Tahoe Rim Trail thoughts?

[Mtncaddis]

Thanks Phil! I apologize for the mistake, I meant to say Tahoe city not “Sierra city”. It was my first time backpacking around the lake Tahoe area, and have done a good bit of traveling since then so the names are a bit fuzzy in my memory.

[oleander]

The east side of the TRT is about 10% good views and 90% slog through unmemorable forest.

I just don't get the TRT...There are 100 places in the Sierra that are more interesting to backpack.

[Harlen]

oleander wrote:

The east side of the TRT is about 10% good views and 90% slog through unmemorable forest.

I just don't get the TRT...There are 100 places in the Sierra that are more interesting to backpack.

Why dismiss that forest? I would've thought that at that elevation it would be nicely diverse. Never been there, but I imagine both Red and White firs, Hemlock and big old Junipers... and maybe some of my favorite Jeffrey Pines?

Paul, whose routes I revere, got me interested, and since I always think of Paul skiing across the Sierra, I see the trees covered in snow! I'm now thinking of snowshoeing a couple sections of that TRT after the blessed snow settles. Lisa, do you recommend the west side of the TRT, and why?

*I wonder if fires are allowed there in winter? ...................*And it's Nope-- No fires period. However:

Dogs are allowed on all sections of the Tahoe Rim Trail. Owners are asked to keep dogs on a leash in high use areas and under voice control.

Tahoe Rim Trail Association literature.

[c9h13no3]

The east side of the TRT is about 10% good views and 90% slog through unmemorable forest.

Unmemorable forest:

The Flume trail, Relay Peak and Castle Rock are some of the more scenic places in Tahoe IMO. I do agree that through hiking the TRT doesn't hold appeal for me, but that's only because the scenic places I want to go are an easy day trip that I can do unencumbered.

[paul]

I can only hope that i see more diparaging comments on the TRT. That way I can have it all to myself!
Harlen - have you skied/snowshoed in Desolation at all?

[TahoeJeff]

unmemorable forest

Terrible views too:

[Harlen]

TahoeJeff, please tell where that last picture of yours is taken from. That's one section of the TRT I am sure I'd like to hike!

And Paul asks:

Harlen - have you skied/snowshoed in Desolation at all?

Not extensively at all, though I would love to. I have made a couple of ski trips with Bear into Lake Aloha, and around a bit from there. Each time I came in from Echo Summit/Lakes. Do you have any recommendations? Ian.

Crystal Range under the moon.

Pyramid Peak and Lake Aloha.

Bearzy and I got up on Mt. Ralston once too.

[c9h13no3]

TahoeJeff, please tell where that last picture of yours is taken from. That's one section of the TRT I am sure I'd like to hike!

That's the section East & above Marlette Lake.

Is it possible I've skied more peaks in the Desolation Wilderness (6) than Harlen the Great? Course, none of mine were all that notable and I didn't camp once!

[Wandering Daisy]

I suspect much of the differences of opinion are due to when you go, seasonal wildfire smoke, wet year vs dry year, etc, and each person's own preference scenery. Desolation has always been an early season and late season venue for me simply because I go into the High Sierra mid-summer. The permit system in Desolation is a pain. Maybe a TRT permit is actually easier to get. So, our "thoughts" were wanted. It is always good to get many opinions. To each his own and nobody's opinion is invalid. And you certainly can cherry pick the most scenic sections with only day-hikes, which eliminates the permit problems altogether. I have run into some amazing locals while I was backpacking who were day-hiking what I would consider a backpack.

[paul]

Harlen - all my desolation ski trips have been from Echo lakes also. I havent been further in than Mosquito Pass and Gilmore Lake/Mt. Tallac. I have thought that it might be nice - if you like skiing through the forest - to go over Mosquito Pass , drop down to Camper flat and loop around through the Velmas and over Dicks Pass.
From what i am hearing, and what i have read elsewhere, I am leaning more and more towards the idea of going relatively early, aiming to hit the window between solid snow and solid skeeters. But to do that I would have to be pretty flexible on timing, as that window - if it exists at all in a given year - is not going to be predictable much in advance. I may have to wait a couple years until I retire.