I’ve done this hike once before, but never solo. It is a short hike but it is a really tough hike. The first mile up is 1465′ of elevation gain with 2133′ gain total. The air quality around Lake Tahoe was not great due to the wildfire smoke, making this hike even more of a challenge. Needless to say, it was extremely rewarding to get to the top and have my snack.

Red face. Working hard.

My obligatory watch selfie.

Standing on a hard-earned pile of rocks overlooking a smoked-in Lake Tahoe.

This area is typically filled with wildflowers in the spring after snowmelt.

On my trek back down, I crossed paths with a group of 3 tourists in the area from Chicago. They were second-guessing their decision to take this hike and asked me how much farther until the top. They added that a few other members of their group had already turned back. I assured them it wasn’t far and that they should keep going, the view is definitely worth it.

Near the very end of the hike, I ran into 4 trail obstacles.