As usual, we haven’t made any attempt to reserve a campsite. We thought we might try the Mount Rose campground, but we find it’s closed (no reason given, but Ann finds something on the web about construction). Everything we know about Lake Tahoe so far tells us that the Nevada Beach national forest campground will be full, but we verify this anyway. It does look like a nice campground, but you might have to reserve a site who knows how far in advance. In dwindling light we flee south of the lake, and after finding one more tiny full campground on an impressively steep and narrow road by the Big Meadow Trailhead we take refuge in an unsigned area near a defunct corral by the highway. It works just fine, and places us near a hike on the Tahoe Rim Trail near Grass Lake.

The hike has a giant group of mountain bikers on it, but they’re friendly and polite. The trail is barefoot friendly and takes a nice tour through big California red firs and western white pines, wildflowers, and attractive white boulders.

Grass Lake Trailhead

Velvety Stickweed

Flower Meadow

Lance under Jeffrey Pine