South Lake Tahoe Warm Up Hike

We descend from our mountain lair and enter South Lake Tahoe. Beautiful snow capped peaks abound as we head to....

....a trail head at Fallen Leaf Lake.  It's a flat trail that borders the lake and that's fine for a warm-up hike.

The size of the pine cones, dropped from the ponderosas are enormous!

They are in abundant supply along with cones dropped from Sequoias and other trees.

We approach the shore where the water (I checked) is very cold and the views are very nice.

Our route takes us over a spill way.  Water is gushing from the lake as it is from every water source in the region.

Hmmmm, we are stopped by a large bog with no obvious work around.  A couple of locals tell us of an alternative around the bog so we keep going.

Wow, what a strange but brilliant colored mushroom.  There are several on the forest floor.

The trail returns to the lake for more great views.

The mature trees in what I think is a virgin forest, are gigantic.  

We get in 4 miles and than head to a nearby restaurant for an outdoor lunch.