Back to the Bears and Lake Tahoe

Our first, and only, sighting of a bear so far this season.

We arrived at Eagle Point Campground, Emerald Bay State Park, Lake Tahoe on Monday, June 6 just 3 days before the campground would open for the season. We have heard of bear activity in the campground, but we have not personally seen any bears in the park this season, yet. The one we did see was in a residential neighborhood in South Lake Tahoe. It came off the front porch of one house, crossed the street behind us and climbed over a fence on the other side of the street. The bears do not want us, they want our food. They have gotten very bold at Sugar Pine Point State Park, 10 miles north, where my sister Theresa is a camp host this summer. She sees bears during the day on an almost daily basis. The following pictures were not taken by me, nor by Theresa, but she did witness these bears.

Mom and cub as photographed by a camper at Sugar Pine Point State Park in early June.

Mom checking out the RV window.

And here she is about to climb in the window.

At our campground we have had no RVs broken into, but we have had a couple of car windows broken by bears who saw food inside the cars. We've also had a tent ripped because the bear wanted the dog food left inside. Some people have trouble following the very explicit directions they are given in writing and verbally that say ALL food, and all things that could smell like food, must be locked in bear lockers day and night. We also remind people to keep their car doors locked. Some bears will open an unlocked car door even if they don't detect food inside. Recently a bear did just that and then the car door closed behind the bear. The camper, a mom with three young boys, woke up at 3:30 AM to hear her car horn honking. She got up to find the bear trapped inside. She opened the back of her SUV to let the bear out because the front doors wouldn't open because of the damage done by the bear. The inside of her car was totaled! The woman had an amazing attitude though - said she wasn't letting this experience ruin their camping trip, that the car would still drive and she ripped down the destroyed headliner and the door panels. She said one of the boys must have forgotten to lock the door when he got something out of the car the night before. It was an unfortunate incident, but she agreed preventable, and not the end of the world.

This year's first visit to the Overlook where I go almost every morning and Rob and I go almost every evening. Emerald Point on the opposite side of Emerald Bay from us is visible on the left with Rubicon Point behind it.

Mt. Tallac to the south of the overlook with some snow left.

Emerald Bay and the mountains above as viewed from the Overlook.

What is this?

It is the barge that carries the hot air balloons that are frequently launched when the water and wind is calm. A tourist last year told me it costs $350 per person to ride in one!

The balloon being inflated below me at the Overlook.

The balloon floating up above the entrance to Emerald Bay.

A Snowflower at the Overlook.

A purple penstemon at the Overlook.

I don't remember seeing these there last season.

Not sure the name of this one that Theresa and I saw at Sugar Pine Point State Park.

The wildflowers were really spectacular in June.

Stickseed? At Sugar Pine Point.

A Pileated Woodpecker - I have rarely seen these.

A Grouse in a tree.

I saw this one in the days before the campground opened.

Another Grouse blending in well.

A beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly.

An Osprey in a nest along the Rubicon Trail about a mile from camp.

A lizard on a rock.

Another lizard - we see lots of lizards.

Early morning June 8, looking north from the Overlook.

It is good to be back at Eagle Point. It definitely felt like a "coming home" experience to return. Though there are no changes to the campground and our routine remains the same as last year, it is also constantly changing. I find myself taking pictures over and over of the same, but different views. If you saw my blogs from the summer of 2021, many of the scenes pictured will look familiar. I'm sure I will never get tired of this beautiful place!

The mountain above Emerald Bay I call "My Mountain," reflecting the early morning sun.

Our campground opened on June 9 this year, but I had to leave Rob to do host duties by himself because the California Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church began on Friday June 10, in Sacramento. Even though I am retired I am still expected to attend, and it really is enriching to go and fun to reconnect with colleagues and some lay people. It's kind of like a big family reunion, and this was the first year in three years that it was more or less "normal." In 2020 it was totally virtual online. Last year, though it was in person, attendance was restricted to members only and there were no in person meals, etc. The conference lasted from Friday through Monday this year, but I only attended in person on Friday. I went down to Colfax (about a 2 hour drive from Emerald Bay) on Thursday, June 9, to celebrate Ruth's 40th birthday and to spend the night before going to Sacramento on Friday morning. I went down via I-80 and then came back to Tahoe on Friday evening via Highway 50 and drove through the devastation of last year's Caldor Fire. It is very sobering, and sad, to drive through miles of burned forest past many destroyed mountain cabins.

Ruth blowing out 40 candles on her "Over the Hill" Birthday cake.

Grandchild Chris made the cake in a very unique design that featured a graham cracker trail up the mountain - a very fitting "Over the Hill" cake for a hiker and trail runner.

I never get tired of the changing perspectives on Lake Tahoe.

Here is a panoramic view of the previous picture of a morning's "light show" at the overlook.

Clouds behind Mt. Tallac.

Tuesday, June 12, 2022

As we were doing morning arounds at about 8:30 we saw this rainbow over Emerald Bay.

This view makes the rainbow look like its end is on Fannette Island.

The vivid colors as we came around the corner and first saw the rainbow.

The rain that day was pretty significant and caused some flooding of the camp road.

Emerald Bay

With Lower Eagle Falls behind the island and "My Mountain" above.

The creek below Lower Eagle Falls.

This was taken on June 13, the first time I hiked down the Rubicon Trail to the bay.

Lower Eagle Falls, June 13, 2022

On Thursday, June 14, Rob drove me the one mile to the trailhead for Cascade Falls. I would have no trouble walking the distance to the beginning of this short trail, but there is no way I am walking along the "Spine," the local name for the ridge top portion of Highway 89 that drops steeply on one side to Emerald Bay and on the other side to Cascade Lake. There is no shoulder along the "Spine," so it is not for the feint of heart, walking, riding a bike, or even driving. I have talked to more than one tourist who expresses terror at the prospect of having to drive across this part of the road again.

Hiking the trail to Cascade Falls.

This is actually the best view of the falls along the trail - barely detectable to the right of Cascade Lake.

The trail, a little over 1 mile long, ends at the top of the falls where about all you can experience is the sight of the rushing creek approaching the falls and the sound of the water descending toward the lake. The trail is not particularly steep and the first half of it is quite smooth to walk on, but then there are lots of rocks to navigate, so though short it does feel like a true hiking experience.

The rushing creek above the water fall.

A beautiful still pool in the creek above the rushing part.

There were lots of people on the trail and at the top of the falls, but it was surprising how quickly I lost the people when I walked a short way up stream to the tranquil pool. I want to go back to this area one day this summer and explore a bit more on the unofficial trail(s) beyond the water fall.

Cascade Lake with Lake Tahoe behind.

Our campsite is located quite close to the highway, but because the part of the road next to us is located between two 10 mph curves traffic is fairly quiet except for the occasional raucous motorcycle. Further into the campground and towards Eagle Point at the tip of this "peninsula" that forms the south east side of Emerald Bay we can't hear any road noise, but there are occasional non-nature, annoying sounds overhead. Among them are tourist helicopters, motorized personal aircraft, an illegal drone one time when I was at the Lookout, and the worst of all: Navy fighter planes from Fallon Naval Air Base flying over Emerald Bay on their practice flights. Having an Air Force pilot son we know that military pilots have a lot of choice in where they fly for training and practice, and I imagine the Navy pilots want to get a bird's eye view of Emerald Bay, but it is really loud and startling when it happens! It happens so suddenly and quickly that so far I haven't gotten a picture of the Navy planes.

A helicopter flying over the Overlook one morning.

A personal aircraft overhead.

During June we made 3 trips to Colfax for various appointments. I always try to get in my 4 mile round trip up along the Boardman Irrigation canal to the Weimar Water Company. From one spot along the canal I can see all the way to the coastal range on a clear enough day and from the top I can see the crest of the

Crystal Range on the crest of the Sierras. My new iPhone camera is able to capture the images better than the old one or even my Canon camera.

The Sutter Buttes with the coast range behind as seen from the Boardman Canal on June 16, 2022.

Back at Tahoe for an early morning walk to the Overlook.

I've gotten back into the routine of walking down to Vikingsholm and/or Lower Eagle Falls a couple of times a week. If I can get away from our campsite by 10:00 after doing our morning camp check, I can complete the 4 mile round trip by noon, just in time for the noon camp check. That gives me enough time to answer a few questions from other hikers since I wear my camp host vest, to pick up a few pieces of trash if necessary and occasionally remind folks of the no dogs rule on park trails. There really is very little trash on the trails - mostly I find torn pieces of trail bar wrappers - rarely if ever do I find deliberately left trash.

This is part of an old wreck along the Rubicon Trail that I spotted in the bushes last summer, but I hadn't seen this pickup tail gate that identifies it as a Ford. Anyone venture a guess as to it's year?

This vehicle must have rolled down from the "Spine" many, many years ago.

Fannette Island as seen from the beach near Vikingsholm.

Part of the Rubicon Trail.

Sunrise June 18, out the RV window.

I rarely get out to the Overlook in time for the official sunrise.

Now that the sun is appearing a little later, I may make it more often.

Early morning June 18 from my spot at the Overlook.

I go there each morning with my collapsible, high backed chair; a cup of tea; some devotional reading, a journal and some knitting.

Mt. Tallac as seen from the Overlook, June 18.

Snowing on June 18 around noon.

It was actually what we call "popcorn" snow which is probably just hail with tiny hailstones.

But the ground turned white.

No, this is not unusual weather for June at Lake Tahoe.

Last summer's hot month of June was very abnormal - June at Tahoe is often cold, wet and even snowy.

The evening of June 18 - see the new snow on Heavenly and Freel Peak?

More pretty clouds on June 18.

A rock cairn someone built along the Overlook Trail - it didn't last long.

Tallac on the morning after the snow.

"My Mountain" with some fresh snow.

Here comes the sun to melt the new snow on June 19.

Just before sunset on June 20, 2022.

Panoramic view of the Sunset on June 20, 2022.

Sunset over Emerald Point and Rubicon Point on June 20.

More of the same sunset.

The sun keeps coming up - June 21.

Rob and Ruth "attacking" the Scotch (or is it French?) Broom on our Colfax property, June 21.

Rob and I gave up pretty quick on the Broom eradication - too hot that day, and too hard.

Mostly I made sure we all kept hydrated.

Early morning, June 28

Lower Eagle Falls, June 23 - visibly less water than 10 days earlier on June 13.

Sunset, June 23

Sometime after sunset on the evening of June 23, two gentlemen with European accents, knocked on our door. They were confused by the instructions for finding a campsite after the entrance station was closed. Their confusion was understandable since all of our campsites, whether there is an active reservation or not, have "Reserved" signs on them - there are good reasons for this, but it can confuse people not familiar with it. We helped Hans and Erik find a campsite for which they were very grateful. The next morning on our early morning camp check we met them at their campsite and ended up having a long conversation with them. They are best friends, having met in college in Denmark 45 years ago. Erik retired from his private practice as a General Practitioner 6 months ago in Spain where he has lived for many years and Hans retired from work with an NGO in Denmark 6 months ago. Erik has been a life long adventurer, traveling all over the world, but has had a long time dream of driving a truck "around the world." He invited Hans, who was not the experienced camper that Erik is, to come along with the caveat that he could leave any time he felt he needed to. They are both having a grand time as they head to Antartica! Their truck was shipped to New York from Spain, arriving in early June, they have crossed our country and were preparing to head west from here and then south. We asked where they hoped to camp the next night and they said, "Samuel P Taylor State Park!" That is of course our winter "home." It being a Friday we told them their chance of getting a campsite there was slim, but I called our camp host friends there and a campsite was held for them. Hans and Erik were thrilled with the connection we made for them, and they stopped by our campsite on their way out of Eagle Point for another long conversation. I am following their blog as they head south. By the end of July they have reached the southern most part of Mexico. When they reach the southern tip of South America they will park the truck at a friend of a relative of Erik's when they go by ship to Antartica. Their plan is to then fly back to Europe to be with their families for Christmas and then return for the truck and have it shipped either to Australia, Africa or Europe. What an adventure! We were so blessed to encounter them.

Hans and Erik

Their truck with two roof top tents in the campsite we procured for them at Samuel P Taylor State Park in Marin County.

A beautiful dead tree stump at the Overlook with Jake's Peak behind, and "My Mountain" to the left.

Sunset over the mountains June 25.

The sun keeps coming up! June 26, 2022

Sunday, June 26, was a day off from camp host duties so we decided to head to Truckee's Church of the Mountains (United Methodist Church). I had confirmed the time of worship was 10:00 AM by looking on their website, but when we arrived 10 minutes early the door was locked tight with no one around and no sign indicating any change. At 10:00 AM another couple arrived hoping to attend worship also - she was also a retired UMC pastor. I had texted a friend from the church, but hadn't gotten any response yet. Then I called the church number and the message said worship was at 10:00 AM every first, third and fifth Sunday - we were there on a 4th Sunday! The other couple, their dog, and we went out for a cup of tea and a snack and enjoyed a visit instead of going to worship.

Poppies blooming in the rocks with the Church of the Mountains Steeple in the background.

After not going to worship Rob and I went for a walk on the "Old Truckee River Legacy Trail."

It was an area we've driven by many, many times, but never stopped to explore.

The trail bridge crossing the river.

Beautiful flowers on the bank of the Truckee River.

Monday, June 27, was also a day off so I decided to head up to Eagle Lake for the first time this season. Eagle Lake is where I camped on a Girl Scout backpack trip when I was 13 or 14 and saw "My Mountain" for the first time. The trail to Eagle Lake is only about a mile long starting at Highway 89, so is quite popular with tourists. A lot of locals avoid it because of its popularity, but it is such a special place to me, and quite beautiful, that I just have to visit it multiple times during our time at Emerald Bay. My hike was longer than the one mile because I began at our campsite, walked down a little over a half mile to the Rubicon Trail, then hiked about 1.8 miles to Vikingsholm down on the Bay, then one mile up the trail/road to Highway 89, and then across the highway to the Eagle Lake Trailhead. All together it was about a 10 mile round trip - a hike I'm hoping to do with a backpack and spend the night near Eagle Lake before we leave here for the summer.

Flowers on a rock by the road/trail leading up from Vikingsholm.

This is the shortest way to hike to Vikingshom - 1 mile versus the 1.8 miles from Eagle Point, but the route is much steeper - not nearly as nice as the Rubicon Trail from our campground.

More flowers on the hike up to the highway.

The sign for the parking lot at the top.

This parking lot fills very early every day and is the scene of many traffic jams and frustrated tourists.

Eagle Creek just above Upper Eagle Falls along the trail to Eagle Lake.

The flowers along the trail in late June were abundant and beautiful!

A beautiful rock flower garden.

My favorite - Mountain Penstemon is one of its names.

A beautiful, subtle flower.

Close up of the previous flower.

There was a huge group of hikers climbing the stairs in front of me.

I figured it would be a long time getting up to the lake with all these slow going folks, but pretty quickly they were pulling aside to rest since they weren't used to over 6,000 feet in elevation.

Over the years I have done multiple backpack trips in Desolation Wilderness going in and out via this trail. The first time I hiked it without a backpack was about 12 years ago and I had allowed myself over an hour to to get to the lake because I remembered how steep it was. Without the backpack I was shocked when I reached the lake in less than half an hour that day even while stopping to take pictures.

The beautiful Eagle Lake, still looking pristine despite the thousands of people who visit it each summer.

"My Mountain" from the lake - this is probably how I saw it the first time 57 years ago.

On the way back down I decided to tour Vikingsholm.

This is the back door that faces Emerald Bay.

Here is the beautiful dining room.

Last summer when South Lake Tahoe was evacuated due to the Caldor Fire all the furnishings from this historic house were removed and sent to Sacramento for safe keeping. Most were returned in mid-June, with still more on the way.

Inside the courtyard facing the front door of Vikingsholm.

The history of this house, and especially Laura Knight who had it built, is very interesting and inspiring.

We had to get the windshield of our Subaru (only a year old) replaced because of multiple pits and a crack going half way across. We scheduled that in South Lake Tahoe where it would have to be left from 9 to 4 - the days of having windshield repair done in your driveway are going away now that cars have cameras and such that need to be calibrated. It was less than 10 miles to the shop, a distance we could easily ride on our bikes, but 2 miles of the road is narrow with no shoulder and steep drop offs. It would have been nice if we could have dropped the car off and ridden a bike back to camp. I thought there might be a "cross country" way to cut out the 2 bad miles of road. Last summer I had accidentally walked into a an area with houses on the lake below us and part of the way there was a wide trail, bike ridable, leading to it - perhaps I could find a way that connected the wide trail and the housing area and then we could use the bicycles to help us leave the car for the day. Rob was skeptical, but he decided to join me when I went exploring.

Here is Rob climbing over a log - no, there was no good way to connect bicycles to good road.

The bench at the end of a good trail where we rested before heading back to our campsite.

Since we didn't have an easy way to leave the car for the day and come back to camp we took the bicycles with us and had a great day riding 34 miles around South Lake Tahoe, out to Myers for lunch and to Camp Richardson for ice cream.

The bear sighting when the car windshield was being repaired.

A sign in the restaurant we ate in in Myers.

Washoe Meadows State Park

This park has not been developed, but it does have some trails in a beautiful setting.

We rode by this area on our way back from Myers.

Some Lupine along the bike trail.

The Lupine was so plump and perfect this June that it almost looked artificial.

The first year we were in the RV I didn't do a lot of knitting, but the past few months I have been knitting more. One challenge was where to block finished products in the RV. When the cats were with us I didn't even try to figure it out and I waited until we were in Colfax to spread wet garments out there. But with the cats gone I figured I could use the mattress over the cab of LesThora. We store a variety of things up there, but while we're parked most of that could fit on the front seats that we don't use.

Here is a new sweater being blocked up top.

And here I am modeling my new "Sweatshirt Sweater."

I actually wore it on several chilly mornings in June, but I don't think I'll need it for quite awhile now. I will definitely appreciate it in the winter chill of the redwoods at Samuel P Taylor State Park.

Another view from the Overlook.

The 4th of July weekend was pretty cool weather wise and July 3rd was a perfect day to hike the whole Rubicon Trail - both ways. The trail signs at either end (Eagle Point Campground and Calawee Cove at D.L. Bliss State Park) say the trail is 7.4 miles one way, but I think it's actually a little under 7 miles. Since our camp site is over a half mile from the trailhead on our end I still got a 15 mile hike in. What a difference cool weather makes for a long hike - it didn't seem nearly as long as when I did it last year when it was really hot. Following are pictures I took along the trail from beginning to end and starting back. The first 1.8 miles (the sign pictured below says 1.5. - that's definitely wrong) of the trail to Vikingsholm I walk regularly between morning and noon camp checks, but the rest I save for days off.

The trailhead sign at Eagle Point Campground.

A short way down the trail looking at Emerald Bay which the trail wraps around.

Looking down to one of the little hidden beaches below.

This section of trail has the steepest drop off on this side of the bay, but is very pretty.

This is about 1 mile from the top.

The pretty water of Emerald Bay down below.

Pretty leaves by one of the bridges.

All together there are six bridges before reaching Vikingsholm.

Looking across a beach toward "My Mountain" above and Vikingsholm in the woods below.

Pretty flora along the trail.

The last bridge before Eagle Creek.

Eagle Creek as seen from the last of the six bridges.

The Visitor Center near Vikingsholm.

There are very interesting displays of the history of Vikingsholm here, but the only way for visitors to get here is on foot - 1.7 miles from Eagle Point Campground or 1 mile on a much steeper trail from the Vikingsholm parking lot on Highway 89. Here there are of course souvenirs to purchase, and ice cream! I treat myself with an ice cream bar on the way back from a long hike which I did on this day.

A view of the side and back of Vikingsholm.

Some beautiful bush Lupine.

More flowers in front of Vikingsholm.

Some purple penstemon.

This whale(?) shaped rock decorated with rock "teeth" and other features looks much the same as it did last summer. It is located along the trail between Vikingsholm and Boat Camp.

A bridge on the way.

The entrance to Boat Camp, about 1 mile past Vikingsholm.

Years ago when I kayaked around Lake Tahoe this was one of the places we camped.

The only way to get here to camp is to boat or hike in.

Looking at Mount Tallac from the north west side of Emerald Bay.

The stand of dead trees on the ridge across the bay is where the Overlook that I go to each morning at Eagle Point Campground is.

Past Boat camp just before crossing the "peninsula" where Emerald Point is.

This is a view of the entrance to Emerald Bay from the main body of Lake Tahoe with Eagle Point visible on the right.

The trail goes right through this broken boulder as it crosses the peninsula and heads toward the main part of Lake Tahoe.

Emerging on the beach with Emerald Bay behind me.

The pretty water on the shoreline as I head toward Calawee Cove

Two ducks on a rock.

Just a few of the stairs I will climb.

One of many stellar views from the trail.

Some more stairs.

A creek crossing the trail with stepping stones to cross.

Another beautiful view.

Looking back toward Emerald Point.

You can see both Eagle Point and Emerald Point in this picture, and Freel Peak in the distance.

The trail goes through heavy forest for a ways before there are more views of the lake.

Looking back at Mt. Tallac.

Lots of these interesting rock formations as the trail approaches Calawee Cove.

A boardwalk over a steep drop off.

The chains are there for good reason here on Rubicon Point.

The pretty water of Calawee Cove.

The end (or beginning) of the trail.

And now I start back towards Eagle Point Campground, and an ice cream bar on the way.

Unusual clouds on the evening of July 3, from the Overlook at Eagle Point Campground .

Though the cats are no longer living and traveling with us, I will still post pictures of them from their happy island home with daughter Erin on Angel Island. She has informed us that we can't have them back.