Desolation Wilderness
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Meeks Creek Lakes Desolation Wilderness |
June 2, 2018
Today I will venture onto another one of those Tahoe-area trails that have
been quite close to my home for most of my life, yet which I never have
explored. This one just happens to be the northern terminus of the
famed Tahoe-Yosemite Trail, which existed long before the creation of
the Pacific Crest Trail that now shares some of the route.
According to my reading, the first part of this journey is a mundane stroll on a flat roadway; so the plan is to cover that ground on my bicycle as far as possible.
The path does look friendly enough
Twice I must walk my 48-pound street-model cruiser around a big mud puddle, and some sand in the roadway slows me down in places; but otherwise, there are just a few bumps to negotiate. This is good. Having just saved myself nearly three miles of overall walking, I now can venture farther up the trail.
Rubicon Peak is on my bucket list; but it's mostly off-trail going
A short mile and a half up the road, the stopping place is obvious when a little trail starts climbing up the hillside. Bikes are not permitted beyond this point in any case, because a wilderness boundary is just ahead.
Stashing my 48-pound Schwinn
Hikers only from here
First flora — Snowplants
First humans — six resting backpackers
There isn't much to see yet, in the deep forest. Occasionally there are sounds from Meeks Creek, yet it mostly remains out of sight.
Trudging along
Finally a view of sorts
The trail alternates between easy and rough. After an even mile of slogging:
A permit is in my pocket
I have not photographed one of these previously:
Mourning Cloak
Where do they come up with such silly names, anyway? Being perhaps
the state's longest-living butterfly, it is known to be active even in
the winter.
Nearing a spring
Tall and beautiful
I had read that the first bridge was broken; and surely enough, one of the logs has collapsed near this end, making an easy crossing into something of a challenge:
It looks like fun, though
They didn't spare a lot of expense on that repair; but the blame for that
goes to the governmental budget, not the Forest Service. I walk across
on the lower left-hand log, which is a bit wobbly, which makes it more
difficult. Boy, my balance just isn't what it used to be. This
crossing should have been a virtual non-event.
I've no idea what this is supposed to represent
The environs are nicer up in here
Sometimes the trail is easy —
Sometimes it's not
Presently the first in a chain of lakes appears. Albeit pretty enough, it is relatively unexciting.
Lake Genevieve
A group of young backpackers overtakes me, led by a german shepherd carrying its own stuff.
The lead dog is in charge...
...until it isn't
The next body of water is Crag Lake, which is much bigger than Genevieve,
but is not particularly photo-worthy; so I keep on going.
As per the map, I must cross Meeks Creek eventually. The several rocks
above water-level suggest a workable route; yet I hesitate halfway
through the first step after planting one foot on a rock that is an inch
under running water. If either foot were to slip on the wet rock, I would
fall in for sure, and perhaps hurt myself or even drown my new camera as well.
For the second time in an hour, lack of confidence in my balance reminds me that I'm getting old. In any case, there must be a safer way to cross with all the fallen timber around. A couple hundred feet upstream is a usable alternative.
A problematical crossing
I'll cross here, on the log
The next lake is a couple hundred feet down
Hidden Lake and Peak 8721
The waterfall is noisy, yet hard to see
A good place to munch some gorp
Oddly enough, I am sitting just two crow-flies miles from the Meeks Bay housing area. It's a safe bet that most of those residents have not ventured over here.
The crag doesn't even have a name
Now I'd like to head back without retracing that steep route. After starting down the creek, some useful cairns appear.
Someone else has come this way
Presently I am back at the crossing that was rejected earier.
This time, however, the tops of the key footholds are dry; so I take the
big non-plunge and cross in four long, quick steps.
You're not so tough
Crag Lake Island
Back at Lake Genevieve, today's best photo-op
On the way back, I must check out a couple of the noisier sections of flowing water.
Meeks Creek
A hiker stops me, asking whether I have just passed a couple with a dog. Yes, I saw them about five minutes ago. He wants to return a blanket that the couple had inadvertently left somewhere.
Following the man are some creatures that I have not previously encounterd on a trail.
That guy's horns are covered by plastic balls
The poor thing looks like a big Christmas decoration. These goats are amazing, though. They both wait patiently for me to pass; but when I stop to take pictures, they start up and politely amble on by.
Continuing up the trail unsupervised, just as if they had mapped out the route
Plenty of sun
Plenty of shade
Back at Broken Bridge, a man is fiddling with his equipment at the other end; so I cross first, making it look as if this is some sort of difficult maneuver.
Balancing his way across on the top log
Meeks Creek Falls, I suppose
Big Blue in the distance
Even in death, it's trying to hang on
Two young women overtake me, and ask how I'm doing. When I respond with something stupid such as, "Maybe I'm getting too old for this shit", one of them responds, "You're doing a lot better that someone sitting on a couch".
They are walking fast, but I will beat them to the finish line
The bicycle ride back is uneventful, and soon my 12-mile odyssey is complete.
§: This was an interesting outing that featured my first encounter
with pack goats, my first one-way-only creek crossing, and the first time
I have used a bike on a trail itself. Had I not been able to arrange the
mechanized support, I never would have walked as far as Hidden Lake. I really
do need some new wheels, though, or at least lower gearing for my current bike.
This area's scenery, though, is relatively lacking in pizzaz; and I would not recommend it to anyone. This was easily the least rewarding hike that I have taken in the Tahoe Basin. Some interesting stuff did happen on the trail, though; so I had a reasonable day.
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