[Written: July 31, 3:30 PM. Photos here.]

Deanna and I are alone on this section, and after a dawn car shuffle and a pancake breakfast, we set out from the Mt. Rose campground and work our way down through a series of small meadows to the main Tahoe Meadow, from which the Tahoe Meadows to Spooner Summit section starts.  For those who are keeping score, that means I didn’t skip the interval between the two trailheads ;-).

Being alone with Deanna for any extended period of time is a rare treat these days, and in an environment free from our normal concerns the miles pass quickly with rewarding conversation.  They also pass quickly because this stretch of trail is essentially level - along the ridge between Lake Tahoe and Washoe Valley.  The trail is used heavily by mountain bikers, but they’re only allowed on even days and today we pass very few violators, or other hikers for that matter.

The trail winds through a sparse forest scattered with huge rounded boulders, and alternates between views of the Tahoe basin and Washoe Lake and the ranges stretching into the desert beyond.  It is a windy day, and we get chill blasts from the Tahoe side, but hot sun on the sheltered Washoe side.

As we wind smoothly among the pillowy boulders, we encounter more of the snags, stumps, and logs which I’ve begun thinking of as "wood formations." Many of these relics show a growth pattern not just bowed and bent by snow and wind, but also twisted around their own axis.  As the grain weathers, the spiral growth pattern appears in geyser-spouts and perfect wave-curls.  These monumental skeletons are becoming one of the memorable features of this journey.

In mid-afternoon we reach Twin Lakes, two small grassy hollows part full of a green tea colored water, and strewn with weather-rounded boulders like partially melted marshmallows.  We’ve nested in between boulders at lakeside soaking up the perfect combination of hot high-altitude sun and cooling cats-paws of wind.  After our nap and foot check, we’ll decide whether to camp here or press on up from our 7900′ elevation to the high point of the trail of almost 9000′, and then another five miles beyond that to the Marlette Campground.  We’ve already logged 10+ miles today, and with a cold night looming in a couple of hours, I’m not sure I’m too enthusiastic about leaving my cozy nook between the boulders.

[Mileage: 10.5 | 66.4]

[Written Aug 1, 6AM]

The wind ceased overnight.  We can hear only the stirrings of our camp-mates.

After estimating that the next stretch of trail would take us 2-3 hours, putting us into a suitable campsite at about 7:30, we opted to stay put and selected a sheltered spot on the flatish end of the upper of the Twin lakes.  A perfect secluded spot, which we settled into with another delicious freezer bag meal of Cajun Chicken and Rice.  Topped off by a fresh avocado - what a luxury!

While we were eating, two trucks drove up the track (hey I thought we were in a wilderness) and stopped nearby.  A couple of guys approached, apologized for intruding, and explained that their group of about eight was with the California Conservation Corps, working on this stretch of trail, and their sponsor had instructed them to camp here.  We valued our spot more than solitude, so we stayed put as the group piled out and began to set up tents all around us.

After dinner we climbed a boulder pile to sit on warm rocks and watch the sun set, and we watched a couple of Japanese girls try to set up their tents, which kept blowing away in the wind.  It took one of them almost an hour.  Maybe this is their first night in the corps?

In any case, we certainly are grateful enough for the smooth and well-maintained trails to share "our" space.

We’ll be up now and on our way quickly - we hope to finish this stretch today even though over 14 miles remain.

[11:30 AM]

Two miles of steady switchbacks bring us to a side trail labeled Sand Harbor Overlook (our map calls it Christopher’s Loop). We ditch our packs and grab a snack (it’s only 9AM but we didn’t have a real breakfast) and climb up to an area of sandy washes between huge boulder piles. To the southwest is Marlette Peak standing over Marlette Lake, and as we approach the western piles we look down (straight down it seems) to Sand Harbor State Park. We see into the water as if from an airplane, and see the warm tan sand fade into the depths in a gradient of Caribbean colors. Today the air is almost perfectly still, and we can see wakeboarders and kayakers out for some early morning exercise.

Despite the futility of trying to photograph such an expansive scene I try a few shots and we speculate about how far it would be to kayak around the whole lake. 75 miles? 5 days @ 15 mpd? I’m going to have to do some planning…

The trail begins to change, becoming more Nevada-like although we’ve been in Nevada this whole section. Sagebrush becomes the dominant ground cover, replacing mule-ears and manzanitas. We pick our way cross-country through a gentle saddle with a rainbow of rocks and gravel – green, purple, orange, red – and then lichens on them from black to chartreuse. The saddle brings us to a rugged trail circling Marlette Peak on the lake side, and we again marvel a the constant panorama to our right.

We somehow blow right past Marlette Campground and stop for lunch a mile farther, as we realize we now must climb Snow Valley Peak, another 600 foot elevation gain over the next two miles. We dawdle a bit longer in the sun.

[2 PM]

Deanna performs the best Snicker’s commercial ever. She saved today’s bar for a reward after climbing Snow Valley Peak, which may not sound like a high mountain (the “Valley” kind of dilutes the “Peak”) but is over 9000 feet and the high point of this section.

Deanna began thinking about Snickers as we switchbacked (switched-back?) up through the forest and emerged into a series of high altitude glens, each one filled with a different ecosystem. One was purely lupine, another mixed sagebrush, paintbrush, and a succulent with profuse yellow blooms. Each glen is demarked by piles of rock and wind-twisted trees, framing the everpresent views of Tahoe and Marlette Lakes.

Crossing Snow Valley Peak seems like a significant milestone. From Barker pass till now, the Lake has been a presence, sometimes distant and elusive, sometimes immediate and dominating. But always to the south. Now that is changing. The Lake is to the west and the views are as often to the north as to the south. The jagged peaks and lingering snowfields of Desolation Valley loom closer, less a distant possibility than a life-size map of our final, most difficult, section.

From here to Spooner Summit, the care, a day off, and all the Snicker’s you could dream of, is all downhill.

[Mileage: 14.8 | 81.2]