Desolation--the Tahoe Side

I'm just back from a four-day trip into Desolation Wilderness, but this time I started at the Glen Alpine Trailhead, near Fallen Leaf Lake, and worked on the Tahoe Basin section of the wilderness.

Gosh, is it beautiful. We set up a base camp at Suzie's lake, about four and a half miles in, and then worked on eliminating illegal campsites and fire rings, all the while picking up trash and burying clouds of toilet paper.

People, please. Pack it out.

We did find some odd items, including a perfectly good Luci solar light, a very nice Buff, and a hammer. Yep--somebody thought that there were no rocks in Desolation Wilderness, and brought a hammer to pound in the tent stakes.

Meanwhile, we heard a very amusing bear story, got posed a puzzle by a mysterious bear canister, and managed to clean up a number of lakes: Aloha, Heather, Suzie's, Half Moon, and Alta Morris. We met well over a hundred people on the trail, from PCT thru-hikers to elderly meandering day-hikers, and enjoyed truly spectacular scenery--and the most wonderful juniper trees anywhere.

Oh, and wildlife sightings included the cutest pika ever, a soaring osprey, and more than enough grouses (grice?) exploding out of the bushes to give anyone a heart attack.

All in all, a great four days. And if we can ask one favor from anyone who reads this: Please. Leave. No. Trace.

Thank you.

the photo log is here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sUMpzAgjVzyRdi9E7

This trip starts on August 22.