Amateur Backpacking: 4 Days 3 Nights [Echo Lake → Tahoe City]
Meandering 50 miles through the west shore of Lake Tahoe with nothing but our backpacks and the gear we could fit inside. We encountered lots of sun, several marmots, impromptu sledding hills, river crossings, cold alpine lakes, lots of mosquitoes, snowy peak crossings, too many Dave's killer bread bars, beautiful vegetation, and spectacular views.
PACK WEIGHT:
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Pack Weight: 25 Ibs
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Pack Weight: 22 Ibs
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Pack Weight: 34 lbs
Pack weight = Base weight (weight of pack itself with all the items that won't change during the hike) + Consumables (anything that will be used up during the hike)
Each of us had an extra empty 1-liter water bottle when the packs were weighed. Also, we each brought an extra meal, just in case (we didn’t end up eating).
DAY ONE
ITINERARY:
June 24th, 202411 Miles.
Echo Lake to Gilmore Lake.
Echo Lake Elevation: 7,414 ft (2,260 m)
Gilmore Lake Elevation: 8,312 ft (2,5233 m)
Photo carousel: Selfie at Echo Lake Trail Head Parking Lot; Jaiyu on the trail with Upper Echo Lake behind in a distance; Carlos on a rock at Lake Aloha; First night camping near the Gilmore Lake (a wilderness permit is required because it was a Dispersed Camping Site within the Desolation Wilderness).
REFLECTION:
A couple of Google Meet sessions, one collaborative spreadsheet for keeping track of resources and making plans, and probably not as much gear testing or training as we all wished to have. The two months of anticipation had come to an end as our Honda Element pulled into Echo Lake’s parking lot at 9 a.m. Behind the tailgate, Ian was weighing all three backpacks for the last time. At 9:30 a.m., Carlos, Ian, and Jaiyu set out on their South Western section of the Tahoe Rim Trail with much excitement and disbelief that the time had finally come to head out on the trail!
The weather couldn’t have been better and we were surprised that the trail was already very busy! There were solo travelers, local day hikers with their dogs, PCT backpackers, and we even saw a few ski-touring mountaineers heading up above Lake Aloha to get some turns in before all the snow melted. The trail was very easy to recognize for the most part, except for the sections still covered in snow, which made navigating a little tricky at first. But thanks to the physical copies of maps (complete with color-coded notes by Ian!), the digital map we downloaded on our phones, and some good old teamwork, we managed just fine. Since this was a relatively popular route, there was almost always someone else we would come across and exchange information about the trail conditions up ahead or we got better at tracking previous hiker’s footprints.
We stopped for a quick snack and water refill about 3 hours into the hike, somewhere around Lake Aloha. Ian went to fill up some bottles and immediately learned the hard way that testing each piece of gear BEFORE you leave home is ideal! Ian never tested his water filter and it wasn’t until he tried to use it that he discovered it was basically clogged and only let out a trickle of water. After a collective “oh shit” moment, thankfully, Carlos announced that he also brought a filter and saved us from discussing our first tough call - either continuing up the trail and muscling through each water refill session (which would suck!). Or heading back to get a new filter and simply starting over the next day.
Now that we were all filled up we set back out on the trail feeling great and kind of starting to get into a good groove with each other’s pace. The views were wonderful and the weather/temperature was dang near perfect, albeit a little windy.
After a full day of more snacking, water refills, a couple of sun naps and quick dips in super cold lakes, we completed the first 11 miles and picked our spot to camp near Gilmore Lake.
DAY TWO
ITINERARY:
June 25th, 202412.5 Miles.
Gilmore Lake to Phipps Creek.
Dick’s Pass Elevation 9,974 ft (3,040 m)
Photo carousel: Beautiful trees on the way to Dick’s Pass; Selfie at the Dick’s Pass; Trail along the Fontanillis Lake where Ian jumped in for a quick icy dip.
REFLECTION:
We woke up early because we wanted to get up and over Dick’s pass (the highest point of our route) before the mid-day sun and 85 degree temps took over the trail. Thankfully we all had a decent first night of sleep and fairly painlessly scooted up and over the pass, stopping ever now and then to soak in the view. We took the obligatory group selfie and the top and started our way down the other side of the pass. It was North facing and still covered in a ton of shade and snow. We crossed paths with another group heading in the opposite direction and we were happy that we were navigating through this section downhill, using gravity to our advantage.
The person in the best shape out of the three of us amateurs, Carlos, kept praising his Ultra-wide toe box running shoes for their stability and comfort. He also joked about growing up in the “hood” (Richmond, CA) and how running around the street barefoot helped him build up some nice thick calluses for an adventure like this. One thing he did need time to get used to though was hiking with two trekking poles for the first time. The coordination was a little tricky at first. Learning to keep his arm movement and body balance coordinated on the rocky paths made his arms and brain more tired than usual.
Ian grew up skiing, so naturally, the trekking poles looked like an extension of his arms. Pole planting like a pro. Ian was, however, glad that he replaced the wide webbing straps on his trekking poles with some paracord before he left home. He liked that they were less bulky but still felt secure around his wrists. One of his main concerns leading up to the trip was the knee injury that happened two months prior. He noticed that staying hydrated helped tremendously with keeping his healing knee happy and moving smoothly. Day 1 and 2 he was relieved that he made it so far without much discomfort. He packed a roll of ace wrap for the just-in-case situation, but thankfully he never had to put it to use.
Jaiyu’s goal for the trip was to learn about what her body can and cannot handle. It was her first time hiking this extensively and she felt strong leading up to the hike, but she had not planned on her period starting the same day as the hike! The loss of lots of body fluids and sleep deprivation (starting the night before we left!) had an impact on her internal systems. Running low on serotonin and strength made this hike even more of a challenge. She tried to take it slower and took lots of breaks in between, staying hydrated and snacking to keep her energy levels up. This made the climb over Dicks pass especially challenging, but she was so proud of herself when she passed over the summit. Gear preparation-wise, Jaiyu was relieved that the combination of menstrual cup, disposable pads (packed them out!), portable bidet, and an extra smell-proof bag worked well on the trail, and she felt comfortable with the overall pack weight she had.
DAY THREE
ITINERARY:
June 26th, 202412 Miles.
Phipps Creek to Barker Pass
Barker Pass Elevation 8,280 ft (2,523 m)
Photo carousel: Selfie of Ian with the first B-CAP prototype; Jaiyu needed to do something about the mosquitoes; Woolly Mule’s Ears covered hill side; Carlos conquered the Barker Pass.
REFLECTION:
< Guess & Win >
There was one item that the three amateurs can definitely agree on to have brought individually… Email us your guess (just one item) to info@parapack.co and win a free chin strap! This trip was Carlos’ first backpacking trip, and it was Ian and Jaiyu’s second. By day three, the routines of the group had more or less been established. Like when to take lunch breaks, when to refill our water, take turns leading, etc. Each person had learned their own needs but they had also been learning how to work as a group throughout the trip. Fetching and filtering water in bulk refills (we had 6 water bottles) for example, Ian fetched water, Carlos assisted in the filtering process, while Jaiyu performed the mosquito dance with a towel around the two guys to make sure nobody got eaten alive!
Ian actually got bit so many times we think he may have had an allergic reaction to the mosquitos (slight case of Skeeter syndrome??). When we settled in for camp that night he had to go to bed early because he felt like he was getting some chills and almost like a fever was coming on.
Some of the highlights of this section included the escape mission from mosquito-ville a.k.a. between Phipps Creek and Richardson Lake; trekking through fields of bright green Woolly Mule’s Ears that grew in open fields; seeing Lake Tahoe for the first time from the top of Barker Pass; and having to make the hard choice of which front-row-seat camp spot with a wide open view to Lake Tahoe we needed to pick before the Sun started to set.
Part of what made this an exciting trip overall was that Ian got to test out one of the first bucket hat samples. Which we designed with backpackers and thru hikers in mind. The main benefit is the soft visor panel on the back of the cap ensures your ears and neck are protected from the sun, but because it’s a soft panel, it doesn’t interfere with your loaded backpack!
DAY FOUR
ITINERARY:
June 27th, 202414.5 Miles.
Barker Pass to Tahoe City
Twin Peaks Elevation 8,878 ft (2,706 m)
Photo carousel: Carlos and Jai-Yu making their way down from Twin Peaks., Carlos resting on Twin Peaks, view of Lake Tahoe from Twin Peaks, Group celebration selfie.
REFLECTION:
Waking up on our fourth day we were trying to asses if we could push all the way to Tahoe city and finish the trip. This remaining section being the longest leg of our journey, we were looking at about a 15 mile day. When we originally planned the route we said we’d aim for completion in 4 days, but left open the possibility it would take us 5. Sharing the trail the past few days with PCT hikers who were putting in 20+ mile days, we felt inspired to push ourselves.
We tried not to compare our pace to other hikers, but couldn’t help but feel astonished that some ultralight thru hikers can actually complete the whole 165 mile Tahoe Rim Trail loop in 5 just days! Shout out to Jupiter Hikes! For Ian, Carlos, and Jaiyu, that sure sounded like light speed, however, they began to see how it could be possible with more experience. As they continued to observe how everyone had a different style, pace, and goal for how they spent their time and energy out on the trail, it made us feel happy with whatever pace we felt was right for us.
There was not one dull moment in this last section, NOT ONE! From the top of Twin Peaks ridge overlooking Lake Tahoe again before where we went down through another snowy area, or the 5 miles of straight fire road to the peaceful meadow before the last 3 miles into Tahoe City.
Jaiyu’s favorite part was the conifer forest and the switchback trail on our way up and over Twin Peaks (right before the PCT and the TRT separate). Although the trail was steep and endless, the lighting in the forest was mystical, and the temperature was perfectly cooled. In other words, it was an ideal place for mushroom sighting! Despite the Spring season ending on the mushroom calendar, there were still many small white Puffball fungi poking out of the ground and a ton of white and tan color Veiled Polypores on the pine trees.
As we meandered closer and closer to Tahoe City the sounds of civilization slowly seeped back into our ears and we couldn’t help notice how loud it sounded! We finished around 3:30pm and took a much needed dip in the truckee river to recharge our feet and wash off our dirty clothes before loading up on wings, fries, and burgers at Bridgetender (a classic Tahoe City pub & burger joint).
Next summer, we plan to head back out on the trail picking up where we left off! See you next time TRT!
Veiled Polypores
Puffball Fungi
After being away from this trail for over three months now, writing this trip report, the whole thing feels surreal. As if one moment I was booting up my laptop to start a normal day of work, staring at the lock screen image a little too long. Then, wham! In the blink of an eye, I found myself surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains, soaking up beautiful sights and new experiences. Then, before I knew it, I was transported back to my computer screen and to-do list. I guess that means our next trip needs to be longer! :)
