Journeys›Photograph

A Late April Hike Along the Shore in Truckee

·Truckee, California, United States·#hiking#california#spring#truckee#dogs#donner lake
A river flows between tree-lined sandy banks, with snow-capped mountains under a blue sky in the background.

A late April weekend in Truckee, back in 2018. The weather had that classic spring mountain feel — bright sun and blue skies, but with a definite chill in the air. You can see we were still in hats and fleece, and patches of snow lingered on the higher elevations across the lake.

We took a walk on one of the trails through the pines. The path was mostly dirt, a little muddy in spots, leading us down toward the water. The dogs were, of course, leading the way.

The trail opened up to a calm, clear inlet surrounded by tall pines. The water was a deep green-blue under the sun. From there, we made our way to the main shoreline of the lake.

The beach was a mix of sand and smooth stones, and the water was incredibly clear. The kids and dogs spent most of the time right at the edge, hopping on rocks and splashing in the shallows. It was a simple, quiet afternoon out before the summer crowds arrive.

A person and a dog stand at the edge of a clear lake, flanked by a pine forest and a distant snowy mountain.A blue lake surrounded by dense evergreen trees and snow-covered mountains beneath a partly cloudy sky.A child, a person, and two dogs walk on a dirt path through a pine forest under a blue sky with clouds.A child in a pink hat and boots walks on a sunny dirt path, with a person and dog in the foreground.Two people and a dog stand on a lake beach with a dense pine forest and snowy mountains behind them.Two people and two dogs on a rocky lake shore with mountains and a cloudy sky in the background.Two people stand on rocks in shallow lake water, with two dogs nearby and a forested mountain in the background.An adult and a child with two dogs on a rocky lake shore with a forested mountain and buildings in the background.

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