Getting Out: Last week, my good friend Dick Anderson and I
headed to Tahoe City for a boys-only ski trip. We had a great
Friday skiing Alpine Meadows. But that evening, while sipping
apr
ès-ski toddies, we decided that on Saturday, rather than battle
the weekend mobs on the slopes, we would rent snowshoes.
When the winter snowpack buries the Sierra, the backcountry is essentially closed for business. I do not know the skills for winter wilderness travel and have never been particularly motivated to learn them. But a short hike near Tahoe this past weekend taught me the charms of the Sierra in winter.
Last week, my good friend Dick Anderson and I headed to Tahoe City for a boys-only ski trip. We had a great Friday skiing Alpine Meadows. But that evening, while sipping après-ski toddies, we decided that on Saturday, rather than battle the weekend mobs on the slopes, we would rent snowshoes.
Where to go? We wanted to do more than just make circles on a golf course. Though our trip only lasted a few hours, we hoped to get off the beaten track and see the beauty of the backcountry in winter. At Dick’s suggestion, we went to Alpenglow Sports on North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City to rent snowshoes ($16 per day) and discuss the possibilities. We all agreed that Eagle Lake was the place to go.
The trail to Eagle Lake departs from Eagle Falls Picnic Area, where the creek crosses U.S. Highway 89 at the bottom of Emerald Bay. In summer, this lot fills quickly, and parked cars overflow onto the highway. But this winter morning, our car was the first one there.
Dick and I had been to Eagle Lake in the summer, but neither of us had ever been on snowshoes. We were looking forward to what lay ahead. At the outset, the trail climbs quickly through a narrow channel as it follows steep cascade of the creek. On our right, a beautiful 9,000-foot peak reached high above us catching the morning light.
As we approached the falls, there were a few steep stretches through new snow, but, overall, the going on snowshoes was easy and fun — barely more work than walking without them. After a third of a mile, we reached the bridge where the creek rests briefly along a flat snow-covered shelf, then leaps over the crest of the falls.
Above the falls, the terrain levels out, and a sweeping view opens across Emerald Bay and Lake Tahoe. The creek beside us, the peaks above and a world-class view beyond all gracefully wrapped in fresh snow — it was a sight to behold.
The trail follows a left turn in the creek for the final easy ramble to the lake. Suddenly, there it is. Eagle Lake rests in a deep recess with the higher sunlit summits of Desolation Wilderness behind it. Passing clouds cast beautiful patterns of shadow and light on the soft white expanse of the lake as they drifted by. It was a serene and magnificent sight.
Gravity was our friend as we made our way back. We descended bits of the trail we had missed on the way up that made the return easier, but some steep portions required extra care. By noon, we were seated in the Fire Sign Cafe a couple miles below Tahoe City enjoying a fabulous breakfast at a favorite local eatery. It’s hard to remember a better spent morning.
It is a short walk to Eagle Lake — a mile each way, but it is hard to think of another hike in the Sierra that offers such variety and spectacular sights so close to the road. All of the spectator value usually reserved for those who have slogged miles into the wilderness are yours moments from your car.
Summer or winter, the walk to Eagle Falls is a great outing. But if you have no winter backcountry skills and want a taste of the Sierra winter wilderness, this trail has it all.
