The wonderous adventures of Jessi-the-Trailblazer and Chris-Coldknuckle

A week ago, my housemate Jess had finally managed to not have to work on Sunday - and of course we capitalized on that opportunity. It was a beautiful day and we wanted to go hiking near Lake Tahoe, some 2h east of Davis. It's a famous holiday destination, with great ski resorts in the winter, hiking, water sports in the summer and a few casinos on the east bank in Nevada. Protected nature reserves are scattered all around the lake.

Lake Tahoe was formed in the ice ages and is the second deepest lake in the US at 501m. At around 1900m above sea level, nestled in the Sierra Nevada, it contains so much water, that it could flood the entire state of California to a depth of 35cm (or so they say). Also - it's really pretty!

We decided to climb Maggies Peak (2600m), mostly because it was convenient. There is a trail head at a parking place and a summer camp ground near a great lookout over Emerald Bay. There were a lot of people there, most of them enjoying the view or playing around in the thin snow cover. Yeah, snow. We did expect some snow, but when the hiking group next to us put on gaiters (= Gamaschen) over their shoes and pants we started to get a bit worried. I was basically wearing all the warm clothing I had brought, but I did not have my proper hiking boots that went over the ancle. Jess, of course, was fully equipped, ready for any weather or terrain, and probably already spotting for mountain lions to neuter - you know, since she was already here. (She's a vet and epidemiologist. They do such things, apparently.)

So we set out with a song on our lips and the need for burning calories in our legs (for mere warmth). The snow was only a light dusting in the forest and it was pretty easy to follow the path. But the trail was steep and as we gained altitude, the snow gained depth. It was fairly chilly in the dense pine forest, but the exercise kept us nice and warm. The trees grew more sparse the higher we got and we were able to catch a few rays of sun. We came past a small frozen lake before we were led up another steep slope looking north. So far the path had been well-used and we did not have to work too hard. When the snow got to a depth of around 30cm around the turn-off for the peak, Jess took over as trailblazer utilizing her superior footwear and badassery. We were able to use some old tracks of previous hikers but noticed how much harder we had to work now. It was not far though, and we soon reached the Maggies. Rocky outcrops pierced the pines and rewarded us with a beautiful vista of the southern shores of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountains. After trying (and failing) to cope with the awe-inspiring size of the valley and taking a few pictures on the drafty rocks, we went to the south side of the hill and found a sheltered spot for the traditional Vesper (= mountain picnic). The sun warmed our noses and we could enjoy the westward view, comfortably warm.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that it is December and the sun would not stay up forever. We went back the way we came, meeting more people on the trail now than on the way up. Some "young adult males", as Jess noted disparagingly, had gotten off the track near the frozen lake and sped up their steps when they heard about how much further they had to climb. We didn't have to hurry though, and arrived back at the car soon after. With a warm coffee and some free candy for the road, we headed back. My socks were dry by the time we arrived in Davis.