Meeks Bay to Lake Genevieve...Almost (El Dorado County, California)

 

Temperatures in the valley were suppose to hover around the century mark this weekend. To escape the heat, I decided to do some car-camping up at Lake Tahoe. I had reserved a campsite for Friday and Saturday night a couple of months ago and this heat wave, makes me incredibly happy I did. I headed up shortly after leaving work on Friday. Once at the campground, I made short work of putting up my tent and getting a fire going, which allowed me to relax the remainder of the evening with a cold beer in hand. I had kind of planned to hike up to Lake Genevieve and Crag Lake in the morning. And so, I hit the sleeping bag fairly early.

Rising before dawn, I got some calories in me and then walked to the trailhead - just short stroll from my tent. As my path will take me into Desolation Wilderness, I take a moment to fill out the self-issue wilderness permit and attach it to my day pack. Whomever last picked up the other part of the permits the last time, forgot to close the bottom door of the collection box before locking it, which means that when I put my ticket into the slot, it simply falls through onto the ground. I stuff it into the actual slit and hope for the best.

The first part of the trail follows a forest road along the valley floor. However, the incredibly wet winter and subsequent melt has left this area a muddy mess, complete with pools of standing water and the legions of mosquitoes that come with them. To be honest, this part of the trail was pretty miserable and I almost turned around. Luckily, I remembered to bring some repellent. Unluckily, these particular mosquitoes are patient and don't mind waiting for the citranella to wear off. I decide to hope for the best and keep pushing onward. Eventually, I put some distance between myself and the stagnant pools, leaving the bloodsuckers behind.

As I make my way up the hillside, I pass through a number of open meadows as well as a beautiful marsh, which most of the time is Meeks Creek, but not this year. As I continue, I hear the constant sound of rushing water to my left, but unfortunately, the trail stays just far enough away to prevent any good views. It's quite a shame on a year like this. The trail in this section is in pretty good condition.

A bit further on, I get a partial view of what is likely a raging waterfall, but the terrain prevents me from getting any closer. I do find a section just above the falls that at least lets me see the rushing waters of the creek. It's amazing to see just how fast it is flowing. California (and Nevada) have been in a drought for the last few years and the record-breaking winter we experienced this year has pretty much put an end to that. It's great to see all of this water flowing into the lake.

About three-and-a-half miles in, I reach a creek crossing. The forest service was nice enough to construct a sturdy bridge to cross here. However, all of the run-off from the mountains this year appears to have put the bridge to the test and it failed. The bridge appeared to have been constructed from four logs, of which only one is remaining and stable. One is completely gone. The second is laying against a fallen tree next to the shore. A third appears to have broken about six feet from this end and is now in the rushing waters. The fourth one though is still there and appears to be holding strong. The water here, while a bit calmer than downstream, is still flowing like crazy and appears to be about four feet deep. I take measure of my situation. The mud and the mosquitoes all most made me turn around earlier, but this wash-out bridge is the proverbial straw.

I decide to head back and forgo seeing the lakes. It was still a decent hike and I may try it again sometime, but later in the season when the bloodsuckers are gone. In total, I got in about 7.5 miles by the time I get back to my campsite. I'm hot, sweaty and smell of mosquito repellent and sunscreen. Conveniently, Meeks Bay Beach is just a few yards away. I put on some trunks and head over. The beach is full of people, but only a few are in the water. As soon as I walk in, I understand why. Instead of cooling off as I had hoped to do, I more 'freezing' off. Lake Tahoe sits high in the mountains and the water is always cold. It's been a while since I've taken a dip in the lake and I had forgotten just how cold. This water is freezing!!! Oh well, I dive in to rinse the cacophony of odors from me and then head back to camp and pop open a brew.