Overnight backpacking trip in Lake Tahoe - September 25-26, 2019

It had been only 10 days since we returned from our Northern Europe cruise and Iceland jaunt when we decided to decompress in the Lake Tahoe mountains. Kaleb and I had been traveling far from home every month of 2019; why not keep it local this time?

Both of us would carry a backpack frame, containing a mummy sleeping bag, inflatable pillow, inflatable sleeping pad, trekking poles, Camelbak water supply and personal items. Kaleb carried our tent as well as our food supply, stored in a bear-proof container (we used Bear Vault, but they seem to be out of stock at this writing; here's another style). A Wilderness permit is required for overnight stays, which can be purchased on the recreation.gov website.

It was a relatively pain-free drive to Lake Tahoe as we were traveling on a weekday.

Lake Tahoe teaser coming down Echo Summit

We would be backpacking in Desolation Wilderness, specifically to the Crag Lake camping site. The Meeks Bay trailhead was the start to our journey. There was one space left in the dirt parking lot when we arrived. Parking is also available on the main road.

It was a warm day, but much of the trail weaved through the forest, with a little bit of elevation gain.

We reached Lake Genevieve after a couple of hours. There were campsites there, but prettier alternatives could be had at Crag Lake, just a short distance further.

Lake Genevieve

We set up camp at Crag Lake - a tent on the ground and a hammock in the trees. Thankfully, there were no mosquitoes this time of year. You could bring a rod and go fishing here.

Campfires are prohibited in Desolation Wilderness. Dinner was a Mountain House spaghetti meal, re-hydrated with hot water, only taking 2 minutes to boil with a Jetboil stove. I was so hungry, I forgot to take a picture of the food. It was tasty for being freeze-dried.

We were the only people camping in the area tonight, making it nice and quiet. Sunset came, painting the sky with pastel pinks and purples. The temperature dropped rapidly afterwards; our down jackets came in handy. The night sky revealed countless stars. 

near sunset

Note that there are no restroom facilities in the wilderness; you have to make do in the forest. We carried a shovel just in case, but didn't use it (usually not during overnight stays). Human waste must be buried 6 to 8 inches deep and be at least 200 feet away from water, trails and campsites. All trash, including toilet paper, would need to be carried out.

To prepare for bed, we put our food and toiletries inside the bear-proof container and hid it far away from our campsite. Kaleb slept in the hammock, me in the tent.

A brisk chill was in the morning air the next day. We boiled water and made coffee, tea, and a Mountain House breakfast skillet meal. Kaleb replenished our water supply using a filter similar to this.

reflection on Crag Lake

We packed up and retraced our steps back to our parked car, then indulged in a late lunch at California Burger Co in South Lake Tahoe. Our freeze-dried food tasted good, but it couldn't compete against a freshly prepared meal and a pint of cold (root) beer. Service was efficient and the food came out quick. The sweet potato tots were excellent.

And that was the end of our short but fun backpacking trip! We are fortunate to have many hiking trails and camping areas within a 2-3 hour drive. Especially at the time of this writing, when long-distance travel is difficult or out of reach during the pandemic, camping can provide a convenient escape from being cooped up at home. Backpacking is recommended to physically distance from others, as car camping is more popular.

Where to next? Continuing our travel-in-every-month trend, we are headed to Kauai for two weeks in October...stay tuned!

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