Crystal Clear Lake Tahoe, CA

Placerville, CA
Storm Valley Ranch



Our final day in Placerville before we head north was to take Curt and Glenda to Lake Tahoe.  It's about a 45 minute drive from where we used to live up Hwy 50.  It's a very scenic drive.

One of the pull offs at the summit looking down over Christmas Valley waaaaay down.

In the far distance is Lake Tahoe.

Curt and Glenda

Mt. Tallac in the background.

When visiting Tahoe, you must stop in at Camp Richardson and get one of their famous Rum Runners!

We also had some appetizers to go with the Rum Runners while sitting on the deck in front of the lake.

A walk down the dock enjoying all the "blue magic" that is Tahoe.

Momma was very protective of her goslings.

Just look at that water!  If you haven't ever been to Lake Tahoe, you should!  Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America at 1,645 feet deep, straddling the border of California and Nevada. It’s known for its beaches and ski resorts.  It trails only the Great Lakes in volume of water, and is the second deepest in the US and the third deepest in North America. 

Measurements of water clarity started in 1968. At that point, you could see a white disk submerged to a depth of 100 feet. Today, clarity has dropped to around 70 feet. Tahoe is losing about one foot of clarity per year due to excessive algae and nutrient growth and runoff pollution.  The Keep Tahoe Blue organization is working on reversing these problems.

While walking back to the car to start our drive around the lake this cute little Momma Raccoon kept an eye on us.

 

 

Momma Raccoon keeping a watch out for her babies.

We stopped at a pull out in Emerald Bay.

The clarity of the water here is just amazing!  You will also find the Vikingsholm Castle here.

From late September through mid-October, mature kokanee salmon turn from silver-blue color to a bright red, and run up Taylor Creek. As spawning season approaches the fish acquire a humpback and protruding jaw. After spawning they die and their carcasses provide a feast for gatherings of mink, bears and bald eagles.

 

Snow totals here in the past few years have been as low as 107 feet and as high as 330 feet.

As we drive around the lake some of the prettiest views are around Incline Village and particularly at Sand Harbor.  Some of you may remember the popular western show, Bonanza.  Parts of it were filmed here and there was a park operated where you could walk around and see the old homestead from 1967 until 2004. You could get a Hossburger there at the café, but not a cheeseburger because Hoss didn't like cheese.

Sand Harbor

The boulders in the crystal clear water makes this one of the prettiest spots to walk around at.

There is a Rim Trail that encompasses the lake that is 165 miles. The lowest elevation is 6,240 and the highest point of the trail is 10,338 feet in elevation.

It took most of the day to drive around the lake making several stops along the way to see waterfalls, stroll along the beaches, eat and take photos.  Afterwards we popped into the casinos at Stateline (the boarder of CA/NV) and did a tiny bit of gambling.

Shameless elevator selfie as we went to the top of the casino for some great views.

We combined a few bucks each and took turns pulling the handle.  We got a couple of "big" wins but it didn't take long to lose it all.

 

What a great day it was.  Tomorrow we head north and spend time camping with some other friends and family before reaching Oregon.