On Monday we hiked the Taylor Creek loop, which was rated moderate, mostly because the trail markings were challenging in many areas. There was modest elevation gain, and the terrain varied from Creekside to crossing a bridge over a dam, rocky areas and lots of woods. Afterwards, we checked out the Mount Tallac trailhead access. Mount Tallac is the highest peak in Lake Tahoe with elevation 9735 feet. The hike is an out and back to the peak with an elevation gain of 3250 feet—a hike we MAY be in shape to do by mid-August. The signs indicate that a day license is required, so they can track who is on the mountain (in case you don’t come down!?) and bear cannisters are REQUIRED. That night, we had leftover steak and shrimp and rice, and cucumber salad leftover from the great weekend dinners.
Tuesday we did the Valley View trail, with excellent views and 817 feet of elevation, lots of switchbacks, and very pretty views of the valley strewn with huge boulders surrounded by pines. Dinner was mahi mahi and roast vegetables.
Wednesday we cleaned up the cabin, exercised and went to Glenny’s. Then we drove to Napa to meet our nieces and some of their mates: Holly and Justin, Liza and Zach, and Claire. We had a great Italian dinner at Bistro Don Giovanni. Our young relatives deserved to eat hearty, just 3 days prior they all ran the Napa Valley Marathon.
Thursday morning was spent driving back to Tahoe and grocery shopping, finishing getting the cabin ready. Kyle and Glennis joined us before dinnertime, we had salmon, salad, and roasted sweet potatoes. We watched the movie Thirteen Hours, about the showdown between Russia and the United States over the nuclear missiles placed in Cuba. Intense and good history.
On Friday, we all watched the Olympic Opening ceremonies. We walked, ran and rested. That night we had smoked pork tenderloin and a special salad, courtesy of Kyle, along with corn on the cob. We stayed outside until darkness. Then many small bats appeared, enjoying all the midges and moths. They were agile and beautiful to watch, but began to fly at deck level, which drove us inside to avoid any possible accidental collisions with people. We watched another historical drama, The Society of Ungentlemanly Warfare which was a lot of fun.
Saturday morning Dacia and Miller and Tayva and Makai arrived, and the day was spent in various pursuits, including the park with the kids, a partial cold plunge for Makai, watching Olympics and relaxing. Our guests made amazing cheesesteaks out of tri-tip for lunch, and AMAZING jerk chicken, beans and rice for dinner, with homemade lemon bars courtesy of Dacia. We ate them while playing craps until everyone was ready for bed.
