Tahoe Rim Trail-Day 2

18.5 Miles Hiked (Star Lake to Round Lake)

I woke up to a beautiful and chilly morning. The lake was so calm and peaceful and I would have loved to stay longer, but I wanted to have a leisurely day of hiking and I knew I’d encounter plenty of beauty to replace this scene.

I encountered so many mountain bikers! I only came across about 4 or 5 hikers but probably 20 cyclists. These trails look great for riding, some parts more technical and challenging than others, and I was in awe of a young girl (probably about 12 years old) just owning the trail like a boss with her dad behind her. She casually rode by me going uphill, barely winded, with a big ol’ grin on her face!

In addition to other humans, I saw oodles of chipmunks and ground squirrels, a deer, several quail, and lots of song birds.

So many mountain bike tracks on the trail–more than footprints through this section!

Blue sky for days!

I had lunch overlooking Lake Tahoe and still can’t get over the beauty of this region. I took my shoes and socks off while I ate and discovered that the yellow jackets here are way less interested in my food than they are my sweaty socks! Definitely less aggressive than the yellow jackets I encounter back home, and it’s strange that they’re not a constant nuisance while I eat, for the most part.

Pesky little buggers, but at least they never stung me

Kitty loves having his picture made in front of vistas

After lunch, the miles ticked by, and aside from my back chafing some where my pack is rubbing, my feet and legs feel awesome!

Fourteen and a half miles in, I was supposed to wrap up my day at a fee free forest service campground, about half a mile off the trail. I started day dreaming as I got closer to it that I’d encounter a sweet retired couple in their massive RV who would want to know what I was up to with my big backpack on. I’d tell them and they’d jump at the chance to be a trail angel and offer me a cold lemonade, or even better, a cold beer! Instead, I walked in to find one lone car with music booming from it and not a single camper in sight. The sound system was probably worth more than the car. On the windshield was a sign that read, “homeless artist.” I hoped whoever it belonged to was just passing through since I didn’t see a tent anywhere. I chose a spot as far as from it as I could and then walked by the car to head to the bathroom. A guy emerged from the car, clearly under the influence of something, and said, “Just so ya know, I’m gonna be partying tonight to some techno music and LED lights.” Well okay then weird party guy, thanks for the heads up, because I’ll be moving along gently. Even if he had not said anything about his upcoming “party”, I have enough sense to know when I need to remove myself from a potentially dangerous situation.

And just like that, my day felt like the previous day when I was pushing miles before dark! I knew the next place to camp was 4 miles away at Round Lake. I made it in good time and had about an hour to set up before dark.

Big Meadow was in fact pretty darn big, and pretty darn beautiful too

The lake is in fact round and stunningly beautiful. I had it all to myself except for the many birds around its shore. As I sat star gazing, I heard some coyotes yipping in the distance and a small rock slide on the nearby mountains. I slept like a champ–I tried a different level of inflation with my sleeping pad and it seemed to work well, so I’m excited if I’ve broken the code to sleeping well in a tent!

Round Lake

My humble abode at Round Lake

I loved the remnants of daylight filtering through the trees

I write this post from the shore as I enjoy my coffee and breakfast, serenaded by the morning chorus of bird song. Because I have an upcoming permit for the next wilderness area that is specific to certain days, I’ll have an easy day today. I was tempted to try and call to change the dates of my permit after yesterday’s events, but it’s so peaceful here that I think I’ll just “be” instead of pushing myself for no good reason. That’s what I’m out here to learn to get better at after all! Plus, my campsite tonight is supposed to have an amazing view of Lake Tahoe, so how can I pass that up?

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