Mount Tallac, South Lake Tahoe
Peak elevation 9,738
Desolation Wilderness
Trailhead - 38.9212° N, 120.0683° W
Peak - 38.9060° N, 120.0988° W
We had some unfinished business on Tallac from last week. Our attempted summit bid was derailed by snow, melting snow, lots of wind and more snow. We were equipped appropriately but time and weather were not on our side. Soooooo we returned and this go around we had more time on our side.
Trailhead coordinates using iPhone app MilGPS
Floating Island Lake
Still snow on the mountain but its melting fast.
And everywhere you look it appears as though a new creek has emerged
Marker to Cathedral Lake. Follow the creek to the peak!
June, and it finally feels like summer. What a difference a week makes. We both commented all the way up the mountain, that we should've worn shorts.
Cathedral Lake
Last Week... A floating island of ice
Onward and upward. Last week this was all snow.
For reference, this is how this area looked last week...
If it looks like a creek......that's the trail to the peak
Snow melting over the rock field also exposes danger of falling through.
Some parts of the trail felt more like river running than trail hiking
Snow bridge! Easily seen on approach uphill......coming down, different story.
Tallac Trail Turning Tree. This is an easily recognizable landmark indicating the trail making a right turn and heading up to the peak.
Cairns were in place indicating that we were On On, which is a phrase we use to communicate to each other that we are Definitely on trail.
And sometimes On On was not the safest route so we trailblaze, or in this case, rock scramble.
Finding solid tracks up on the firm snow, lots of water content and no crampons needed
Having cleared the snow fields, we are now onto the talus field, we are rocking and rolling......well, hopefully not. Charene hates when the rock start moving under feet
Nice lunchtime view of Pyramid Peak
Elephant tree!
The last bit of scree till we make the final push to the peak
Almost there. Peak fever in full effect.
Light winds, bright sun and the entire mountain top all to ourselves. Well except for the marmots.
Peakfies!! ♡
Views forever. We couldn't locate the peak log. We believed that is was buried under snow at the stone windbreak.
Found a "Penny from heaven" at the trail head and returned to as close to heaven as we could reach......for good luck.
Big fat marmots that we were sharing the mountain top with that day.
Building some cairns on the way down to help show trial location for the next hikers.
The snow was melting quite a bit and some of the descents were a little sketchy, so we donned the crampons for some extra traction and made our way down.
Playing around with ViewRanger ;-)
The trail from the peak.......was now flowing like a creek.
Our tracks using Strava for iPhone
Mileages from Trailhead
1.6 miles to Floating Island Lake
2.3 miles to Cathedral Lake
4.8-5 miles to Mt. Tallac summit
Overall elevation gain from trailhead - 3,323
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