Day 14, August 1: Lake to Lake

Day 14, August 1: Lake to Lake

Today I began the day at Crater Lake and ended it at Lake Tahoe. You couldn’t have a bigger disparity in the types of atmospheres present at each lake. While Crater Lake is pristine, secluded, and in the middle of a vast wilderness, Lake Tahoe is crowded with boats moored along its shores, surrounded by condos and lake “cabins,” restaurants and bars. The road that runs alongside the lake, unlike the Rim Road at Crater Lake, is crowded and urban. My preference is clear, and it is witnessed by the unease I felt driving to find a campground. But more on that in a minute.

My first view of Crater Lake this morning. What a way to start the day.

Cold, clear water on the toes!

Crater Lake boat dock from the trail.

I chose to hike a short hike today that is the only “legal” means of reaching the water at Crater Lake. It was only just over a mile long, but it went down (and then of course climbed) 700 feet in that mile. The hike up certainly got my heart rate up. But what a destination. The lake is clear and clean and cold, and I took off my shoes to enjoy it on my feet. The quiet and the beauty is unparalleled, even with people waiting to catch the boat just up the hill from where I sat. I debated about taking the boat, but I decided against it.

After the hike back up, I planned my route to Lake Tahoe. I wanted to get most of the drive to Yosemite taken care of today, and I had hoped to find a campsite and then some trails to hike tomorrow. I don’t know if I’ll find anything here to hike. It’s quite a different experience than any of the other places I’ve visited.

Nevada/California

The drive was pleasant – I enjoyed seeing the terrain change from the forests of Crater Lake to the more desert type landscape through northern California and coming into Reno. The last time I drove into Reno, it was dark and I couldn’t see any of the landscape, so it was nice to see it all. I had to merge onto the interstate at Reno, and it was busy and congested, and I realized I’ve really enjoyed all the scenic routes I’ve driven, even with the slowdowns for the towns I drove through.

Lake Tahoe. A little different from Crater Lake.

And the interstate driving isn’t the only difference I’ve encountered. The campsite is right off the lake, and it’s expensive and not well run. At $35 a night, it’s much more than most of the fees I’ve paid. Even in Canada it was less than that, and I thought that was expensive.  But the people around me are nice, and it is fairly secluded from the traffic and busyness that is Lake Tahoe resort area. Ick.

But I’m in for an early night’s sleep tonight – I have lots to do to prepare for the hike that begins tomorrow evening at Yosemite. I’ll be in the back country for four days, and I have to pack everything in my backpack that I’ll need. It should be quite an experience and I’m eager to meet the people I’ll be hiking with and to do some real backcountry backpacking.