June at Lake Tahoe: Bears, Lots of Bears
"The most beautiful ride in the wilderness!"
Coming up the hill from the lower campground at Eagle Point Campground, Emerald Bay State Park.
On Tuesday, June 13, we headed up to Lake Tahoe to begin our third summer as volunteer Campground Hosts at Eagle Point Campground on Emerald Bay. The campground would not open until Friday, but we wanted to be settled in and help out some with getting the campground ready before the campers arrived. First on our agenda was walking from our "Penthouse" site at the top of the hill near the campground entrance down to where the other Campground Hosts have their site. The other hosts, Steve and Lisa, are new this year and this is their first time at being Campground Hosts. They have been on the road full time in their Class C motorhome, and doing other travels, for the past two years and decided to experience what it would be like to stay in one campground for a few months serving as hosts. They are younger than us, but with many similar travel experiences, and are wonderful to work with and trade off our responsibilities with. Our usual "work" schedule is to be on duty 3 days and off 3 days.
We would spend our few days before the campground opened picking up some trash, hanging signs, and exploring the area that is now quite familiar to us. Because of the heavy snow year in the mountains all the state parks along Lake Tahoe opened later than usual. There was no snow left at lake level when we arrived, but the mountain tops still had a heavy covering, and high country trails were still buried in mid June. Park maintenance had their hands full readying everything for the campers. Our campground had a sizable lake of melted snow water covering part of the camp road and several campsites. That water had to be pumped out two weeks before we arrived. The day before opening day, Thursday, June 15, I went down to Sacramento for the opening day of the California Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and attended the Retired Clergy Lunch and the Clergy Session. Annual Conference would run through Sunday, but because of the campground opening weekend I only attended a few hours. It was good to connect with colleagues, though briefly.
7:30 PM, June 13, 2023
Freel Peak and Heavenly Valley Ski Resort, June 13, in the evening.
Mt. Tallac, June 13, in the evening.
Dick's Pass with Tallac to the left and Maggie's Peaks to the right, June 13.
And finally, "My Mountain" standing above Eagle Falls and Emerald Bay, June 13.
A panorama shot from the Overlook on Wednesday morning, June 14.
Sunset from our campsite, June 14.
A Grouse on a rock in the campground.
These birds look a lot like a chicken, and also the Ptarmigans we saw in Alaska.
I was eager to hike down to Emerald Bay, so Friday morning, June 16, before the campground gate was unlocked for the season I hiked down the Rubicon Trail.
Melting snow flowing under the first of six bridges I would cross.
I've never seen this much water in this seasonal creek.
Looking up Eagle Creek from the last of the bridges, June 16.
Lower Eagle Falls with a faint Rainbow at the bottom, June 16.
Evening of June 17 from the Overlook.
Though it is the same lake, trees and mountains, the view is constantly changing!
A Song Sparrow serenading me at the Overlook on Sunday morning, June 18.
Closer view.
Son Shawn getting a cell signal next to our campsite.
Our cell phone reception is pretty poor at our campsite, but climbing up on the ridge next to us (or on a rock) and facing South Lake Tahoe we can usually get a pretty good signal. Shawn and his friend Cheryl came up for the day on June 18, Father's Day.
Rob and Shawn looking pretty serious about their Ladder Ball game.
Clear blue morning, June 19.
Looking across Fannette Island to "My Mountain" above.
I was eager to hike up to Eagle Lake, to see if there was remaining snow up there, and to visit one of my favorite places in the whole world. I first camped on Eagle Lake at the end of a backpack trip in the summer of 1964 when I was 13 years old. I fell in love with the spot then, and it has remained special to me ever since. "My Mountain" is above it to the north and above Emerald Bay to the South West. Monday, June 19 was our first day off, so I headed down the Rubicon Trail again to Vikingsholm and then up the steep one mile trail to Highway 89, across the highway and up another mile to Eagle Lake. The Eagle Lake Trail is one of the most popular short hikes in the Tahoe Basin, so it's hardly a solitary adventure, but it remains beautiful and pristine despite the hundreds of people who hike there.
A beautiful old Cedar tree near Vikingsholm on the shore of Emerald Bay.
Closer view of the Cedar Tree.
In front of a giant Ponderosa Pine.
Ponderosas are unusual in the Tahoe area - they usually don't grow at this elevation, but this one and others are thriving near Vikingsholm by the bay. In our campground we have the similar Jeffrey Pines. In the backyard of the home I grew up in near Grass Valley we had several old growth Ponderosas. There are a few different ways to tell the difference between Ponderosa and Jeffrey Pines, but my favorite is by their cones. Ponderosas have prickly pine cones that you wouldn't want to play catch with, but the usually larger Jeffrey cones are gentle to the touch and you can play catch with them: Prickly Ponderosa, Gentle Jeffrey.
Looking back across the bay as I climb up the steep trail to the Highway.
Upper Eagle Falls on the trail up toward Eagle Lake.
This large tree was across the trail and I wasn't sure I could get across it.
After watching several other hikers I figured the best approach, so I continued.
A small patch of snow next to the trail just before reaching Eagle Lake.
Beautiful Eagle Lake!
Lots of people on the shore.
"My Mountain" as seen from the lake.
Where the creek exits the lake.
It will be awhile before the water is low enough for me to safely cross this.
A Mallard Duck swimming in Eagle Lake.
A seasonal water fall as viewed on my way back down the trail.
Looking across Emerald Bay on my way back down to Vikingsholm.
After reaching the bottom I would then hike back up to the top of the ridge on the other side.
Sun going down behind Jake's Peak, June 19, as viewed from the Overlook.
A stand of old trees, most of them dead, at the Overlook with Mt. Tallac behind.
There was one more large dead tree last summer, but it fell this winter.
I wonder how long the others will remain standing.
Beautiful colors in the lake, June 22.
Looking into Emerald Bay from the Overlook, June 22.
Doing some trail maintenance.
We don't often do trail maintenance, other than picking up trash, at Tahoe, but this tree across a short trail in the campground was the right size for Rob to take care of with his bush saw.
Here comes Cheeto!
We think this is the bear some campers named Cheeto because he stole a bag of Cheetos.
We saw this bear as we were walking back from a Park Campfire program that was all about the American Black Bears that live in the Lake Tahoe area. The "Black" Bears come in a variety of colors ranging from quite blonde to black. Apparently 90% of the American Black Bears west of the Mississippi River are some color other than black - apparently an adaptation for the west's intense sun and heat. East of the Mississippi 90% of Black Bears are actually black, but they are all the same kind of bear. The latest estimate of the bear population at Lake Tahoe is that there are 500 in the 500 square mile lake basin, and 200 square miles of that is the lake, so in effect there are about 1 1/2 bears per square mile! That's a lot of bears, and they are increasingly habituating to eating human food in the form of unsecured garbage, and campers' food. We have strict guidelines in the State Park for keeping food locked up, day and night, unless actually being prepared or eaten. A lot of our work as campground hosts at Eagle Point is reminding folks of the guidelines. If food is left out of the locked food lockers and no one is in a campsite we try to put it away and leave a notice telling them they have a Food Violation, and that by putting the food away we have saved them a very expensive citation. If the food can't be fitted into the food lockers we call a ranger to come take care of it.
Meanwhile, we have also gotten very good at persuading the bears to move out of the campground area by clapping our hands, approaching them and yelling, "Go Bear!" One day we heard the continual honking of car horns that almost always means there is a bear in camp. We hopped in the Gator and drove to the commotion. There were at least 3 cars honking, whistles blowing and people yelling. A bear was at the top of a campsite looking out at what was going on, but not moving. I jumped out of the Gator, started clapping and moving toward the bear who immediately took off. Rob continued the chase until the bear went over the hill - to check out other food sources. We have done a lot more persuading bears to leave this season than in our previous two summers here. And we're apparently getting a reputation. One day while doing camp checks we stopped at a campsite where a family had just arrived. One little boy asked if we were the "Bear Hunters." We've definitely seen more bears than in previous years, and several different ones, none with ear tags to more easily identify them. Of course that means one needs to be able to read the number on the tag which is not easy to do. Rob has seen more bears than I have. The first one he saw was a big brown one looking in the driver's window of the motorhome on the first evening we were at Eagle Point. I missed it because I was out walking. He saw a smaller blond one the next day walking around our campsite, again while I was out walking. You may ask, aren't I scared to encounter a bear when I'm out alone? No, I am not afraid of our Black Bears, but I definitely respect them!
Cheeto is a beautiful bear!
But we don't want him trying to get into campers' food.
Rob finding the sun to read.
June's temperatures were pretty cool - typical June at Lake Tahoe.
Lupine at the Overlook.
June 25, Myers, near South Lake Tahoe.
There were still Lilacs blooming!
The beautiful boardwalk on the beautiful Rainbow Trail at the visitor center.
A Swallowtail Butterfly along the Rainbow Trail.
Aspen Grove along the Rainbow Trail.
A view of Mt. Tallac, Maggie's Peaks, "My Mountain" and Jake's Peak from the Rainbow Trail.
Back at the Overlook at Eagle Point on the morning of June 26.
Since we had so much fun riding the bicycles on Sunday, June 25, we decided to ride them again on Monday the 26th, this time starting at the visitor center and riding to the west end of the bike trail before heading to the library and lunch in South Lake Tahoe. It was another beautiful day with lots of wildflowers and a couple of flooded sections of the trail. There was still lots of melting snow!
A fine example of a Snow Plant.
This parasitical plant comes up in the forests of Tahoe shortly after the snow melts.
This one was growing near the bike trail.
Lush and beautiful Lupine along the bike trail.
Tuesday, June 27, the third and final day of our three day off rotation I decided to head down the Rubicon Trail to visit Boat Camp for the first time this season. The weather was still relatively cool, making for a very enjoyable hike.
What is it?
A whale? A monster?
It made me smile to see that folks keep decorating this rock.
There are always slight variations each time I see it on the trail between Vikingsholm and Boat Camp.
On the way back from boat camp looking out to the opening of the bay.
Wednesday evening, June 28, Rob encouraging a bear to leave the campground.
Ceanothus in fuller bloom than I have ever seen it.
Due to all the snow and moisture the wildflowers have been incredibly luscious this year.
Ceanothus up close.
There were lots of bees buzzing on this one!
Another Grouse on a rock, June 29.
In previous seasons I had only seen Grouse before camp opened, but this year they have made more appearances. Their coloring sure does blend in!
It is already late July as I post this, but this blog is already long, and there are more bears and more adventures in July to share - in the future!
On our periodic visits to Colfax we get to visit Strauss and Elsie who are quite content to be house cats. Granddaughter Avi adores them and tells us repeatedly that we can't take them back.
Strauss lounging on the counter.
Elsie behind Rob, Strauss leaving because I'm taking a picture!
Loved seeing these!!
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