Hiking From Barker Pass

Hello Friends,

The past few days have been just beautiful in Tahoe. It has not been too warm nor too cold. Winds have been blowing just enough to turn the lake a bit choppy, but today the winds are down, and the lake was flat and perfect for boating etc. With the temperature in the seventies and a little breeze blowing, hiking turned out to be a good choice.

I drove up to Barker Pass each of the past couple of mornings and did a little hiking. One day I went south and east from Barker Pass to the top of Ellis Peak. The air was clear and the views in all directions were stunning. This hike is about 6 miles out and back with some good up and down sections along the way to make sure you get a good workout by the time you return to your car. Along the way are hillsides filled with wildflowers blooming in all colors. Views of Hell Hole Reservoir to the west, Desolation Wilderness to the south, Castle Peak and beyond to the north, and Lake Tahoe to the east. All of these views are obtainable from the top of Ellis Peak. As I was approaching the peak I spotted a buck lunching on some vegetation. We looked at each other for awhile before he headed off.

The next day we drove just over Barker Pass to a point where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the road. There is a small parking area and portable toilet located at the trailhead that heads north toward Twin Peaks and later on to Alpine Meadows, Squaw Valley, and Donner Summit. More views are available along this hike and more stunning flower displays dot the hillsides. One flower to look for at this time of year is the somewhat rare Primrose. We spotted
them just where we thought they would be and to our delight they were standing tall and pink.

There was an area were they were cascading down the hillside.

We walked through forested areas and across open slopes covered with Mule Ear. This is section of the Pacific Crest Trail is shared with the Tahoe Rim Trail so there were a number of people hiking along its path. Most of the people we ran into were hiking the PCT and heading to Canada. It is amazing how many people are hiking the entire trail. Yesterday we may have run into twenty people. Hiking from Barker Pass to the junction where the PCT heads north and the TRT heads more east toward Twin Peaks and eventually Tahoe City is about a 10 mile out and back trek.

Enjoy your day,

Andy