Day 8 - Echo Lakes to Big Meadow
This section is my only "day hike" on my journey, and it's 17.5 mile hike from the Echo Lake lodge, south along the Pacific Crest Trail to the very southern tip of the TRT, then northeast to Big Meadow.
As opposed to all previous trails, this section has plenty of water, finally! Tony, my new hiking partner, and I headed out from Echo Lakes store, early, and the first section, until you cross Highway 50, is pretty basic quasi-urban hiking. Lots of cabins and a few roads. Not quite the Wilderness experience, but really not too bad, either.
Once we crossed the highway, we started seeing a lot more hikers. Saturdays, right off the main highways, can get very busy.
What I really like about this section is the variety of terrain in such a short distance; from exposed granite, to open meadows, to fairly thick forests, with several lakes and streams. There is a great lunch spot just off the trail, on a large granite outcrop next to Showers Lake, where you can look all the way across Lake Tahoe and see Mt Rose, where this adventure first started.
Since this section has so many water sources, we hiked with a light water load, and filtered more when we got to Showers Lake.
At the southernmost point on the TRT, you have the junction of the TRT and the Pacific Crest Trail. That point is a long way from Lake Tahoe, and is only 3 miles north of Carson Pass!
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| Near Bryan Meadow |
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| Below Little Round Top |
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| Looking north, all the way to Mt Rose |
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| Face in the mountain (at least I see it, if noboby else does), above Showers Lake |
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| The Lunch spot with a view, next to Showers Lake |
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| Showers Lake. |
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| At the junction of the TRT with the PCT. Southernmost point on TRT. |
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| Looking south across Round Lake. |
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