Tahoe NF
|
Stevens Trail Tahoe NF |
May 20, 2011
This is the first sunny day in several weeks, so an outing is overdue.
The route starts off with a big downhill run, then a short uphill and another downhill. After a mile or so, a pleasant little waterfall appears.
The last time I was here, the creek was dry
Most of the usual floral suspects finally are blooming.
Woolly Sunflower
Sweet Pea
Silver Lupine
Heartleaf Milkweed
Beyond a somewhat tricky creek crossing, the trail becomes more interesting as it approaches the American River Canyon itself.
A trailside cave offers a diversion, and there always is time to visit with the photogenic orange and yellow dudleya.
A former mine, or just a hole?
Canyon Liveforever
In the distance is the bridge on Iowa Hill Road, which represents a 'shortcut' from Weimar to Foresthill.
North Fork of the American River
More flowers cover the hillside, especially the huge apricot-colored
monkeyflowers in great numbers.
Spring Madia
Red-seeded Dandelion
Checkerbloom
Notch-petaled Bush Monkeyflower
Crusts fungus
A smaller variety of monkeyflower adorns a spring
Just past the 3-mile mark, a spur trail heads down to the river bank, and that is as far as I went on my previous outing here some fifteen years ago. Today my feet are feeling pretty good, so I believe that I will see it through and go the extra mile.
Getting close to the river
Around the bend I run into a trailside campsite. The man in the lounge chair is too deeply involved in his puzzle book to bother acknowledging my presence — or so he would have me believe.
A most unusual campsite
Fording a small stream, I reach a camp sporting a fire pit filled with
unburnable materials. This is not an attractive place. Continuing
upstream on a non-trail, I find solace among the rocks that have been
smoothed by high water flow.
It is quite pleasant here
After resting my feet and finishing off my gorp, it is time to head back.
Western Buttercup
Rock Phacelia
Ahead is that long open stretch. I really should have brought my hat today to help battle the sun.
It is half a mile to the next shady spot
I manage to capture a couple of butterflies in action — always an
iffy proposition. I meet up with a pair of nature buffs who think it's
cool to live in Cool — Cool, California, that is. I hope
that I have remembered their names correctly.
Leafy Fleabane
Checkerspots like Gilia
Quartz deposit
Howard and Traci, from Cool
Back at the little waterfall, some folks are finding the crossing to be a bit of a challenge.
A bicycle-friendly detour is available, but what fun would that be?
From here on the route climbs in earnest. Nearly all of the elevation gain occurs in this final third of the route. About a mile from the trailhead, I cross a 4WD road just in time; for just behind me, several machines roar by.
The steady incline is relatively easy to negotiate
§: This was a pleasant spring outing that I probably will repeat,
if only because of its convenient location. Stopping at the first river
access point is as good as continuing to the end of the trail.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality | |
| Flowers |  |
| Solitude |  |
