Mount Tallac sits high above Lake Tahoe at 9,738 feet in the southwest region and is one of the most trekked and talked about trails in the Lake Tahoe Basin. One sunny day in July, I decided to put on my hiking shoes and check it out. To be honest, I did not plan on reaching the summit, despite the lure of the picturesque peak seen when biking or driving around South Lake Tahoe.
I started the hike from the Tallac trailhead off of Highway 89; I drove the approximate 1 1/2 miles to the start of the trailhead and got lucky and snagged a spot. It was noon; many hikers had already finished. I had 2 liters of water in my hydration backpack, an extra soda, sandwich and other hearty snacks to fuel my trip, no matter how many miles I decided to go.
Trail Details
The beginning of the trail was a moderate climb up to a ridge lined with trees with a view of Fallen Leaf Lake on the left and the southwest shore of Tahoe, which became larger and larger with the climb in elevation. After what seemed about one mile along this path, the trail dove into some trees and became narrower. It was hot at this time of day, and I was sucking water from my Dakine Session Hydration Backpack 2 liter resevoir like mad and knew I had to savor the water a bit to enjoy more of the hike. I gladly got my handkerchief wet as I came upon a small lake. I stopped at the water's edge of Floating Island Lake and took a pic. The wet handkerchief and brief respite in the shade of the trees felt good after being exposed on the ridge.
I carried along on the trail, steadily climbing in elevation until I reached Cathedral Lake which was a quaint pond really, where small groups were gathered at its edge, taking breaks and enjoying food. I stopped briefly here to adjust my shoes and wolf down a small granola bar for calories before heading back to the clearly marked trail and onto more rocky and exposed terrain, heading west. My energy level was steady at this point in the so far moderate hike, and I was not ready to head back, as I originally thought I might have.
Western Exposure
The start of the climb after Cathedral lakes was beautiful with wide switchbacks featuring large boulders; it was easy to veer off the trail a bit to sit on one of the boulders to look at the gorgeous view of Lake Tahoe, yet I kept on heading upwards. Many hikers were heading down, as I had gotten my start a bit later. It was about 80 degrees that day and I was glad to be wearing my hat and polarized sunglasses to protect my eyes from the strong UV rays and the glare of the sun. Adequate sunscreen application was also necessary before the start of the hike as I felt the rays turning the tops of my shoulders a bit red at this point of the hike, especially being exposed again.
Still heading up, there was a nice flow of water over the rocks on the trail which two people who were coming toward me had stopped at to scoop up onto their faces, necks and heads in pure satisfaction to cool off. I decidedly followed their lead and brought my hands to the water and got my handkerchief wet again. That definitely was a smart decision.
I turned another small bend and was awestruck when I gazed from the bottom of the bowl towards the awesome view of Cathedral Peak and noticed the pure rocky ascent; the only signs of a trail were the people switchbacking their way down or up on a scree field of shale and rock.
At this point in the hike, I knew I wanted to summit Mount Tallac but knew I would be low on water because I only had the 2 liters from the hydration pack along with a Diet Hanson's Root Beer soda. If I had planned to summit, I definitely would have packed another 2 liters of water. However, while making my way up the craggy bowl, taking small breaks to let passersby come through, all I thought about was keeping my footing on this rocky terrain, as a couple of times I did lose the trail, not by much though, and I was grateful to see another person to help guide me on my ascent. I sat on a sturdy rock and savored half of my apple, knowing that this provided me with the sugar and water to keep me on my way.
When I topped out on the ridge, there was another mile and a half to go, and I decided to give it a shot. There were still vast amounts of broken rock on the trail, but clearly I was headed on the western edge of the mountain, dotted with alpine meadows, the trail widening with the summit looiming in the distance.
I took another small break in a shaded area after the craggy trail, eating another granola bar, reaching from my backpack and noticed how easy it was to reach into the organized front pocket to grab the bars and check my phone. I thought this pack was a nice companion with its minimalist design and easy to access bite valve to drink from. It was lighter now due to the almost empty hydration pack but could easily have carried a 2 liter stainless steel container in the large compartment where the water bladder was held. The airy shoulder straps and breathable back panel were a nice feature, allowing my sweaty shoulders and back to breathe, not digging in at all. The chest and waist straps were also easy to secure and unsecure at a rapid speed, in order to access items when desired.
After my reverie under the tree, I hit the trail again. I saw a man jaunting towards me wearing nothing but a small pair of shorts and waist pack which perhaps carried his water. He was most likely used to this terrain and trail, running with a pair of trekking poles. It looked like fun. I kept going. The view west, looking into Desolation Wilderness, was breathtaking. The visibility was stunning and the abundant peaks and mountain lakes were highly visible. I took many photos.
I finally reached a sign that read Mt. Tallac, pointing me up another .2 miles to the summit. I knew I was almost to the top when the trail turned to large dark rocks, with an undefined trail. Another man in shorts came skipping by with his trekking poles, undaunted by the over 3,000 foot elevation gain to reach the summit and seemingly knew where to place his feet at what seemed to me a breakneck pace. I found a large steady rock to call my own when I summited, enjoying vast views of Lake Tahoe and surrounding lakes. Behind me was equally spectacular as I took in the view of Jack's Peak, Gilmore Lake and Half Moon Lake. The vastness of Desolation Wilderness was enchanting.
I looked down at my trusty hiking shoes that have given me many miles already this season. I picked them up at Ross and am grateful because my Under Armor Bandit Trail shoes are one of my favorites that I have ever owned. Hiking in the summer months calls for a shoe that is lightweight and easy to wear; these deliver as the mesh construction allows for proper ventilation. Also, they provide adequate cushion on a variety of surfaces (as tested on this trail) as well as provide traction to hold on loose gravel on the trail.
The Descent
After enjoying my break with half a Justin's peanut butter honey and banana sandwich and my diet root beer, I headed back down, excited from having summitted. It took me 3 hours to get to the top, completing 4.7 miles and I was ready to start the descent on the out and back trail.
I enjoyed the downslope heading back, testing my quadriceps and ankle stablity when I stepped on unstable rocks back at the craggy switchbacks facing east. Stopping by the stream of water was absolute heaven due to the high heat level in the late afternoon before the trail dipped back into shaded bliss.
All in all, this 9.4 mile trail took over 5 hours and was exhilerating to say the least. I was happy to have completed it and love talking about this adventure with others.
