Tahoe Rim Trail Segment Hike – BEST SUMMER EVER!

Around here if “adventuring” isn’t one of your hobbies, you’re a weirdo.  And along with being a weirdo, you’d also be completely dateless.  We live in a place (and actually a world) where a huge part of dating is “adventuring.”  It’s actually gotten to the point where people are now scoffing at the word “adventure” in each other’s dating profiles because it’s getting so overused.  But, bottom line is, today adventuring is an important pastime in the dating world, and this usually includes being physically active in some way.  That’s why here at The Hungry Dater, while we believe dating and food go together, fitness must also be included.  You want to eat what you want, but you also want to look good.

Crazy Hiking Adventures

One of the best ways to “adventure” is hiking.  Most of the time, this means that you can be adventurous without being too crazy about it.  But then there’s those of us who are crazy about it on purpose.  I’m not usually one of them.  It takes something special to make me want to be a crazy adventurer—and last year, my dad found it.  For his 65^th birthday, my dad asked my mom and I to hike the full 168.5 miles of the Tahoe Rim Trail with him.

In my opinion, Lake Tahoe is truly one of the Wonders of the World (there are way more than 7).  And I really don’t think I’m alone.  I’ll never forget going to France for my high school graduation.  Any time people asked where we were from, “Reno” generally got blank stares.  But when we said “Lake Tahoe,” Parisian faces lit up in recognition and excitement.  Many even said visiting Lake Tahoe was on their bucket list.

Living so close to Tahoe makes it easy to “adventure” on a regular basis.  And the Tahoe Rim Trail is one of those adventures that becomes more than you ever could have imagined.

History of the Rim Trail

The Tahoe Rim Trail’s history starts in 1860 with the Pony Express.  They used the Kingsbury Grade to Echo Summit portion of the trail to deliver mail to Sacramento.  Over the next century, various parts of the trail were established on their own as individual hikes or camping destinations; until in 1981, Rim Trail founder Glen Hampton envisioned mapping out a 150 mile loop following the ridge tops of Lake Tahoe.   Construction on Hampton’s vision started in 1984, and in 2001, after 200,000 volunteer hours, the Tahoe Rim Trail was complete.

Probably the most amazing aspect of the trail is the fact that it was made with volunteer hours.  The Association does have a few employees who work to maintain the trail and run the programs, but everything else is done strictly on a volunteer basis!  Of course there are the guides who many of us see on a regular basis.  But there are even more who are behind the scenes doing the heavy lifting.  Last year alone, they had more downed trees on the trail than ever before (downside of the big snow years), and all of them were removed by volunteers—many times with hand saws!!!  Remember, there’s no equipment up there, so most of these things have to be carried in and out on foot and by hand.

 

A Birthday Request

When my dad announced this was what he wanted for his birthday, I knew there was no way I could say no; but honestly, I wasn’t super excited.  In fact, I was terrified.  We decided to apply to be a part of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s Segment Hikes.  This meant that every Sunday for 12 weeks, we would meet up with a guide and a group, get in a van, drive to the trailhead, and hike one segment of the Trail back to our cars.  Each segment consisted of 12-25 miles.  Ugh.

Hiking and Healing

Then, right after we signed up for the hikes, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.  We delayed our hiking group for one year while she got better.  Suddenly, hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail became more than just a transformative experience for us as individuals, but proof that we’d survived and thrived as a family through the worst of times.  Our strength had been tested.  We were strong, and we got to prove it every Sunday for 12 weeks.

But while I could talk about the transformative nature of this experience for days, honestly, the transformation and personal exploration wasn’t even the best part.  By hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail, you’re getting to see parts and views of Lake Tahoe that are untouched and impossible to see any way other than hiking up a mountain.  For miles.  Sometimes in the rain. With snow on the ground.  Or in the super hot sun.  Still with snow on the ground.

Even with all of that, it’s worth it.  And more than that, it’s amazing.

 

A Transformative Experience

Now, am I going to tell you I didn’t cry like a small child more than once in the summer last year?  If I did, I’d be lying.  I totally cried like a baby at least 5 times, and hiked 20 miles with a mild stomach flu once.  I complained that my summer weekends were shot; I was horrified when, after walking 25 miles the guides told me it wasn’t even the hardest segment; and I often hung out at the back of the pack, trailing behind the group simply because that’s where I liked to stay.  We saw a bear, peed in the forest, bled a lot, learned the importance of driving with towels on the seats to protect them from dirt and sweat, got consumed by mosquitos, and lived on chocolate milk, apple juice, cold sandwiches, and GORP.  And still, it was worth it.

We met the most amazing people, saw things many people wouldn’t see in three lifetimes, and learned what we are made of.  We went for the views and to help us get and stay fit.  What we found was we got “healthy” in many many unexpected ways.  We got fit enough to hike through Desolation Wilderness, we learned how strong we can be mentally with the proper mantras, we made some new friends, we got even closer to each other, and after a truly heinous year, we got the opportunity to heal as a family.

I realize that most people around here are perpetual hikers and this experience would have just been a fun summer jaunt for them rather than a transformative experience.  But even if that’s the case, I’m sure there are still major shifts that would happen for them during these hikes.

And hey, if nothing else, you can’t beat the views.

Once-in-a-Lifetime Views of Lake Tahoe

Every person had a different “favorite” segment.  Mine, by far, was Christopher’s Loop.  It’s a 1.2 mile loop that is extra on the 25 mile segment (the longest of the summer—but not the hardest!).  Because of that, it’s really easy to talk yourself out of going that extra mile.  DON’T DO IT.  That extra mile was my favorite view of the entire summer—and maybe of my life.  Seeing Lake Tahoe from that angle is something I will never ever forget.  As a matter of fact, my mom and dad were gone that week, so they’re making that one up this summer—I’m going with them.  While we aren’t doing the whole 25 miles, even if they were doing the whole thing, I’d still do it with them.  It’s breathtaking in every way.

But there really was something amazing on every segment.  From the flowers to the wildlife to the views, you’ll never be bored.  (You might be crying, but you won’t be bored.) 😉

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association works incredibly hard to keep this wonderful place well-designed, walkable, and pure for all of us to enjoy.  They work tirelessly to improve the trail all the time.  Last year alone they created another ¾ of a mile worth of trail so that no more hikers would have to deal with the “death hill” (at least that’s what we called it).  And that was just the beginning of their work.  Their volunteers go up on the trail without equipment to move rocks, pound dirt, gauge distance, cut trees, and make sure everything is kept up enough to support the over 400,000 hikers that come through every year.  They host the Segment Hikes, backpacking classes, Rim Trail Thru Hikes, kids’ education classes, and have single-handedly made the “Leave No Trace” movement a household name.  All of this is done primarily through volunteers.

Do It Scared

Before this experience, I’m not sure I ever considered myself one of the local adventurers who could stand up in the local adventure-y dating scene.  Now, there’s no doubt I can.

So, don’t underestimate yourselves.  Do things you’re not sure you can.  Keep in shape and make sure you have fun while you do it.  But don’t forget that those fun things might also make you cry.  Do it scared and you just may have the experience of a lifetime.  If you find things like this you love, you also may find the Love of Your Life.  And in the meantime, you’ll survive—and maybe even enjoy—this crazy “adventure” filled dating scene… All the while maintaining that date-worthy physique and a life-long health that will keep you beautiful and spry for your future (or current) Love.  But most importantly, do it for yourself.

And hey, bonus:  the more you exercise (or “adventure”), the better you can eat.  😉

Stay healthy, Daters!  And, as always, HAPPY Cooking.