Eldorado National Forest
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Dardanelles Lake Eldorado National Forest |
October 9, 2016
Last year I went down this trail to Round Lake, which I had previously
visited in 1974 on one of my first backpacks. Inexplicably I never
have ventured over to the other nearby lakes in the area. The ample
parking lot is nearly full when I arrive at 9:30 a.m.
I certainly had not expected that.
⇔
It is 42 degrees as I start out. I put on a hat, gloves, and a sweatshirt, knowing that they surely will become dead weight after the air temperature rises into the 'sixties.
The Tahoe Rim Trail is biker-friendly, so they use it
There has been some snow already
At Big Meadow, a doggie takes a double-dip
Already, three groups of backpackers have passed by. It is Sunday, and those folks are headed home.
Easy walking
There is enough fall color to be interesting
A lot of deadwood has been collected into piles. Because of the big Angora Fire of 2007, such cleanup now is standard practice throughout the Tahoe Basin. Why the conditions for that devastating conflagration were allowed to build up over the prior 150 years is another matter.
It even snowed down here within the last week
After about 700 feet of climbing I reach a mini-summit. It should be all downhill now.
Little Round Top and the Showers Lake are up there somewhere
The long switchback that commences didn't exist until they made this into the Tahoe Rim Trail and had to accommodate bikes. The original section was too steep.
An unlikely traffic sign in the middle of the wilderness
At the end of the long downhill is a trail junction; I head toward the right. Not much farther on is another junction; this time I turn left. The Forest Service's nice signposts are most helpful.
This is the way
Just ahead is one of the prettiest creek crossings I have seen. Just enough big boulders have been set in place to allow one to hop across the Round Lake drainage without getting wet.
This is why I go hiking
After negotiating another ford just like this one, I encounter about
thirty more backpackers. That explains all the cars in the parking
lot. After that, a final hundred-foot climb finishes the
task. I have arrived.
First view of Dardanelles Lake
Looking west
Should I circle the lake? It looks as if there is some walking room at the base of the cliff, after clambering over a big pile of boulders. I will try it.
Starting over toward the cliff
A very private campsite on the south shore
The boulder pile is more challenging than I had anticipated.
At one point I get cliffed-out and must find another way.
The fun is increased by the fact that most of the ground and some of
the rocks are covered by icy snow.
No sunlight comes over here anymore
Actually, because this venture is working out, it is most enjoyable.
There are many boot prints over here
Once past the cliff, I must climb up thirty or forty feet, then down again in order to reacquire the lake shore. A nice use trail awaits me back here.
At the west end of the lake
At a campsite I meet a nice man named Jeff who is here with his daughter and her boyfriend. Jeff, who hails from the Napa Valley, is principally involved with Meetups.com; so he knows a lot of hikers. He promises that he will peruse these hiking pages and possibly acquaint some others with Ted's World as well.
Preparing to break camp
It's a good thing that there is no breeze; otherwise, half of Jeff's stuff would be in the lake by now.
The northern arm of Dardanelles Lake
Crossing the outlet that flows to the Upper Truckee River
After finding a sunny spot for stopping to munch some grapes and gorp, I shortcut back to the trail.
Back at Second Ford
Fireweed
Bull Thistle
A beautiful cedar
Snow left over from last week's storm
First Ford
Round Lake is over by those cliffs
Those dardanelles are overlooking the wrong lake! Go figure.
Waterhouse Peak is on my bucket list
Back at Big Meadow
Mount Tallac is seven miles distant
The biker beats me to the highway
§: On this perfect hiking day, John Muir was right again;
for I received more than I sought. That's how it is in the Sierra.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Solitude | |
