Journeys›Photograph

Mid-September Days by Lake Tahoe

·Placer County, California·#hiking#boating#tahoe#dogs#lakes
A small dog walks into the shallow edge of a calm lake reflecting a dense evergreen forest under a blue sky.

Started at a small lake back in the trees on the Placer County side, dog in her harness working the gravel shoreline while a couple of paddleboarders came through the narrows. The water was low and clear enough that a little willow island stood exposed out in the middle. From there the trail climbed into a boulder field, granite and brush and downed branches, before we dropped back toward the big lake.

Tahoe in mid-September is the good stretch — the summer crowd thins out but the water is still boatable. One sailboat was out with a rainbow-striped sail, granite ridgeline behind it, and from the beach you could see straight down through the shallows before the blue took over. The lake sits at about 6,225 feet and covers 191 square miles, and none of that registers until you stand at the edge of it.

Ended up at the pier in Carnelian Bay toward evening. At the marina a restored wooden runabout sat in its slip, varnish deep enough to hold a reflection of the whole dock. The sign at the foot of the pier asks whether you've had a few Wet Woodys before boating, which at Gar Woods is not a hypothetical.

A brown dog stands on a gravelly shore beside a calm lake reflecting dense green trees under a clear blue sky.A light brown dog stands by a clear lake reflecting dense green pine trees under a blue sky, with distant paddleboarders.A sunlit forest scene with tall evergreen trees, large boulders, and sparse undergrowth under a bright blue sky.Panoramic view of a large lake with buoys, surrounded by forested mountains and a clear blue sky.A clear blue lake with small, tree-covered islands and a dense forest under a bright sky.A colorful sailboat on a vast blue lake, with dark green mountains under a clear sky.A shiny wooden boat with chrome fittings and a white canvas top, docked in water with forested hills under a bright sky.A long wooden pier stretches into a calm lake with boats, backed by mountains under a clear sky.

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