There is nothing that says summer in the Sierra like heading into the Tahoe wilderness on a backpacking trip. You get to walk past the wildflower-dotted meadows and crisp alpine lakes, then spend the night under the stars.
Sure, carrying a heavy — hopefully not too heavy — pack and sleeping on the ground can be a challenge, but it is the perfect antidote to the overly civilized world we live in. I’m heading out on a few trips this summer; the first was the section of the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) from Big Meadow near South Lake Tahoe to Echo Summit. This 15.5-mile journey provides what is in my opinion the greatest variety of views and experiences of any segment of the TRT.
I set off on an overnight adventure from the TRT Big Meadow Trailhead, which is located about 5 miles south of Meyers on State Route 89. The trail begins with a three-quarter-mile climb to Big Meadow. It didn’t take me too long to be reminded that things are slower and harder with 30 pounds on my back, but that slow pace helped me to appreciate every inch of the trail.
After crossing Big Meadow, the trail begins a mile-long trudge of an uphill through the conifers. Don’t worry, it gets better. The trail reaches a saddle and descends past a junction where you could head out to the lovely Dardanelles Lake. TRT, however, keeps rolling along to Round Lake, at a bit over 2.5 miles from the trailhead. It’s a large mountain lake, with nice views of the surrounding ridges and on a late June day I found it covered with pollen.
Speaking of pollen, 1 mile or so further the puffs of pollen were so thick I thought I was in a yellow fog. I tried cleaning it off my glasses and looked up to see it still looked the same. Ah, nature, always doing something interesting. I walked past gurgling creeks and aspen groves to reach a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail at Meiss Meadows, 5 miles from Big Meadow.
This is the southernmost point on the Tahoe Rim Trail and where the hiking starts to get really good: a gentle stroll up a beautiful valley with tons of wildflowers and high snow-covered ridges on both sides. Near the end of this blissful section you meet the Upper Truckee River. It’s a great spot to filter some water while sitting on the grass and watching the brook trout swim up and down stream. Soon after crossing the river, I began a climb to Showers Lake. The last half mile to the lake is a haul, but if you go there in mid- to late-July, you will see a thick mélange of lupine, paintbrush and fireweed in full glory on the slope below the lake.
At 7 miles from the Big Meadow trailhead I reached Showers Lake. It’s a beautiful spot with a rocky ridgeline backdrop, which was still holding snow at the end of June. Showers Lake does have one problem: it’s crowded. It’s not too hard to get to and unlike in Desolation Wilderness, permits are not required to camp here, which explains the 30 folks camped near the lake on the midweek night I was there. I arrived early enough to find an amazing spot that was relatively secluded, except for the pair of 10-year-old boys who kept walking right through my camp hellbent for a fishing spot. Perhaps if you are looking for solace, use Showers Lake for a swim break and press on farther to a more remote campsite.
A half mile past Showers Lake, I arrived at my choice for the prettiest mile on the entire Tahoe Rim Trail. It’s this amazing bowl with a high ridge, fascinating volcanic-rock formations, about a dozen cascading streams and wildflowers gone wild. Past the mile-long bowl, the hiking becomes more sedate along a sandy ridgeline through a scattered high-altitude forest for the next 4 miles. Eventually, I reached a beautiful descent through the granite — great views, but it’s a steep and rocky son of a gun. Bring hiking poles, it’s a knee crusher. Just be glad you are not going the other way, especially if you have short legs as I do.
The trail does eventually level out at a bridge and then ends in another mile or so at the Echo Summit parking lot. While now it is just a nondescript parking lot next to a busy road, in 1968 this place was a center of the Olympic universe: the 1968 U.S. Track and Field Trials. Here a track was laid out through the woods on top of Echo Summit and here the track team was selected that went to the Mexico City Olympics and captured the most Olympic medals of any U.S. team in history. There is magic in these woods. | tahoerimtrial.org
