Mt Tallac and Horsetail Falls

- Family trip to South Lake Tahoe where we ran out of trail en route to Tallac.

DAY 1 - MT TALLAC

Fallen Leaf Lake on the way up

Mt Tallac

Lake views

Cathedral Lake

View near the saddle

As far as we got

Highlights

• We made it to just about the top of the saddle, before the summit plateau. Lots of wet stream crossings and rock scrambling. The rainy, windy conditions and cross country sections were too much. We had expected a well defined trail to the top.
• Incredible views all along the way.
• Cathedral Lake makes a great destination.
• Glad we got to the parking lot early - it filled up quickly.
• Pepper did not seem to like boulder hopping when there are gaps of air between the rocks. 

RECAP

• Location: Mt Tallac, Desolation Wilderness via the Mt Tallac trailhead.
• Date: June 2022.
• Stats: 7 total mileage with 2,300+ ft elevation gain
• Why I chose this trip: We had wanted to tackle this one not long after Ellis. It is close to Hwy 50 and reportedly has the best views of Tahoe given how close it is to the lake and how high up. And I thought it had a trail all the way to the top!

Mt Tallac Trailhead

DAY 2 - HORSETAIL FALLS

Pyramid Creek cascade

Horsetail Falls

Looking back towards Lovers Leap

Pyramid Creek

New growth after the fire

Caldor Fire devastation

View of South Lake Tahoe from Echo Lake

RECAP

• Location: Pyramid Creek, Desolation Wilderness via the Horsetail Falls trailhead.
• Date: June 2022.
• Stats: 2 miles with under 500 feet elevation gain.
• Why I chose this trip: This is one of our all time favorite loop hikes and we felt like we had to see the extent of the Caldor fire damage to the area. We also stopped at a very windy Echo Lake to check out the store and views of South Lake Tahoe.

Horsetail Falls Trailhead

What an adventure.