Rising to greet another chilly morning, Keir throws down the gauntlet by refusing to make breakfast at our campsite, "There are TWO great restaurants nearby", he implores, "and besides, I'm not eating any more of your oatmeal!"
Off we set to the Fire Sign Grill, one of the aforementioned great restaurants and within easy walking distance of our site. We beat the rush (although the restaurant is already packed by the time we arrive) and settle in to a tasty breakfast of a veggie eggs bennie for Jenn and a short stack (they are not very short) of blueberry buckwheat pancakes for Keir.
After waddling back to our site, we share a cuppa with Shelly and Glen before setting out for the day. Keir is interested in driving up to the former 1960 Winter Olympic site of Squaw Valley to take the gondola up to a 5 mile hike that our book describes as magical. The bonus is an Olympic Museum that also at the top of the mountain.
Gold medalist skier Nancy Green (of the "we-got-to-ski-with-her-on-our-ski-trip-to-Sun-Peaks fame"...well more likely of the "she-won-a-gold-medal fame", but whatever!) won her gold here and Keir is eager to look through the museum.
Thwarted! The gondola is closed in this shoulder season reopening only when the ski seasons begins.
We backtrack to the D.L Bliss State Park with the idea that we will meander along the edge of Lake Tahoe on the 6 mile Rubicon Trail.
Thwarted again! The D.L. Bliss State Park is closed for the season!
Backtracking even further, we try to snag a parking spot at the Vikingsholm trailhead — the other end of the Rubicon Trail.
Thwarted again! The lot is packed to the gills with folks just wanting to capitalize on the lovely overlook on Emerald Bay.
We turn the car around noting that we'd seen cars randomly parked at pulls outs along the road. Surely we'll find another way to jump on the trail!
Finally! Luck!
Keir bumps into a ranger who is on her way down a service road and who confirms for us that if we just walk down this incredibly steep 2 mile road, we will indeed join up with the Rubicon Trail.
The wait and walk is worth it — the trail is indeed lovely (although not for knowing that we had that steep 2 mile road to walk back up at the end of our walk!).
With news that snow and cold is on its way into the area on Monday, we opt to camp just one more night in the area and then get out ahed of the first winter blast. We choose Meek's Bay campsite on the shore and bundle up. The night is brisk, but not too bad at all.
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