Mmmmt. Tallac

Known for its stunning views, Mt. Tallac did not disappoint. We had amazing weather...warm, calm, and clear. The view from the summit (9,735 ft) gives you a nearly unobstructed view of the whole lake, which is nothing short of breathtaking. We started at the Mt. Tallac trailhead (6,480 ft) at 11:30 and summited at 2:30, which is not too bad given that I was dealing with the combination of exercise-induced asthma and only 20 hours to acclimate to being above sea level. My calves made a little bit of noise on the way up (running injury), but did not persist, which made me optimistic until I dealt with extreme soreness in them Sunday and Monday. Matt set the pace well for me and having him in front of me kept me focused and moving.


Here we are...Matt's pretending he's taller than me and I'm happy that the altitude didn't kill me. We spent an hour at the summit enjoying "lunch" (Chewonki style), the views, and a crazy chipmunk who was totally unafraid of me while I freaked out everytime it came within three feet of me. I'm not sure why I don't have the instinct to scare animals away...I am ridiculously bigger than a chipmunk, but it's not what I think to do. Matt spent most of the hour dreaming about skiing down the this mountain when the snow comes. He hopes it comes really soon, while I wouldn't mind a bit more time to get more hikes like this in. We hustled down in two hours, as fast as our knees would let us. It was so much fun! The round trip is about 9.6 miles, so not too crazy, but you do have to work for it. We elevated our legs when we got back to the car...something I try to do whenever I hike or run...I guess to speed the recovery. It worked for my knees and quads but not the calves. We drove back to Tahoe City by finishing the counter-clockwise loop of the lake, driving through South Lake Tahoe and Nevada. It's very touristy in that part and of course, the casinos indicate the state line. Tahoe City, where Matt lives, is smaller and more mellow than the south and it's an easy drive to anthing you'd want (except Whole Foods and an independent movie theater), which makes it pretty ideal as a place to land if you like to be outdoors. Overall, great weekend. Maybe next time, I'll have a use all those sweaters I brought.