Explore the peaks and ridges around Lake Tahoe, America’s outdoor adventure paradise Endorsed by the Tahoe Rim Trail Association Whether you’re traveling by foot, by mountain bike, or on horseback, you’ll revel in the mountain scenery and breathtaking views along the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail. The trail takes you through wilderness areas, national forests, and state parks, and gives you a good look at an incredible diversity of geology, flora, and fauna. Planning your trip wisely is the single most important thing you can do, so Tahoe resident Tim Hauserman’s experience as a longtime hiker and outdoor guide will help you get the most from your time on the trail. With this book as your guide, you can hike, bike, or ride along the peaks and valleys of the Tahoe Rim Trail as you safely traverse a landscape rich in history and alive with wild nature. The new edition of Tahoe Rim Trail features: Detailed descriptions with mileages of the entire trail - 9 updated maps by Tom Harrison - Dozens of side trips and historical highlights - Descriptions of the flora and fauna you will see - Hundreds of tips for planning your trip, whether it’s a dayhike or a full circuit - Specific user’s guides for mountain bikers, equestrians, and anglers Tim Hauserman has been a resident of North Lake Tahoe since 1960. He has hiked and biked in the area for many years and has been a guide for Tahoe Trips and Trails (a private excursion company), and the Tahoe Rim Trail. A member of the Tahoe Rim Trail Board of Directors from 1998 to 2007, he became the 11th member of the Tahoe Rim Trail 165 mile club in 1999. His other books include “Monsters in the Woods: Backpacking with Children” and “Cross-Country Skiing in the Sierra Nevada.” He also writes for a variety of local and regional publications. Tim lives on the west shore of Lake Tahoe where he likes to hike, bike, cross-country ski, kayak, and practice yoga. Tahoe Meadows to Spooner Summit (23.1 miles) Difficulty This section is strenuous, mostly due to the length, but also because of elevation gains. While the trail starts at 8740 feet and ends at about 7140 feet, there are two portions of the trail where you encounter climbs of over 700 feet. In the opposite direction, the climb from Spooner Summit to just below Snow Valley Peak is about 1800 feet. Best Seasons It is best to hike this section of the trail between mid-June and late October. The segment between Spooner Summit and Snow Valley Peak may be open as early as mid-May in years with light snowfall. However, the section between Twin Lakes and Snow Valley Peak may hold snow well into July. Highlights There are spectacular vistas of Lake Tahoe along much of this section of trail. Some of these are the most stunning views to be found anywhere along the Tahoe Rim Trail. In particular, the Christopher's Loop (Herlan Peak) spur trail offers especially remarkable vistas. The trail provides views on both sides of this north-south oriented ridge, of Lake Tahoe to the west, and of the Great Basin to the east. While the thin decomposed granite soils along the trail limit wildflower growth, in several locations flowers can be found in abundance. This is especially the case if you take a sidetrip down to Marlette Lake, where the wildflower display is one of the best to be found anywhere. If you are looking for yellow and orange aspen leaves, it is hard to beat the bounty of leaves at Snow Valley, Marlette Lake, and Spooner Lake. Much of this section of trail can be covered on a mountain bike, and, for the experienced rider, affords some of the best mountain biking at Lake Tahoe. This section of trail is home to the Tahoe Rim Trail 50Km/50Mile/100Mile run that occurs in July. As their slogan says, it truly is a glimpse of heaven and a taste of hell. Heads Up! Very little water is available on this section of trail. Bring some along for Fido. About 0.7 mile beyond the Tahoe Meadows trailhead, you cross Ophir Creek, a beautiful little stream. At around mile 3 you pass two unreliable seasonal springs. At about 9.5 miles from the trailhead you reach the Twin Lakes. These two small, very shallow, lakes may dry up by late in the summer; as they shrink, the water becomes less attractive, and takes on a green hue. The Marlette Campground, 13.8 miles from Tahoe Meadows has a hand pump well providing the best source for water on this section. Another source for water is Spooner Lake, near Spooner Summit. If you're thru-hiking you should know that there are no trailside sources of water on the next 12 miles south of Spooner Summit. Obtain water at Spooner Lake unless you have made prior arrangements for water to be provided to you. While Spooner Lake's water itself looks marshy, you can also walk over to the Spooner Lake parking lot above the lake. Here you will find tapwater and, during the summer months, the small store sells ice cream, snacks, and drinks. You will see Marlette Lake from the trail. If you are thirsty and/or looking for a swim