Family Hiking and Rafting at Lake Tahoe

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE

Today the wife booked us on a rafting trip on the Truckee River and so the family had to go hiking with me on the way to our adventure. After yesterday's run up Mount Tallac I am happy for an easy family type hike.

We go back to the Eagle Falls and Lake trailhead and this time I'm actually going to hike to Eagle Lake. The family will be coming along to the falls but probably not beyond that.

The trail is well maintained and very popular. Since the falls are only a 1 mile round trip a lot of people hike this trail. It is very popular with families.

We get to this heavy duty bridge where the falls are and ALL the family members decide to stay here. That's OK; I'm glad they made the effort.

I think they looked ahead and saw the steps going uphill. This was the toughest part, though. Once you're past this it's pretty much a breeze.

I enter the wilderness and notice there are lots of dogs on the all the trails in the Tahoe area. Kahlua would love it here.

I love the cool temperatures, the lush vegetation and the shade.

Of course, there are enough rocks around the remind me of some of the hikes at home.

But the abundance of water brings me back. There's NOTHING like this back home in the desert. While Eagle Lake is just a little lake it is a worthy hike and I wish the family would have come all the way up to see it. I'll make sure they do on our next visit.

I get to the bridge and find them still there. They'd explored around a little and decided to wait for me. How sweet of them! We head down the rest of the trail and are off to our rafting adventure.

There are some pictures of our rafting trip posted at: Truckee River Photos.

You have to enter the company we went with: Tributary Whitewater Tours

Then enter the date we went 19 August 2009. We were group 7.

Group ten wiped out going down this rapid and there pictures are pretty good.

Family Fun in Tahoe

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE

The family vacation continues at Lake Tahoe. After the drive up from Yosemite, getting checked into the wonderful Grand Residence, changing rooms to satisfy the boys need for a balcony so they can people watch and eating something my time was VERY limited as far as hiking was concerned. I decided to go and do what is probably the most popular trail in Tahoe, the trail to Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake. The wife told Nikolas that I was hiking to a lake and he decided to come along.

We got to the trailhead and Nik asked where we were going. I told him we were going to Eagle Lake and he said he thought we were going to THE lake, Lake Tahoe. Not good. But if I've learned anything this year it's to be flexible. I have no problem changing plans at the last minute. It won't be the first time.

Instead of my original plan we are going down here.

We leave the car where it is and just walk over the the Vikingsholm trailhead.

Besides, I have a pass for parking at the Forest trailhead but here it'd have to pay. For $7 I'm walking.

Steep trail ahead? Oh boy, I'm scared. Actually, the trail is easy.

The hike down to the lake is great because everyone has gone for the day.

This is where I'd like to live. If they're ever looking for a caretaker, I'm applying.

It's probably a good thing that I did a nice, easy hike today because in the morning I've got a good, tough hike planned for early morning.