Trail fills senses with changing seasons

Lake Tahoe from the ridge above Granite Lake. Photo/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

Water – it is everywhere.

Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay, Cascade Lake, Fallen Leaf Lake, Granite Lake, Eagle Lake. They are part of the scenery in a short, though somewhat steep hike from the Bay View trailhead.

The senses come alive. Deep breaths reveal fall is in the air – that distinct smell of wet, decaying leaves.

Bright colors dot some of the leaves, while others are brown from the freeze a week earlier. Ferns are matted down. What looks like dead dill has a faint hint of the herb – thought maybe it’s an illusion.

Another bluebird day in Lake Tahoe. Not a cloud to be seen. The sun twinkles across Granite Lake – a small, clear alpine spot that on a hot summer day may make for a good swimming hole.

This Desolation Wilderness lake is aptly named – Granite.

The route that starts near Emerald Bay along Highway 89 is steep to begin with. Clearly, cardio is something I need to work on at the gym. Then the trail levels out a bit more.

It takes longer than it should to reach the lake and then the ridge farther up. The camera is out. And back out again. But no picture can truly capture the majestic wonder of Mother Nature.

One spot along the trail has turned to ice. Snow patches are spotty. Mostly it’s loose dirt.

Reaching the ridge, where the wind blows enough to put the long-sleeve shirt back on, the vastness of Desolation Wilderness unfolds. The granite seemingly goes on forever.

Had we gone farther, a right turn would have dropped us down to Eagle Lake with an exit point that would have required a short trek along the highway. Going straight would have taken us to Fontanillis Lake.

We did a U-turn – needing to get on with our Sunday afternoon activities.