Our 2025 Season at Tahoe Comes to a Close
Shawn, me, Naomi, Jacob and Sophia.
With my mountain behind as we leave Eagle Lake on Labor Day.
August 1 - I never tire of the beauty of Tahoe.
Beautiful clouds!
Amazingly Clear Skies, especially for August
Young Bear, August 4.
This bear was alone when I saw it in the morning. I figured it was a newly weaned cub (about 18 months old). We didn't see it's mother, but later in the day when we saw it again campers reported seeing a larger brown bear chasing this one up a tree. I told the campers that was most likely the mother encouraging it to go out on its own. The campers didn't think so because they saw the two fighting. Yep, that was Momma practicing tough love and sending this little one to fend for itself.
Hmm...What's Rob up to?
Where I sit at the Overlook area in the mornings.
The view in front of my chair.
Moon rise on August 6.
Sunrise on August 7.
More of August 7 sunrise.
And still more.
Moon Rise, August 7.
And from a distance.
Kayak Paddle, August 8.
The trees of Emerald Point reflecting in the water.
The beach where I would land.
After my brief morning paddle we headed to Mount Rose Campground where Rob's sister and brother-in-law were camping with their tear drop trailer friends. They had visited us the day before at our campsite, and now we hung out with them for awhile at 9,000 feet. I had stayed in the Mount Rose Campground 9 years ago while on my hike around the lake on the Tahoe Rim Trail. Good memories, and a good visit with Dolores and Jerome.
August 9, beginning of hike to Dicks and Fontanelle Lakes.
Lake Tahoe behind me as viewed from the top of the Emerald Bay Slide.
Looking across Emerald Bay from the slide.
Peak view of Granite Lake.
I love dead trees!
On the top of the ridge between the Maggies with my mountain behind me.
No, it's not a lake, but a pretty reflecting pool.
It's still spring in the mountains.
More "spring" flowers, August 9.
Dicks Lake.
Swimming Hole #30.
Fontanelle Lake
It's quite close to Dicks Lake, but a half mile or so by trail to get to it.
I kept my swimsuit and sandals on for the hike.
Swimming Hole #31.
Heading back down the trail.
The hike totaled something over 11 miles.
Moon setting on August 10.
This VERY hot fire of coals was left burning by campers on the morning of August 11.
It took two 5 gallon buckets of water for us to put it out!
The really annoying thing about this particular fire is that the night before we had put out an unattended fire in the same campsite. Campers are usually pretty good about putting out their fires when they leave a campsite, but we do get the occasional neglectful or forgetful ones. Many folks are surprised that campfires are allowed since they are not allowed anywhere in the National Forests around Lake Tahoe. We have been told that no wildfire has ever been started by a California State Park camp fire, but even so, proper fire handling needs to be followed at all times. It was unusual, but for a few days in a row we were putting out lots of fires.
August 13, another day off, and another kayak paddle.
This is the first time I've seen a boat anchored off our beach.
It was gone by the time I finished my kayak excursion.
The lake was really calm on this morning, so I decided to paddle toward Rubicon Point.
An Osprey in a tree above me as I paddled by the shore.
Some rocks on my way.
Rubicon Point is just around the point of trees visible in this picture.
I turned around before getting there.
Rocks on the way back.
And a little creek entering the lake here.
On Thursday, August 14 we visited friends at Sugar Pine Point State Park and near Tahoe City. Lindsey is a park aide at Samuel P Taylor State Park where we host over the winter. Her family has a house in Homewood near Sugar Pine Point so we met her there for a visit, catching up on all the news from our beautiful redwood park. Then we went to the home of Peter and Bonnie in Cedar Flat. They are long time friends and were members of Kings Beach UMC when I was the pastor there from 2001 to 2012. During our visit we swapped bear stories. The week before a bear had knocked down their front door at 3:00 AM. Fortunately the bear left when Peter yelled, but they had quite a scare, and an expensive repair. I think they've lived in that house well over 30 years and this was a first experience of its kind. The bears at Tahoe are definitely getting more aggressive and skilled in their pursuit of human food!
Other friends at Tallac Historic site, August 15.
Left to right: Lisa, Rob, me, Rebecca and her husband Hank.
Sophie is in the front.
Lisa and Eric (Eric was taking the picture) were also members of the Kings Beach Church when I was there. Rebecca followed me as pastor of Eureka First UMC and is now the pastor at Truckee where Lisa and Eric are now active at Church of the Mountains in Truckee. We chose the dog friendly venues of Tallac Historic Site, Kiva Beach and Taylor Creek Visitor Center for our outing.
Swimming Hole #32.
It was Lisa who inspired me to swim more often when we swam in Donner Lake after a hike last August. She reminded me that Eric and I "competed" to see who went in the lake the most when we paddled around the lake in 2006. We pretty much went in the water every time we pulled on shore for a rest.
August 16.
This was the same bear we'd seen earlier in the month. We heard reports of this one in the campground several times, but it didn't seem to get in much trouble. No breaking and entering, just opportunistic grabbing when campers were careless about leaving something unsecured. And in this picture you can see a pine cone in its mouth which we watched it sit down to dismantle and eat the parts that offered nutrition.
The next time we saw a bear was on August 26 when we saw a larger black one with an ear tag going over a hill between campsites, but no evidence of it getting in trouble.
Early morning, August 17.
Pretty pink and grey clouds over the mountains above Emerald Bay.
Realizing a day trip to Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite from Emerald Bay was possible we scheduled an outing there for our day off on August 21. Then we decided it would be better to go to Lee Vining the day before and have more time in the park on Thursday the 21. I found a number of options for lodging with availability, but we decided to "wing it" and not make a reservation. It turned out to be an excellent choice! The first place we came to before Lee Vining was the one I'd almost made a reservation for. It had lots of charm and a beautiful right across the highway view of Mono Lake, but other than the resorts limited property there was absolutely no place for me to walk. Being able to go for a walk or hike right outside my door is my number 1 criteria for anywhere I stay or live! The second place that was in town looked OK, but it had no view. I felt like Goldilocks looking for what was just right! We found it at the "Lake View Lodge." The majority of the rooms are across the highway from the Mono Lake Side, but they had 4 rooms on the Lake side with a "peak" view of the lake, and best of all the rooms were immediately adjacent to a trail head. Sold! We didn't find dinner in a walkable distance, but it was a short drive away, and we enjoyed a walk around town later, and a frosty at the local burger/frosty stand that we have frequented in the past. And Thursday morning while Rob slept in I got a sunrise view from my chair behind our room and an early morning 3 mile round trip hike to the Mono Lake visitor Center before we had breakfast at the beautiful gardens at the Lodge's restaurant across the street.
Mural on the end of the building where our room was.
And you can see a sliver of Mono Lake!
A view of an island in Mono Lake as seen on our Wednesday evening walk around Lee Vining.
Sunrise, Thursday, August 31.
I sat in a chair right behind our room to write in my morning journal on Thursday morning. This picture and the following one were taken one right after the other, but I pointed the phone camera in different directions, thus the difference in lighting. The real view was something in between the two!
Also Sunrise, Thursday, August 31, same view, different focus.
I love the wide open sage brush country!
And I love the mountains, the Redwoods, the ocean...
I love it all!
Interesting history of Mono Lake and Lee Vining Creek at the beginning of the trail.
An Aspen grove at the start of the trail.
There was lush riparian vegetation near the start of the trail by our motel.
But further down the vegetation is still recovering from a fire in 1954,
and long years of drought from water being diverted to Los Angeles.
My first peak of the lake from the trail.
Looking to the distant hills and mountains.
Beautiful Mono Lake.
Mono Lake Visitor Center at the end of Lee Vining Creek Trail.
Lee Vining Creek below me.
Looking across the creek.
Thursday morning after breakfast we proceeded up the Tioga Pass Road. I can't believe that I took no pictures of that dramatic road and high mountain peaks. We've been on the road before, but I think it was over 30 years ago. In some ways it was less scary than previously experienced perhaps because we have become so accustomed to Hwy 89 around Emerald Bay and what folks refer to as "the spine." The drop off is less than that on Tioga Pass Road, but near our campground on the spine and some other sections there is zero shoulder and no guard rails! Though speed was faster on the Tioga Pass Road, there as room between the edge of the pavement and the sheer drop off.
A squirrel that looks like a prairie dog in Tuolumne Meadows.
Us with Lembert Dome behind.
Lembert Dome.
We had climbed to the top of this when we camped here over 30 years ago. Actually, the rest of the family made it to the tip top, the height freaked me out and I only made it to where the granite curved down on three sides! On this day we settled for a short hike across the valley to Parson's Lodge, an historic Sierra Club dwelling.
Parsons Lodge.
Obviously in restored condition.
Another view.
A boulder looking like Elephant Skin.
Tenaya Lake where I would go for a swim.
Swimming hole #33
Back at Emerald Bay near Vikingsholm.
This is the largest Ponderosa Pine Tree I have ever seen.
Most pines at Lake Tahoe level are Jeffrey Pines, but there are a view Ponderosas, and I'm told there are some hybrids of the two, but this one is definitely a Ponderosa.
Sunrise, August 23.
Fannette Island reflected in the early morning water.
Sunrise view to the north, August 24.
Sunrise looking east, August 24.
More sunrise August 24.
Stormy looking skies, August 26.
We did get some more thunder and lightening and rain, but fortunately we were out of camp and off duty for the worst of it. It of course filled up the parking for two campsites again - Rob wouldn't be cleaning them out before the campground closed.
Sun glowing on the tree in front of me after I turned to look the opposite way.
Diminished water fall, August 27.
Wednesday morning, August 27, I hiked down the Rubicon Trail to Emerald Bay and then up to the viewing point for Lower Eagle Falls between morning and noon rounds. The continuing cloud cover made for a pleasantly cool hike. This would be the last time I'd see the falls before next June when they should be full and rushing again.
Some of our family came to visit for Labor Day Weekend: Grandson Jacob, Son Shawn and Cheryl and their children and a friend of Cheryl's. Jacob got there first so we asked him to help us switch out the now dead battery in LesThora, the RV. Seemed like a simple enough project until Jacob discovered a corroded and severed battery cable. After three trips to South Lake Tahoe for parts and a full day's work, Jacob had us fully operational again. Whew!
Jacob in a shirt of Rob's since he hadn't brought any work clothes.
Rob wears this shirt a lot, so it was kind of weird to see Jacob in it.
On Sunday most of us went to the beach to play, including me. I went for a brief paddle in the kayak, while Jacob paddle boarded and Sophia and Naomi played in the water, then Cheryl got on the paddle board and we paddled together for awhile. I've never seen so many people on our little Eagle Point Beach. The campground was the fullest I think we've ever seen it.
Paddling back to the crowded beach.
Naomi giving the paddle board a try.
And now she's in my kayak.
Naomi on the left in the kayak and Sophia on the right on the paddle board.
I was so happy Monday that I got Jacob, Shawn, Sophia and Naomi to hike up to Eagle Lake with me. Shawn and the girls had hiked there with me two years ago, but it was not a happy memory since it started raining and turned cold. I didn't dare remind the girls that they'd been up there before, but half way up the trail Naomi recognized it, and at the lake they both had a good time this trip. Perfect weather, though the lake was cold - colder than Tahoe we all decided.
Naomi and Sophia in the water - they did get all the way in.
Naomi on a rope swing - she did go into the lake from it once.
Jacob swinging on the rope, but he went back to shore.
Shawn beginning to swing with Jacob watching.
He also didn't go in the water.
But I did, but not from the swing.
Swimming hole #34
The first time on this side of Eagle Lake since I started this challenge.
After we returned from Eagle Lake, Rob joined me and Shawn and the girls to go for our last Camp Richardson Ice Cream Cone of the season, and Rob and I began preparations to leave on Tuesday, September 2.
Naomi and Sophia at the counter in the ice cream parlor.
The same counter a bear was on the other side of just a week or so ago!
The last ice cream of the season for us!
Before the final packing up to exit the park on Tuesday, I went for one more kayak paddle. I had hoped to be on the lake for the sunrise, but I got a late start. It was a pretty magnificent sunrise that I saw on the way to the lake.
Sunrise, September 2.
Still a pretty sky as I began.
With the mountains behind me, and rather ominous clouds.
By the time we left camp after 2:00 PM those clouds brought thunder showers that followed us almost all the way home to Colfax.
Though I missed sunrise, I certainly didn't miss a beautiful sky!
Eagle Point.
It took me awhile to decide which direction I would go:
Stay in the bay, go to my favorite cove to the left, or to Baldwin Beach.
I turned right around the point and headed to Baldwin, hoping to see otters or a bear.
It was well after sunrise, but oh the sky!
Heading to the beach.
Landed!
My gear after I got in my chair.
Ducks before me - I think they thought they'd get a treat.
Not from me!
See the bear bidding me goodbye for the season!
This was a longed for sighting of a bear from the water. I've certainly seen plenty of bears over the past five summers, but never one when I was in the lake. Seemed like a fitting farewell.
A zoomed in view.
And just as the rain drops began to fall, we were ready to roll!
The pets in Colfax, Roseville and Big Basin are being camera shy, and I don't have time to wait for them - leaving on a jet plane tomorrow, Thursday, September 4 - will write about that new adventure later!
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