High Sierra Topix

I'm going to be at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe the 1st week of June. I'll be there with my Girlfriend who'll be working (conference) all day. I'm looking for some day hikes in the area. What are some other activities that are "must" when in the area that we can do together.

thanks

dbogey,

"What are some other activities that are "must" when in the area that we can do together."

To many fishing is a "must" when in that area. Would you consider fishing?

-Russ

I'm most familiar with South Shore and you'll be on the North Shore but here goes:
The hike to Marlette Lake should be doable by then. There are good hikes in the Tahoe Meadows area up the Mt. Rose highway (TRT goes through there I think), or Mt. Rose itself.
Here are some more ideas:
http://www.gotahoenorth.com/outdoors/hi ... ing-trails" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Definitely go up the Mt Rose highway. There is a loop hike of about 5-6 miles on the north side of the pass with the option of adding on the side trip up Mt Rose. I've only done it in the snow when it's good (so long as you are early enough to avoid the snowmobiles) but it also looks like it would be pleasant in summer.

Also take the hike down to Skunk Harbor (3 mile round trip) from 28 near the 50 junction, which is easy and it's nice to laze on the beach even if the water is still cold (it was 43 degrees when we went the first week of April!)

I second Marlette Lake and Mount Rose. Just south of Incline on the Nevada side there are several short trails down to some of the quietest and most natural of beaches. They truly are the most beautiful of Tahoe's beaches, in more ways than one. There is tame rafting on the Truckee below the outlet, then some kayakable whitewater near the turnoff to Squaw. If you have an entire day and are experienced hikers, a climb of Mt. Tallac from Glen Alpine Spring trailhead and back is doable in one day and will give you great views of the lake to your east and the Crystal Range to your west. From Echo Lakes, it is a pretty easy hike to Lake of the Woods and Lake Aloha and back. If you have two vehicles, you could start at Echo Lakes, pass Aloha, Heather, and Susie, then come out at Glen Alpine. For a good hard up and down, you could go in at Eagle Falls to the Velma area, then come back down the trail to Bayview Campground, and walk a short distance on Hwy. 89 to your car. You could go in at Meeks Bay, hike past quite a few lakes on Meeks Creek then return.

There's a good bit of historical stuff (old millionaire's mansions, boathouses, pretty beaches underwater-glass wall stream profile of trout habitat) at the Tallac Historical Site near the South Y.

If she's more of a girly-girl, window shopping along the main drag in Truckee is romantic and you could spend a little time at Donner (as in the Donner Party) State Park, drive up the old Donner Pass (not Donner Summit) and walk along the old pioneer trail (The California Trail), see the rock switchbacks that wagon trains went up, and the snow sheds/tunnels that the original transcontinental railroad went through.

If you can take a canoe, paddling the upper Truckee from the Meyers golf course to the keys is kicked back, so is paddling on Fallen Leaf Lake. If you want views without hiking, you can drive to the overlook above Incline (on the road toward Mt. Rose and Reno), or you can pay for gondola rides to the top of Heavenly or Squaw. The south shore casinos have seafood buffets that are usually pretty good on Friday nights. I've never won a cent at a casino, but then I've never lost a cent there either! Some short drives are to Hope Valley, south of the basin (wildflowers may be filling the meadows soon) and Virginia City, the old western Silver Rush town over in the NV desert.

There are a couple of big paddleboats that have cruises on the lakes that are pricey, particularly the sunset dinner and dancing cruises. But, if you're trying to woo her heart, well....

dbogey,

I agree with Tom H. about Tallac, " If you have an entire day and are experienced hikers, a climb of Mt. Tallac from Glen Alpine Spring trailhead and back is doable in one day and will give you great views of the lake to your east and the Crystal Range to your west. "

This is a great hike with great views.
Have fun!

-Russ

If you are good hikers, there are tons of hike. Velma Lakes and Eagle Falls, Mt. Tallac, Mt. Rose, Five Lakes...those are all great hikes.

And if you drive a bit on 50 or 80, the options are even more extensive: Lyons Lake, the whole Wright;s Lake area, Loch Leven Lakes, Castle Peak...

Great area, loads of fun,.

How much time do you have dbogey, and any preferred distances?
If I were staying there, I would not want to drive far from the hotel, since there are a number of great hikes within a few miles. The hikes near the south end of the lake are worthwhile, but may take you up to an hour to get there. However, from the nearby Mt. Rose highway, there is a nice hike up to the top of Mt. Rose, about 10 miles roundtrip. If you hike south of the same highway instead of north, the Sand Harbor overlook is spectacular, but this is 20+ hiking miles roundtrip. If you have multiple days, you should consider doing the drive to the south end (Emerald Bay) at least once, and the Rubicon Trail has terrific lake scenery both direcetions from Vikingsholm. The state campground just o the south of this has some of the best lake views anywere, and is often closed until late in the season, making the walks through much better.

Juat an FYI, that last picture Russ posted makes it look like Tallac is a Class 2-4 climb; it is not. That picture is taken in a crag on the east face. The climb is a walk up, Class 1, all trail, from the west side. Nice pics though, Russ.

Thanks Everyone - We are leaving tomorrow for Tahoe and hopefully will try some of the hikes mentioned. Now we just need to find a "Good" places to eat??

thanks.