“Tuesday’s pre-storm calm was one of the most beautiful hiking days we’ve seen this fall,” said color spotter Michelle Pontoni. “The shaded areas were not too cool, the sunny areas not too hot.”
For those looking for a hike this weekend with late season color and fabulous vistas, the Rubicon Trail on Lake Tahoe’s west shore is still Pontoni’s favorite, year-round.
The normally full Vikingsholm parking lot high above Emerald Bay on Highway 89 had plenty of open spots at noon. This location has stunning views even if you are not up to a long hike.
On this particular day, the majestic glacial carved walls were showing off a streak of Peak and Past Peak color.
From here Pontoni walked a one-mile, steep, paved access road down to Emerald Bay.
“Our first view was of Fannette Island with several small Quaking Aspen groves lining the creeks below us, as well as distant snow covered peaks to the south,” she said.
“At the bottom we chose to head north on the mostly level Rubicon Trail, along the shore, where we found plenty of late fall color around every turn, nestled among the massive pines.”
After Monday’s high winds, the path was covered with a soft layer of fresh pine and fir needles topped with yellow leaves. Wednesday brought high winds and rain, so the narrative for a hike this weekend will certainly be a new story.
Rubicon Trail – Peak to Past Peak. GO NOW! You almost missed it.
