Looping Through Lake Tahoe and Truckee

Yesterday we made a 114 mile loop from Reno to Carson City to Lake Tahoe to Truckee and back to Reno again.  We wanted to say we'd been to California...if only for a half hour or so.  

I'll tell you about our stop in Carson City another day, because I want to get these great shots of Lake Tahoe up first!  After leaving Carson City we headed up into the Carson Range and made a stop at Spooner Summit in the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park area.  The trail system around Lake Tahoe is immense and mountain biking is allowed in the area as well.  The Spooner Lake Trailhead beckoned us and even though it was only 38F up on the mountain I had to get into that conifer forest!

Cory couldn't get over how huge the pine cones were.  I'm guessing Ponderosa Pine, but if anyone knows different help me out.

We only walked in for about 10 minutes, then headed back due to the cool temps. Plus, we had to get on down the road to Lake Tahoe.  Once we descended the mountain it warmed up a little.

That's California over there!

The views along Lake Tahoe are stunning, and it is a very big lake!  We drove through Sand Harbor State Park but didn't get out because there was a $7 daily fee to park and it was mostly a beach and picnic area.  Just a mile or so down the road there is a free pullout to park in and a path that meanders along the lake.  Gotta love the free stuff!

Even though there was snow on the shaded portions of the path the day was calm and comfortable and I felt like I could look at the view forever.

Eventually I realized Cory had wandered off and went to look for him.  He had made his way down to the water by doing a bit of boulder hopping.  A few minutes after I took the picture below he tried to make his way back and went up to his waist in the water.  Good thing it wasn't colder outside!

A little wetter and wiser, we left Sand Harbor and we drove through a few small ski areas on our way into California and the town of Truckee.  I kept my eyes peeled for a laundromat to get Cory's pants dried, but no luck.  When we got to Truckee, it looked like this.

photo courtesy of visitrenotahoe.com

It turns out Truckee is pretty much only a shop and eat destination with pay parking.  Cory's pants were drying out a bit but this stop wasn't worth delaying a return to dry clothes so I stopped into the one free parking lot and walked across the street to buy some cupcakes at Cake Tahoe.  Who could resist a name like that?  

From Truckee it only took us half an hour to get back to Reno and run a load of laundry.  Cory and I tried the cupcakes and we both agreed they were way too sweet.  But, notice I'm sticking to my chocolate-ban and got the vanilla!