Spooner Lake to North Canyon (Douglas County, Nevada)

My intention for the day was to hike from Spooner Lake to Marlette Lake via the Flume Trail, but it didn't work out exactly as planned. Starting about 9 AM, I headed down through Carson City and then up highway 50 towards Tahoe. Parking at the Tahoe Rim Trail head near Spooner Lake, I started getting my bearings to figure out how to get to the Flume Trail from here. As it turns out, the Forest Service is now charging $1 to access Spooner Lake. Not having the correct change on me, I opted for a different trail.

I started heading north on the TRT (Tahoe Rim Trail) and hiked through some of the more heavily forested areas on the eastern side of Lake Tahoe. The trail had a fair incline, but I made my way at a pretty steady pace as the trail bobbed and weaved through the trees and boulders. A couple of areas along the way had signs indicating vistas of the surrounding area, but all but one of these had its views blocked by the forest. That didn't stop me from scrambling up the granite boulders at each though to get to the very top and see if the view was worth it.

Continuing on, I began wondering where the switchback I had seen on the map was. I expected to see it at about the 2.5 mile mark, but I didn't come across it until I had hiked almost 4 miles. Taking the series of switchbacks down the mountainside and headed towards the North Canyon Campground, I found this trail and overall view much nicer than the what I had seen along the TRT getting to this point. It's difficult to describe the difference, but this area just seemed a little more 'lived in', where as the TRT was very dry and barren.

Finally reaching the campground at the bottom of the mountain, I looked around a little bit, but I was the only one there. A side trail lead out to North Canyon Road, which is not so much a road as a wider trail often used by mountain-bikers on their way to Marlette Lake. I decided to head back to the trail head, but to take this path instead of the way I had come. This being a Saturday in the middle of summer, I was joined by numerous mountain bikers and the occasional hiker along the way. All were friendly.

Just as I made a sharp right turn, I saw the cutest darn thing. A little marmot had apparently chewed trough the stalk of one of his favorite local veggies and was dragging it across the trail. When he saw me, he finished dragging it to the side and then ran for cover. 

Returning to Spooner Lake, I didn't see any signage indicating the $1 fee coming from this side and so, I decided I had a good story to use if I were to get stopped. I made my way around the small lake. Along the way, I noticed a sign indicating that swimming in the lake was not recommended as the lake water was home to leeches. Wow, first time I have ever seen that type of signage, but I'm thankful for the warning.

Returning to the jeep, I logged just shy of 11 miles today. Not an fantastically scenic hike, but not bad overall. Next time, I come up this way though, I will ensure I have a buck in my pocket.