I made the short drive from Reno to the trail head and departed on my hike promptly at 8AM. I sometimes use an iPhone app called Walkmeter to time myself and map my trail. Since there is excellent reception all around Lake Tahoe, I decided to try it here and it worked perfectly.
The trail starts easy enough as it completes a semi-circle around a small hill behind the parking area. In fact, the first 3 or miles only have a slight grade, which makes for pretty easy hiking. At about 2.5 miles in, I heard a waterfall. This was actually pretty surprising to me. I knew there was a waterfall near the trail, but to see water spilling over it this late in the year was unexpected.
Somewhere between the 3 and 3.5 mile mark, the trail begins heading up a wash and the incline increases dramatically. Also at this point, I encounter the first of many noisy grasshoppers on the trail. My first encounter startled me a little, as I rounded a corner and heard what sounded vaguely like a rattlesnake. In fact, it was one of these grasshoppers quickly batting his wings to lift himself off the ground and then back down to the ground. With my encounter earlier this spring with a rattler, I was a bit timid at first hearing the sound, but after hearing many more along the way, the difference was obvious. It almost seemed like the bugs were trying to ward me off of their territory as I walked by them.
Continuing on, the trail begins a set of switchbacks before starting up the gravel southern face of the mountain. About this time, I encountered two couples slowly making their way to the summit. The courtesy and friendliness of hikers is always refreshing to me. In this world of cynicism and cruelty, just a friendly "good morning" or politely letting a faster-paced hiker pass by, reassures me that there is still goodness to be found in people. That was the case here, the woman in the rear of the group was struggling and offered to let me by her. We chatted for a moment, exchanging words of encouragement and I was on my way.
Reaching the top, I was greeted with several strong gusts of wind, as one might expect on the top of a 10k peak such as this. The landscape up here is mostly barren with what appears to be slate shoved out of the earth at a forty five degree angle to form something of a fortress. The two couples, including the nice woman that allowed me to pass her, settled into a primitive windbreak that someone had fashioned from the loose rocks. I opted to set on the top of the fortress and collect my thoughts while snacking on some jerky and almonds.
Almost immediately after sitting down to relax, the resident ground squirrel made his appearance and began braving near me for any hint of food I might be willing to share. While I was tempted, I know it's actually more harmful to give this penthouse dweller anything. It might make his day better, but in the end, it will hurt his species. I guess he will have to be content with my company instead of my food.
After resting for 10 or 15 minutes, I decide to start the trek back down and count a total of 23 more hikers nearing the top as I pass them on the return trip. They will soon run out of places to sit up top. I take a look at my Walkmeter and decide to shoot for a round trip time of four hours or less, which will require me to pick up my pace. Downhill is always easier though. In the end, I completed the 10.69 mile hike in 4:11, which is still a pretty good time. My legs are sore and I'm ready to head back home and relax, but now that I have complete this hike fairly easily, I suspect I will be returning many times to use it as a training vehicle, considering it's proximity to my home.
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