Prior to our arrival, we'd done a lot of research to find a good mix of peak visits and flat hikes. The evidence on the ground is, given the enormous snow fall, any hike above 8000' is problematic. Today's hike was from Big Meadow to Darnells Lake via the Lake Tahoe Trail. It was our first hike via the TRT and we were looking forward to a 7 mile hike having 1400' of climbing. It's rugged terrain with boulders and fallen trees. The trail is mostly easy to follow. We reach Big Meadow but the trail is flooded and while we poke around looking for a way around, there is none short of fashioning a canoe out of a tree and paddling across. Fortunately, another trail is nearby, which eventually reaches another lake so we hop on. Some standing dead trees offer fascinating shapes. Soon, snow becomes more frequent and wide spread. There were enough patches of dirt that we could follow the trail. There is a lot of trees fallen over the trail but someones been doing a good job keeping it clear, other than those trees that fell during the prior winter. We find a wonderful mix of ponderosa, sequoia, aspen and other trees. Because the trail is concave, it makes for a great stream bed to handle the flow of snow melt. My shoes take on water and the work around the deeper portions of water require struggling through brush. We decide to turn around. The return allows us to visit a roaring stream. We encounter a few hikers, who share their knowledge of area hiking. While we talk, a dog throughly enjoys romping on the snow. Soooo, the area peaks are described as a bridge too far unless we have crampons (we do) and an ice axe. There are some snow bowls that may have sketchy snow clinging to the sides. Hmmmmm, not very encouraging. During our visit, we've seen plenty of evidence of fires. But, I'm pleasantly surprised by how active are the efforts to prevent future cataclysmic fires through good forest management. Our hike finished with 4 miles and 650' of climbing.
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