Ted's Hiking World Dardanelles Lake
Eldorado National Forest

October 9, 2016

Last year I went down this trail to Round Lake, which I had previously visited in 1974 on one of my first backpacks.  Inexplicably I never have ventured over to the other nearby lakes in the area.  The ample parking lot is nearly full when I arrive at 9:30 a.m.  I certainly had not expected that.

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It is 42 degrees as I start out.  I put on a hat, gloves, and a sweatshirt, knowing that they surely will become dead weight after the air temperature rises into the 'sixties.

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The Tahoe Rim Trail is biker-friendly, so they use it

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There has been some snow already

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At Big Meadow, a doggie takes a double-dip

Already, three groups of backpackers have passed by.  It is Sunday, and those folks are headed home.

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Easy walking

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There is enough fall color to be interesting

A lot of deadwood has been collected into piles.  Because of the big Angora Fire of 2007, such cleanup now is standard practice throughout the Tahoe Basin.  Why the conditions for that devastating conflagration were allowed to build up over the prior 150 years is another matter.

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It even snowed down here within the last week

After about 700 feet of climbing I reach a mini-summit.  It should be all downhill now.

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Little Round Top and the Showers Lake are up there somewhere

The long switchback that commences didn't exist until they made this into the Tahoe Rim Trail and had to accommodate bikes.  The original section was too steep.

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An unlikely traffic sign in the middle of the wilderness

At the end of the long downhill is a trail junction; I head toward the right.  Not much farther on is another junction; this time I turn left.  The Forest Service's nice signposts are most helpful.

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This is the way

Just ahead is one of the prettiest creek crossings I have seen.  Just enough big boulders have been set in place to allow one to hop across the Round Lake drainage without getting wet.

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This is why I go hiking

After negotiating another ford just like this one, I encounter about thirty more backpackers.  That explains all the cars in the parking lot.  After that, a final hundred-foot climb finishes the task.  I have arrived.

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First view of Dardanelles Lake

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Looking west

Should I circle the lake?  It looks as if there is some walking room at the base of the cliff, after clambering over a big pile of boulders.  I will try it.

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Starting over toward the cliff

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A very private campsite on the south shore

The boulder pile is more challenging than I had anticipated.  At one point I get cliffed-out and must find another way.  The fun is increased by the fact that most of the ground and some of the rocks are covered by icy snow.

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No sunlight comes over here anymore

Actually, because this venture is working out, it is most enjoyable.

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There are many boot prints over here

Once past the cliff, I must climb up thirty or forty feet, then down again in order to reacquire the lake shore.  A nice use trail awaits me back here.

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At the west end of the lake

At a campsite I meet a nice man named Jeff who is here with his daughter and her boyfriend.  Jeff, who hails from the Napa Valley, is principally involved with Meetups.com so he knows a lot of hikers.  He promises that he will peruse these hiking pages and possibly acquaint some others with Ted's World  as well.

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Preparing to break camp

It's a good thing that there is no breeze; otherwise, half of Jeff's stuff would be in the lake by now.

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The northern arm of Dardanelles Lake

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Crossing the outlet that flows to the Upper Truckee River

After finding a sunny spot for stopping to munch some grapes and gorp, I shortcut back to the trail.

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Back at Second Ford

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Fireweed
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Bull Thistle

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A beautiful cedar

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Snow left over from last week's storm

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First Ford

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Round Lake is over by those cliffs

Those dardanelles are overlooking the wrong lake!  Go figure.

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Waterhouse Peak is on my bucket list

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Back at Big Meadow

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Mount Tallac is seven miles distant

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The biker beats me to the highway


§: On this perfect hiking day, John Muir was right again; for I received more than I sought.  That's how it is in the Sierra.

Scenery *
Difficulty *
Solitude *

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