Waterfalls in Tahoe BMU

22nd to 25th May 2009

On Memorial Day weekend I went camping near Fallen Leaf Lake. It was sometimes fun, sometimes stupid, sometimes solitude and always beautiful. I filled my days with wildflowres and waterfalls ...

I started from Bayarea on Fri at about 6:15PM to avoid traffic. We think so, in reality can you ? I had a long wait at the intersection of CA-237 and I-880. From Mission Blvd exit on I-880 to I-680 uptill Pleasanton I was driving in 10 mph. Later some more delay on I-580. Ahh ... I ran out of patience ... but then what to do ?

On Saturday, I thought I will try to climb Mt. Tallac. My idea was if there is a lot of snow then just go up to Cathedral Lake and return. The rest of the group was also doing the Cathedral Lake hike and so I planned to join them. It was a steady climb with lots of snow patches on the way. Mt. Tallac looked so dominant in the whole set up with carpets of snow on it. I made it up to the Cathedral Lake easily as most of us did. The group organizer had a loop hike planned, with Fallen Leaf trail as return trail. As I always say ... life throws unexpected situations ... Fallen Leaf trail turned out to be a nasty beast to beat ... very steep right down to the lake ... the trail was unmaintained, narrow, rocky and steep ... very steep. At the end of it I felt like my ankles and knees were dislocated. That was not enough we had to walk accross two waterfalls ! Not on the top or bottom ... right in the middle !! It was not very scarry but was of concern as the water was flowing with a considerable force.

On Sunday, the organizer had another ambitious hike from Lake Aloha to Lake Lily which I didn't join. Later in the day I came to know they had FUN. I have different definition for fun though. I went looking for waterfalls ... and I visited Upper and Lower Glen Alpine falls. Lower falls is on the roadside and much more beautiful.


For Upper falls a mile hike is required. We can see it from a distance. When I was at both falls everything was all me alone.


Then I went driving around Lake Tahoe, YES the 71 miles perimeter. Stopped at several State Parks. It was nice though not wonderful. The stops I would like to mention are Sand Harbor on Nevada Side Popes beach on California side. You know Emerald Bay and few other popular places ...

On Monday, I hiked down to Lower Eagle Falls. It was so beautiful. So much of water with so much of force gushing down sprinkling the mist all around ... I stood there like heavely angel in the mist. Everyone has their own fantasies :) It was fun standing there as the cloud of mist covering me. Unfortunately, it covered my camera too. It was just impossible to avoid the waterdrops on the lens.

On the way back I saw Horsetail falls from a distance ... It wasn't a great long weekend trip but, I am happy with my Glen Alpine Falls picture. And the experience of hiking down the Fallen Leaf trail was something :)