Granite Flat Campground

I don’t think we have we ever gone back to the same campground during the same trip, but this time we did.  We escaped the crowd at Zephyr Cove before 10 am, and pulled into the campground here around 11:15.  Construction still going on, but traffic was lighter, and we had more downhill too.  At 6 pm I took down the solar panel, and took a quick stroll around the park.  There are twice as many campers in the park now than on Monday when we arrived, but it is still quiet (so far).

   

Although there are six or seven campers behind us, there is nothing next door on either side, but in the next loop down there are a lot more campers, but they are so far away this should not cause problems.  However, the site next to us on he driver’s door is reserved starting tomorrow until July 2nd, I just hope they too are a quiet group.

The Truckee River runs along the entire eastern side of this campground.  The level as you see today (June 26th) is what it would normally look like in late August or early September.  The Truckee is the only outlet river for Lake Tahoe, and they do have it damned to time the release of water through the long hot summer and into fall.  I wonder if it is going to dry up this year before the next winter storms replenish Lake Tahoe to get it high enough for the Truckee to run again.

I really like this picture…it kind of reminds me of a Bob Ross painting.  I can see him color the canvas blue, then add the happy little clouds, then cut in the hill to the right, the water, the land to the left, then the smaller trees.  After that he would say, “Let’s see, I think one lives right here”…an proceeds to place the large trees into the picture.  The only thing missing is his trademark little cabin.

There we go…something like that.  (wonders of photoshop).

One thing about a river, you go down stream or up stream a bit and the picture changes.  Only wish the sky was blue, I think the Washington Fire smoke is reaching even over her near Truckee.

Another thing about rivers is you usually see wildlife around…all I saw was a few of these giant Robins.

I do like the layout of the park…had it not been so close to highway 89, it would be a great campground.  Looked for other NF Parks, but with the weekend, this looked like the best bet, so that is why we are back.  Three days of no electrical hookups will give me a good idea of what we are capable of doing.  I figure the generator will run first thing in the morning (after 7:30 that is) and again before we go to sleep for 30-45 minutes each.  That should keep us charged about the 50% level, which is our goal.  Tomorrow we are going to see the sites of Truckee.

Tahoe Crowds and Fallen Leaf Lake

I couldn’t tell you when the first time I came to Tahoe…but I do remember camping at Bliss State Park, I remember camping at other parks in and around Lake Tahoe, and I remember being on my uncles boat in Lake Tahoe.  Which of those memories is the first I could not say.  From my youth until I left California I probably came to Lake Tahoe each year at least once…sometimes more.  Since we are camping in Nevada, our route takes to Stateline from reverse compared to what I am use to…above is the four major casinos on the state line, with Harrah’s and Harveys in the distance…they both sit right on the state line in Nevada just outside of California.

And one of my favorite places at Lake Tahoe is Emerald Bay.  Marcia had been to Emerald Bay once, so I thought we would head over there again before we drove up to Fallen Leaf Lake, which is a place I have not been before.

Our new camera was able to get a better shot of Vikingsholm that Marcia took.  You can clearly see the people down there, and details on the building. 

I also got this nice panoramic shot from the Vikingsholm parking lot…this shot faces where the Washington Fire south of Markleeville, California is burning.

The map above shows the line of site, which is where the panoramic picture was pointing, with the fire about 90 miles away.  Highway 4 and Highway 89 are closed over in that area, which HAD we gone to Calaveras Big Trees before I found out Ebbetts pass was too much for our motorhome to handle, so we wouldn’t have gone that way tomorrow anyway. 

Yesterday we did not notice smoke, but today the smoke had nearly hidden Lake Tahoe from Emerald Bay.  But we have covered Emerald Bay and Lake Tahoe a few times in our blog, if you want to see better, clearer pictures, visit these two blog post:  May 15, 2012 and October 29, 2013.

After we left Emerald Bay we headed back towards South Lake Tahoe and took a right to Fallen Leaf Lake. I knew there was a NF Campground back there, and I knew the road continued past the campground and I just figured we would have a nice view of the lake, perhaps with few people around.  WOW, was I wrong!

There is a whole summer community crowded in back there.  Fallen Leaf Road is about 5 miles long, and for the last 2+ miles you can see the lake, and from that point on you see summer houses of all ages (old to new construction).  The road is very narrow, and cars have to pull over and/or hug each side of the road to allow two cars to pass by.

And the road is bumpy, full of pot holes in places, and there is a fire department back there.  If there was ever a fire, people would have to flee into the lake to survive.

   

Top two photos above show some newer homes, while the one along the lake shows an older boat house, many of which dot the shoreline.  Small houses up here run around $250-$500,000…and that would be for a home of 1,000 sq. ft. or less.  Larger homes run up into the multi-millions.  Don’t know if the house is worth it, but the view is sure worth it…if you can stand the fire risk.

It was a hard drive to the end where, if it wasn’t so busy, they have a public beach and boat launch for people to use.  But for us the idea of having a nice lake to view with few people became a crowded mess…much like Lake Tahoe is during the summer.  But there is some sort of pull to those who grew up visiting Tahoe as kids back in the ‘60s.  It was crowded in a way then, but that was because of lack of infrastructure.  Now there are more people, many more living here, many more visiting, but the infrastructure makes it look and feel like it did back in the ‘60s…busy, hectic, yet beautiful and dreamy...even with the smoke filled skies.  Tomorrow we head back to the quieter life of Granite Flat.