TRT 10: The End!

Daily Miles: 14

Total Miles: 170

We kept to our normal schedule today even though we didn’t have as many miles to hike. MountainMan made their usual morning coffee while still laying in his hammock, and we all chatted as we got packed up.

It was another morning with perfect temperatures. We headed out with just our windshirts as an extra layer. Within a mile and a half, we came to a junction with a side trail to the Sand Harbor Overlook. We had been told in 2014 to definitely take the time to do the side trail because it has the best view of the lake. We thought it was great and figured MountainMan and Ace would like it too.

It definitely adds some uphill walking, but the views are worth it, as you come to a rocky cliff which seems to extend almost to the waterline. You can also see Marlette Lake from the overlook and you just get a different perspective of the mountains going down to the lake. There was some pretty dark brown smokey haze hanging over the mountains on the western shore, but it was still a great view.

After some photos and a snack break, we figured we better keep moving. Today was probably the coolest day of the trip, but only because it was windy…the temperature was probably the same. We were warm enough while walking, but when we stopped for a break, we would get cold and need to put on a jacket.

The trail felt very quiet today until we got within a few miles of Tahoe Meadows. We started to see some other backpackers and even saw our first horses of the trip. Today was an “odd-numbered” day which meant that mountain bikers were not allowed on the last 9.5 miles of our hike. This definitely made things quieter. When we came through this same stretch four years ago, it was an “even-numbered” day when bikers are allowed and there were easily 100 bikers on the trail.

We made it back to the Mount Rose Trailhead (our starting point) around 3pm. We took some finish photos and then contacted an Uber for a ride to our hotel. Once again the TRT has been a great trail to hike!