Rise and Shine, Lake Tahoe!

Sunday morning, Kelly went off to work early, so I had the morning to myself to poke around before meeting her at the mountain for lunch. I walked down through the towering pines to the public beach. The morning sun was filtering through the boughs above chasing away the frost that had come overnight. The lake was surprisingly calm this morning, and small wind-driven waves lapped gently on the shore. Small cairns have been built nearby using rocks from the lakeshore, and with the morning fog and mountains in the distance, there is a mystical quality to the place. 

Next up, a short hike while the sun still shone. A huge storm system was in the area for the majority of the weekend, and the forecast called for rain. I headed over to the Nevada side of the lake (the eastern side) and found a trailhead high on a hill overlooking Crystal Bay. Here, a gated fire road led uphill to the ridge that ran North-South along the state line. I followed the fire road for a bit before branching off to the right onto a hiking trail that zigzagged through the trees and tall shrubs that dotted the ridge. Despite the presence of snow, I was hiking in a t-shirt. Absolute heaven! And to think it was February!

I took a side path that appeared to have the most direct route to ridge line, and soon came out onto clear section. To the south, the majority of the lake was visible, its blue depths ringed by snow covered mountains. Clouds were already beginning to gather in the west, blown by a steady wind and darkening the sky. After taking in the views, I threw on a layer and retraced my steps back to the car.