Nomad Life - Day 95

With another weekend day ahead of me, I hoped to take full advantage of the nice weather that was forecasted and visit some additional Lake Tahoe landmarks.  I slept until I was fully ready to wake up (it ended up being 0645), got packed up and then read, did puzzles and completed my Duolingo drills.  At 0755, I departed my room and made it to the fitness center when they opened (0800).  Inside, I did 20 minutes on the stationary bike and made a PR for the week (5.1 miles).  The pool was still closed - so much for "amenities"...  Finished with the workout, I stopped at the Starbucks in the Bally's to pick breakfast - it was too busy and I didn't want to wait in a huge line.  Instead, I went back to my room, got ready for a hiking day and took all of my luggage to the Bally's Parking Garage (Level 5).  Next, I drove back to the entrance to the hotel and checked out of my room.  The taxes and fees were much higher than I'd expected (or received as reimbursement from Holiday Inn Club Vacations) - oh well...  I was soon (0900) back in my car and on my way towards South Lake Tahoe.  I stopped a few times on the way out of the area, first at the Ski Run Marina (couldn't access because the roads were blocked) and then at Safeway, where I purchased some breakfast sandwiches from Starbucks (0915).  Next (0925), I stopped at El Dorado Beach, which appeared to be the last access point for the water in South Lake Tahoe.  While there, I got some good photos of the clear water, the beautiful weather (30s, clear blue sky) and some artwork placed in the area by Olympians and other Nevada & California athletes.  By 0930, I was on my way south again, surrounded by a steady crowd of cars headed in the same direction.  My plan was to hike near Inspiration Point on Emerald Bay so I used CA-88 to reach that area.  Like I'd seen elsewhere nearby, almost every point of interest was closed for the season.  Lake Tahoe is clearly a summer place.  Despite the closures, I saw lots of cars parked in the "No Parking" areas at every place I passed.  From the traffic I saw on the drive, it was clear that parking near the State Park was going to be very problematic.  So, when I noticed signs for a (closed) State Park Campground on Eagle Point, I stopped (0955).  From my car, I started exploring the views I could get from this "consolation prize" location.  Fortunately for me, there were some good views to the east and I could see the casinos in Stateline and all of South Lake Tahoe.  After bushwhacking a bit, I got deeper into the Upper Eagle Point Campground road network and this took me to Overlook Trail (accessible) that followed the ridge to the east (1005).  In that area, I got even better views of Lake Tahoe and a small glimpse of Emerald Bay.  Also while walking deeper into the campground, I encountered a sign for the southern terminus of the Rubicon Trail, which I'd read about online.  Starting at 1015, I made my way west, along the edge of the cliff that rose above Emerald Bay.  I didn't really have a map or knowledge of the distance but I did have an idea of where the roads were (and the distance on them to Inspiration Point).  On the way, there was a gradual but steady descent in the trail.  The woods were lovely dark and deep and the water of Emerald Bay lived up to its name.  I encountered snow and ice but was careful with my footing.  There were a lot of interesting (and new) birds in the area.  I only encountered one person (trail runner) during my 1.7 miles from the campground to the center of Emerald Bay State Park.  At a wooden bridge across a small stream, I ended up taking a detour on a side trail, which took me to some waterfalls (pretty). Backtracking, I located the Visitor Center (closed).  By then (1100), I'd started to wonder how hard it would be to hike back to my car.  Putting that though aside for a minute, I explored the beach, got pictures of the island in the middle of the Bay and found a castle-looking building called "Vikingsholm".  Throughout, the weather was very nice and I found some more waterfalls, which were surrounded by LOTS of other people.  Not knowing how much work it might be to climb up to the road and make my way back to my car on the blacktop (which had almost no shoulder), I decided to head back the way I'd come.  Fortunately, the climb back up the ridge wasn't too bad.  Near the top, I encountered several people who asked me if it was worth the effort to hike all the way to the State Park - I told them it was.  A bit later, I found two young ladies (they ended up being from Hong Kong) who had given up during the initial descent.  We talked for a bit about how to really see the Lake while all the parks were closed.  I told them I thought I'd done it best but encouraged them to try their luck (to the north) with their car.  After finishing my (more than) six mile hike (1210), I said goodbye to the young ladies and drove north on CA-88, hoping to find a place to park for a good photo of Emerald Bay.  This ended up being too difficult because every parking lot was filled and people were waiting for open spaces.  Instead, I continued north until I reached D. L. Bliss State Park.  After turning around, I managed to find a place to take a quick photo of the Bay and Island.  After that, I headed back to South Lake Tahoe so I could get on US-50.  I should point out that all of the roads were scary, even for me, because they rose above cliffs (sometimes on both sides) with no shoulder or guard rails. By this point (1230), I was really hungry but didn't see anything extremely appealing.  So, I continued west.  This route had been recommended to me by more than one local person - they said it was better than going all the way up to I-80 (near Truckee) and the elevation wasn't as bad. After continuing through the passes, I believe I agree with their assessment - here was far less distance of driving and I only saw a peak elevation at about 7.2K.  Along the way, I was in steady traffic.  At the Agriculture Station at Meyers, I was following another driver and didn't realize I was in a "locals and returns (day trips)" lane until I passed a sign for the other option ("RVs, Trucks, and All Out of State License Plates").  By that moment, where wasn't anything I could do but continue - I was looking in my rear view window for a while but no one chased after me.  I'm not sure if the situation is over now but C'est la Vie...  The terrain along the road was steep and stunning, with lots of snow on the high peaks all around me.  There were very few chances for passing but I was happy to take my time.  Passing over Echo Summit (1250), where the road started downhill towards Sacramento, I started looking for opportunities to take a PCT hike.  Unfortunately, the roads and parking areas were closed and/or full.  Not wanting to miss my chance to, at least, see the PCT, I parked illegally and got some photos of the trailhead sign and monuments to the Pony Express.  When someone finally moved their car, I parked in a more permanent place and then took a short hike (0.5 miles of new mileage) into the (closed) property for Adventure Mountain Lake Tahoe (I think the town is called Nebelhorn).  There was plenty of snow there (probably 8-10 inches) but the weather was pleasant (40s).  Some folks had been trying to sled on a hill inside the (closed) facility but they also seemed to be giving up just as I reached them.  I continued into the woods until I found a place where the PCT (and Tahoe Rim Trail) clearly headed south.  Backtracking to the car (arrived at 1325), I went off in search of the next PCT trail crossing.  On Google Maps, I'd noticed that the trail paralleled US-50 for a few miles and this helped me to find a place where I saw a "people crossing" sign.  Other than a few small PCT signs on trees (and one sign post south of US-50), though, there wasn't a lot of evidence for the PCT.  In the end, I believe I got and additional 0.2 miles of new mileage at the second location.  Still, it was hard to see where the trail actually went into the woods (towards Echo Lake).  Regardless, I finished my PCT research and started the long (about 30 miles) descent from the Sierras (1345).  During the next 30 minutes, the road was very curvy and there were only two lanes in most places.  I was content to use my cruise control all the way downhill at speeds that might normally be frustrating.  The grade was steep enough that the 7K, 6K, 5K and 4K signs passed quickly.  When I looked down at my car's temperature gauge, it told me I'd arrived back in the 50s/60s - wow!  I passed a "State of Jefferson" sign (that provided a website for interested parties).  At Placerville, I got passed by a stereotypical CHiPs motorcycle police officer (I kept thinking about Ponch & Jon).  Soon afterwards, I stopped at a Carl's Jr. so I could have a late lunch / early dinner (1415).  The food was overpriced and the drink machine was broken - still, the food itself was welcome after so much walking (and biking) earlier in the day.  I ate in the restaurant before heading west again (1445).  Before long, US-50 opened up to 65 mph speed limit.  Traffic also picked up but, fortunately, I never found even one slow down all the way to Sacramento.  Most of my concentration was focused on staying on schedule so I didn't really see a lot of landmarks.  I believe this was my first time visiting the area (or, if it wasn't, I haven't been here since the 1970s).  At 1600, I arrived at my lodging for the night, the Motel 6 in Old Sacramento.  The property had bars around the parking lot and it was clear that security might be a question nearby.  When I asked the Front Desk clerk about this, though, she said it was safe to walk around in the dark (Note - I never tried this.).  I quickly able to get into my room, unload my car and take a soak in the (rare to have) tub.  For the next few hours, I worked on my blog, made eBird entries, assisted my boss with finalizing travel plans for my upcoming DC trip and tried to get ready for a week of work in the area.  Along the way, I skipped dinner (only one meal today!) and finally went to bed at 2245.  Another great day in the Sierras and near Lake Tahoe!  Pacific Crest Trail Today = 0.7 miles / Grand Total PCT = 13.7 miles