Lazarow World-Hike-About: 9.42 Mount Tallac, South Lake Tahoe, big and tough

LAZAROW WORLD HIKE-ABOUT

San Ramon: At first, I thought it needed explanation. Not true. Top Left: "You're kidding me. After hiking 4 miles from the base below, you still want to climb up there...and snakes...?" The stance revealed it all. The rest is self-explanatory, too. (Not part of the formal trail either).

'LAZAROW WORLD HIKE-ABOUT: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HIKE-ABOUT?'

Hike-about is an adventure that commenced June 2010. After storing our household movables, ridding ourselves of a house but retaining our 'home' together, we set off with the purpose of hiking in different parts of the world, not forgetting the home country, the USA.

Our primary focus is hiking to mountain peaks but any challenging hike will do just fine. Extended stays enable us to enjoy and experience living in various places amongst differing cultures. Hike-about has evolved into a way of life. It's also a process of discovery, both the world and ourselves.

We work and live 'on the road' but return to the city in which our grandchildren reside, every couple of months. This provides us the wonderful opportunity to be with them as well as a child or two, even three and of course, friends.

By the end of 2023, the blog contained over 1,560 hikes (less than that actually undertaken), each a set of pictures with stories and anecdotes from the trails. An index to the right allows the viewer to identify earlier experiences.

Finally, we are often asked about the journey's end. Our reply, as accurate as we can state, is: "When we are either forced to cease through health issues or the enjoyment level no longer reaches our aspirations, we will hang up the boots."

"A Life Experience As No Other: Dare to Seize the Day Together", published by Fulton Books, depicts our life on the road and mountains until the beginning of 2017. It has developed 'exponentially' since then.

Jenni and Jeffrey Lazarow

Whereas we continue to update the blog regularly, we circulate email notifications infrequently.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

9.42 Mount Tallac, South Lake Tahoe, big and tough

From Tallac Peak, it tells the story more than adequately (click on picture to enlarge)

'You've got a friend' as we struggle down a tricky stone and sand slide (Thanks to Doug for photo.)

Reflections—note the mountain ridge in Floating Island Lake

Each day that we wake, especially if in good health, is a great blessing. Today, as we climbed up Mount Tallac we felt especially blessed. We don’t know why the feeling was so prevalent but we did not want to let it go. We suppose that one of the major challenges in life is to feel that way whether things are going along smoothly or not. Heck, we didn’t even blink an eye when we saw the carnage in our investment portfolio.

We met some interesting fellows on the trail today who in their own way, added to the experience—thank you, Dave, Bill and Colonel (Doug). We can’t even give you the latter’s full name as he is in the US Air Force, intelligence division—he is very intelligent, too. On the way down, Dave showed us his heels as he set a blistering pace, Bill concentrated on the tricky path chosen by Doug who took the photograph of us with his ‘secretive’ camera.

Jenni takes the ledge overlooking Lake Tahoe

Pyramid Peak (Blog 9.40 shows view of Pyramid from Mount Ralston)

The statistics of the hike and a comment or two are from Moon’s guide on California. It’s rated at the highest level of difficulty/strenuousness as well as beauty. The elevation gain is above 3,250 feet on mostly rocks and stones bringing a hiker to an altitude of 9,735 feet. The round-trip distance is 10 miles. There is no doubt that it makes a person feel physically taxed. Funnily enough, the hike at Mount Ralston on Tuesday, rated below this one in exertion, we found slightly tougher. Then again, we added to the latter by getting lost and having to climb again to find the trail. It seems not only are we ‘wandering Jews’ but often lost, too.

Jenni handles the climb in her stride

An unorthodox, through the legs, view of the South Lake Tahoe town

When one combines the views of the numerous mountains and peaks surrounding Lake Tahoe, including Rose, Dick, Ralston, Pyramid and many others as well as a fortune of varying sized lakes, one is set to observe stunning sights. In fact, the guidebook suggests we witnessed one of the best in America. Who knows? The sheer size of Lake Tahoe is humbling; add the azure, emerald and turquoise mixes into the brain and one has an explosion of ‘blues’ to cheer one’s mood and experience.

Part way up Tallac

Briefly, the hike begins in the forest, passes two small lakes while climbing at all times. Thereafter, the rate of ascension gets serious—very serious. By the time we reached the ridge, we thought we were about there. We were in fact about there but for another two miles. As more than adequate consolation, the views are constant and incredible. Look to the one side and see Fallen Leaf Lake to the fore of Lake Tahoe with mountainous backdrops or, the peaks including Pyramid on the other. What a hike, what an experience.

Peaked although one of us looked piqued at Tallac Peak

We made mention of this the other day. However, to observe our editor handle the climbs and slopes, often passing hikers a third and half her age, brings a tremendous amount of pride and joy. What surprises us: Is she that old?