As our neighbors in the RV park were packing up and heading south before the Bomb Cyclone hit we decided on an outing to Lake Tahoe. It was just behind the mountains we had been staring at for a couple of days and the main reason for coming to this campground. The dusting of pretty snow on top just made it that much more tantalizing.
And Lake Tahoe did not disappoint. Emerald Bay in particular was spectacular and I was very taken with the notion of building a tea house on an island, which Mrs. Knight did when she’d finished her Scandi castle in 1929. That’s it mid left below. You can tour the castle if you’re willing to hike down a mile (and up again), which I totally would have been if not for the coming storm etc.
The tea house island.
Still not quite figured out the selfie stick thing.
So, I mentioned Lakes in the title. In case you’d forgotten we were camped beside Lake Washoe which was hard to see because of the ongoing drought. There was an optimistic boat ramp which was a good 300 yards short of any actual water. The lake was completely dry when our campground host arrived 15 years ago. It had crossed my mind that there was an Atmospheric River approaching. And then this:
Well, this gave me pause. Our cheerful little jaunt to the other lake ended with me being in a slight (okay major) panic about the one we were camped right beside. I drove down to the boat launch ramp after a full day of tipping down rain and was not reassured. And it was going to rain all night too.
There was nothing for it but to watch Bake Off, drink wine and keep my fingers crossed (and pre-pack up in case of a hasty departure.)
The rain never stopped. It did not make for a good night’s sleep and I wished we had followed our fellow travelers in heading south sooner. We’d already scrapped the planned scenic route along the eastern side of the Sierras to our next stop, Mammoth Lake which was expecting 2-4 FEET of snow, and road closures. We would head further inland along the non-scenic, non-lethal drive to Walker Lake where we would boondock for the night, safe from floods and wind and snow, before rejoining the scenic route south of Mammoth/Armageddon Lake.
This is what we woke to.
The expected “gusts” of 70 mph did not arrive, but snow and sleet and slush did. And God willing, the creek didn’t rise. So, when another lull appeared we saddled up. That’s one Bomb Cyclone under our belt. Onward!
Wrong on both counts this time! I was the very much unmade one - extreme weather will do that to me - and Dan was completely assured that all would be well. He was right, of course.
This is exciting! Being a former resident of Lake Tahoe, Carson City, Washoe Valley, Reno, and Sparks, I’ve come to know the air is different there—you’re a mile high above sea level … or more. It is crisp. The sky is noticeably a darker blue. The clouds are closer to the ground. The scents seem stronger even though there is less air—go figure. :) The ground “crunches” and sparkles beneath your feet—quartz and granite is everywhere as a type of very coarse sand. The weather is dramatic and has a strong freshness about it.
It is said that some in New York City have never been to some of its main attractions—I have never been to Emerald Bay. But now through Dan’s and Pippa’s photographs, I can see what I would look for: how the clear Lake Tahoe water gradates color spectrally near the beach; where the glacial granite (with its lichen and other flora) are located; and finally Emerald Bay’s pristine island. The granite masses, like in the first Emerald Bay photo’s upper left, are impressive up close being many stories high. The forests around Lake Tahoe always seemed to have a gardened, kempt look.
The ominous view of a lake and its “approaching” shore is quite striking.
By the way, where the cozy photo of the television, fireplace, and warm critters was taken exist a panorama of large, wide windows to the left and back that picture frame the great outdoors. A piece of heaven.
The morning after the snow had sprinkled the foot hills and packed the mountain tops must have been definitely brisk. There is something about altitude that takes the edge off of extremely hot or cold weather—maybe it is the thinner air that impedes heat conduction, like a vacuum flask as an extreme analogy.
You know how things always seem bigger when you’re young? You go back as an adult and your childhood home is actually small and cramped. That steep mountain that your brother biked down and ended up with some impressive stitches from is now just a hill. Well, somehow Niagara Falls got bigger. I took the girls there when they were young and we did the Maid of the Mist boat ride and got duly soaked and seasick (me) but I don’t remember being able to get so close to the top of the Falls. I’m sure they didn’t build this ridiculously close viewing walkway in the last 25 years so perhaps I wisely kept my small offspring away from it. It’s terrifying. Oh sure, why not? Since 1850 an estimated 5,000 bodies have been recovered from the base of the Falls. Some were suicides, some were accidents, and some were failed daredevils. We’ve all heard about those incredibly stupid people going over the Falls in a barrel, but the first person to do so and survive was a...
We women need a bit of space and privacy to tend to things that men have no need (or wish) to know about. You know what I’m talking about - it involves body hair, wax, tweezers, depilatories, razors, dyes, rinses, masks, exfoliation and usually a cruel and ruthless magnifying mirror. We also need time in which to deploy these things. And space. Did I mention space already? And privacy? Somehow I neglected to pack the magnifying mirror and kept forgetting to buy a new one. But there is a mirror in our tiny bathroom and even if the light is harsh it’s good enough to put on some eyebrows and cover up the spots which is all I seem to have time for these days anyway. When I stabbed not only Dan but myself with my toenails one night I realized I’d probably let things go a bit. My legs and feet looked like a hobbit’s, (my armpits were apparently quite fashionable now), my skin was positively scaley. Enough was enough. I decided it was time to...
There are four weeks remaining on this trip but it’s over for me. After the horrific shooting of 19 children and two brave teachers in Texas I can no longer write anything lighthearted or complimentary about this country. It may be beautiful to look at but it seethes with an anger and violence that stains us all. Thank you everyone for reading my blog and for your wonderful comments and observations. I still haven’t figured out how to respond to them but know how much they mean to me. Here are some photos of the places we’ve been since Niagara Falls. We’re in the Badlands of South Dakota now, heading to Montana, Glacier National Park, Banff, and down the Okanagan Valley before crossing the Cascade Mountains to Port Townsend, the place I used to call home. Stay well everyone, and hold on to your loved ones. Pippa Sunrise on the Lower Peninsula, Michigan. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. Pelicans from the photo above. Yes, pelicans. Lake Huron...
You look so assured. Dan a little unmade! Still such adventure. Brings out the best stories.
ReplyDeleteWrong on both counts this time! I was the very much unmade one - extreme weather will do that to me - and Dan was completely assured that all would be well. He was right, of course.
DeleteThis is exciting! Being a former resident of Lake Tahoe, Carson City, Washoe Valley, Reno, and Sparks, I’ve come to know the air is different there—you’re a mile high above sea level … or more. It is crisp. The sky is noticeably a darker blue. The clouds are closer to the ground. The scents seem stronger even though there is less air—go figure. :) The ground “crunches” and sparkles beneath your feet—quartz and granite is everywhere as a type of very coarse sand. The weather is dramatic and has a strong freshness about it.
ReplyDeleteIt is said that some in New York City have never been to some of its main attractions—I have never been to Emerald Bay. But now through Dan’s and Pippa’s photographs, I can see what I would look for: how the clear Lake Tahoe water gradates color spectrally near the beach; where the glacial granite (with its lichen and other flora) are located; and finally Emerald Bay’s pristine island. The granite masses, like in the first Emerald Bay photo’s upper left, are impressive up close being many stories high. The forests around Lake Tahoe always seemed to have a gardened, kempt look.
The ominous view of a lake and its “approaching” shore is quite striking.
By the way, where the cozy photo of the television, fireplace, and warm critters was taken exist a panorama of large, wide windows to the left and back that picture frame the great outdoors. A piece of heaven.
The morning after the snow had sprinkled the foot hills and packed the mountain tops must have been definitely brisk. There is something about altitude that takes the edge off of extremely hot or cold weather—maybe it is the thinner air that impedes heat conduction, like a vacuum flask as an extreme analogy.
I am so happy for you!
Jim, the morning after was indeed quite wonderful. So pretty and the lake behaved itself and didn’t overflow.
Delete