe would close to everyone on midnight, August 22.

"My" Mountain, August 20, 2021 as seen from the Eagle Lake Trail near where I turned around.

Looking East from the Overlook on August 21

Looking into Emerald Bay the morning of August 21

Looking North from the Overlook the morning of August 21

The last blue sky we would see - August 22, looking straight up

Looking north from the Overlook, August 24, the morning of the day we would leave Emerald Point Campground for the season.

This was our view looking north from the Overlook the day we arrived at Eagle Point, May 24, 2021 - Quite a contrast to the last picture!

Sunlight reflected on the dead Jeffrey Pine Trees at the Overlook on August 24.

    Though the air quality was definitely not at all good on Tuesday morning, August 24, I wanted to walk part way down the Rubicon Trail to see if I could get a picture of an Osprey on a nest with my Canon Camera. I had seen the occupied nest on Friday, August 20, but my cell phone camera really couldn't get a decent picture. The nest was just about a half mile down the trail so wearing my N95 mask I ventured down the trail. I couldn't see the Osprey that was in the nest, but I could hear babies and see one Osprey high in the tree. There were other things to see along the way as well.

Fannette Island, barely visible from the Rubicon Trail on August 24

A hawk in a tree

A Dark Eyed Junco in a tree - there were lots of these little birds at Samuel P Taylor State Park last winter.

The occupied Osprey nest with an adult Osprey keeping vigil above.

The Osprey sitting at the top of the tree.

Here is our "camp site" on our Colfax area property where we arrived Tuesday afternoon, August 24.

    Since arriving in the Colfax area we have been doing some yard clean up in the mornings, Rob has been gathering firewood on the property, we've been spending time with our granddaughter Avi, daughter Ruth and grandchild Chris and their wife Alana. The smoke has been pretty thick here some days, but not nearly as bad as the worse days at Tahoe. When the smoke is not too bad in the mornings I walk up to a trail along an irrigation canal and up to a spot where normally you can see the crest of the Sierras, but not this week. That route is about 4 1/2 miles long and really quite pretty. If the smoke is thicker I just walk to the mail boxes and back before breakfast (one mile round trip).

A buck on the trail along the Boardman Canal about a mile from our Colfax home.

Turkeys in the driveway - we've seen them around every day.

Some pretty yellow flowers - not sure what they are.

Bear scat on the trail - over the years we have seen bear scat along the canal trail, but never a bear.

A doe in the Apple orchard on our property.

Thought it would be fun to have a little flower "garden" in front of the RV while we are camped here.

The high temperature on Sunday August 29, and again on Monday August 30.

Last night, Monday, August 30, we went to the Giants ball game in San Francisco. 

It was nice to be in cooler, and clearer air and to be in the beautiful Oracle Park, but alas, the Giants lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, and it looks like they're headed to another loss tonight. I hope our attendance at the game didn't jinx the Giants winning season!

The San Francisco skyline above the park as seen from our TOP row seats on the first base side.

Alana our granddaughter-in-law, Chris our grandchild, me, Rob, and daughter Erin in front.

Notice we have the top row all to ourselves!

Enjoying the view and the game, even though we lost.

    I realized I didn't have pictures of the kitties to close out this blog so I went looking for them - I found Elsie asleep on one of the cat beds above the passenger seat and Straus on the bed. Elsie kept sleeping, not the least bit disturbed by me, but when Straus saw the camera (phone) he just wanted some action and I had a hard time catching him still enough for a picture.

Elsie in still life

Straus in motion