Trail Blazer Winter 2023 Edition

Dear friends,

Tahoe Rim Trail Association

Trail Blazer is the official publication of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA), a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to maintain and enhance the Tahoe Rim Trail system, practice and inspire stewardship and preserve access to the natural beauty of the Lake Tahoe Region.

STAFF

by

Morgan Steel Executive Director

We needed this summer! After last summer’s seemingly endless smoke-filled skies, forest closures, wildfires, and subsequent evacuations, Tahoe needed a win. A reminder of why we all love to recreate here. We received it. Long summer days stretched late into a colorful fall with limitless opportunities for adventure. The Tahoe Rim Trail Association took full advantage of this blissful trail season. We hosted workdays to improve the trail and rebuild sections destroyed in last year’s fires, guided the young and the young at heart into the TRT backcountry, engaged with trail users at trailheads, and moved major trail infrastructure projects forward. Our winter 2023 TrailBlazer magazine digs into the work that defines our organization - trail projects, hikes, and environmental education all implemented with a passion for this trail we all love and the landscape that makes it one of a kind. We hope you enjoy reading about our work and are inspired to join us!

Best wishes for an adventurous 2023 (and a very snowy winter)!

With Gratitude,

Morgan Steel, Executive Director

View from the Rim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2022 Annual Awardees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Compass: Rebuild, Regrow, Reengage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Volunteer Spotlight: Aletha Nelligan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mover, Shaker, Record Breaker: Record-Setting Female Unsupported Thru Hike. . . .

Connecting Roots to Self: The Waši∙šiw Tribe and Youth Backcountry Camp Partnership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165-Mile Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Dirt on Trail Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Views We Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Social Media Highlights and Upcoming Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Business Sponsors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Executive Director

Morgan Steel

Deputy Director Lindsey Schultz Development Director Veronica Palmer

Director of Operations

Tommy Rosenbluth

Finance and Admin Manager

Judi Van Fleet Trail Operations Manager Kristine Koran Youth Programs Manager Julia Kaseta

Outreach and Marketing Coordinator Kate Gallaugher

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Tricia Tong Vice President Justin Knowles

Treasurer Dave Schnake Secretary Michelle Glickert Vice President of Trail Use Sharell Katibah Vice President of Trail Ops Bryan Wright

Board Members

Faye Provenza, John McCall, Larry Stites, Marissa Fox, Robin Soran, Theresa Papandrea, Tom Fullerton

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association works in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and Nevada Division of State Parks

facebook.com/tahoerimtrailassociation @tahoerimtrail @tahoerimtrail

2022 Annual Awardees

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association honored several volunteers at its 2022 Annual Volunteer Celebration. The TRTA’s annual awards recognize just a few of the many deserving volunteers, donors, and partners that help the organization fulfill its mission. Congratulations to the 2022 Awardees!

Partner of the Year

2022 Hall of Fame Inductee: Chris Strohm

Peak Awards

Volunteer of the Year

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s Hall of Fame award is one of our highest honors. It is given to individuals who have had a sustaining impact on our organization. The board inducts individuals to the Hall of Fame on rare occasions. The TRTA is honored to induct Chris Strohm in 2022. Chris started with the TRTA at its very beginning, when the trail was first started in the Grass Lakes Spur area. He is our resident expert for technical construction projects, determining how to install TRT Kiosks, building bridges, using and maintaining saws, constructing stream crossing, and designing reroutes and new trails. Chris has been a longtime Segment Coordinator between Kingsbury South and Big Meadow and often treks this long and difficult section.

TRAIL BLAZER | Winter 2021 | Tahoe Rim Trail Association

Backcountry Horsemen of California Motherlode Unit

Jennifer Coon, Trail Guide Jim Large, Segment Coordinator

Fred and Mary Zapponi, Trail Angels

Sharell Katibah, Vice President Trail Use

Rebuild, Regrow, Reengage

We departed south from the upper Echo Lakes parking lot, packs on with tools in hand. Walking through the Caldor burn scar, we only made it 30 yards down the trail before we reached our first work site– six feet of trail that was simply gone and nearly impassable without careful and strategic foot placement. Burned-out root systems and unprotected soil shifting under the weight of last winter’s snow had converted the previous trail tread into an ankle-breaking minefield. Our trail-building task from the project leader, Don Bailey, was simple: fill the stump and root hole and build up the trail tread. This hole was deeper than I was tall and eight-feet wide. Four hours and significant effort later, it looked like the trail had been there for decades. Most trail users will never know what our crew constructed to make that charred section of trail a walkable, enjoyable experience. We finished restoring the worksite, grabbed our tools, and proceeded down the trail to check out what the other trail builders, positioned in different areas over a half-mile, were up to and find our next project.

burnt landscape. We recruited Maria Mircheva, Director of the Sugar Pine Foundation, and Don Bailey, to lead educational hikes on forest health and trail restoration. With Maria and Don as our interpreters, the TRTA took three groups of 15 curious community members for hikes through the burn area to share the fire’s effects on the forest and details of the trail rehab.

their mighty root systems had once anchored these trees.

It took more than 100 volunteers and two months of trail restoration to breathe life into the trail again to open it for trail users. The trail lives on, winding through an unrecognizable,

The group saw blackened, downed trees that were being left on the slopes to diminish erosion. After the heavy rainfall of last October, slopes stripped bare of trees have deep gouges from swift runoff. We saw new shrubs like manzanita, chinquapin, and tobacco brush coming back, nature’s ground cover slows erosion that likely germinated from the fire after lying dormant for decades. But we were reminded that brush could become a flammable threat when overgrown if left unchecked. We even saw evidence of new trees growing–a process that will take at least 30 years to restore a semblance of what we’ve known. And we heard the good news: our forest is growing back with various trees like red firs and white pines. Disturbances (i.e. fire, avalanches, drought, pests, etc.) affect different species in different ways, so a diverse forest has a better chance of combating complete

Winter 2023 | Tahoe Rim Trail Association

Clockwise, from top left to bottom: A burned section of trail with large root holes and the same section after the rebuild; Volunteer trail crew survey work site; Volunteers move rocks. Below: Volunteers and guided hike participants pose on their walk through the burn scar.

devastation and encourages a healthy future.

We came away from the healing landscape with a greater appreciation of our trail volunteers and how our forest can repair itself if we are good stewards. Forest health depends on an informed and involved public that cherishes its beauty and fosters good forestry practices. Fire is nature’s way of cleaning house. Allowing natural fires to burn can help retard the movement of future megafires. Fire safety doesn’t stop with land managers and firefighters. We must know the local conditions and follow the current fire use regulations. Understand defensible space if you live in a

vulnerable community. Stay on trail to allow the forest to heal itself and flourish, and for the love of sticky sap and bear scat, DON’T HAVE A FIRE when and where they are not allowed.

PLEASE.

If 2021 taught us anything, it’s that megafires are not going away with wishing. Weather extremes are in our future, threatening the Tahoe Basin’s beauty and the trails that take us there. But a greater understanding and appreciation of our role in this evolving ecosystem gives us some agency. We are all responsible for Tahoe Basin’s rebirth, regrowth, and renewal. Next time you’re near

Echo Summit, take the new trail from Echo Lakes to the Echo Summit Trailhead and look for the new forest floor of ephemerals, grasses, and pioneer trees.

Much gratitude to Don Bailey and Maria Mircheva and the Sugar Pine Foundation for their time and knowledge.

To get involved

Visit tahoerimtrail.org/guided-day-hikes and tahoerimtrail.org/volunteer-trail-workdays.

Clockwise, from top left: Widespread destruction from the Caldor Fire; Don Bailey giving volunteers a tour of a damaged section of trail; Maria Mircheva explaining tree regrowth process; Volunteer Cheryl Bailey celebrates after rebuilding a section of trail. Opposite: Photos of flowers regrowing in the burn area (courtesy of Lynn Heislein).

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Aletha Nelligan

East Texas native, Aletha Nelligan, never saw a mountain until she married a California man who quickly introduced her to the Sierra Nevada. She was awestruck. During her and her husband’s teaching careers, they spent summers camping and hiking in the Sierra. In 2011 they bought a cabin in Tahoe and discovered the Tahoe Rim Trail Association. They began taking guided day hikes, snowshoeing, and star gazing. Her first solo hike on the TRT was Echo Lakes to Lake Aloha. Echo Lakes became her go-to hike for visiting friends and family. Aletha and her husband moved to South Lake Tahoe full-time in 2013 and continued to support and participate in TRTA activities. She joined the 165-Mile Club by participating in the TRTA’ guided Segment Hike Program in 2019.

For the last two years, Aletha has been a Task Force Trailhead Ambassador at Echo Lakes Trailhead, talking trail ethics and Leave-No-Trace, collecting data on trail use, and picking up trash near the trailhead. This summer, Aletha took leadership as the TRTA’s head ambassador for Echo Lakes Trailhead. She has met people from around the country and the world, congratulated thruhikers who just completed the trail, and encouraged some who were just beginning that journey. She recalls taking photos of a wedding party going up the trail to find the perfect spot for their ceremony: “I love seeing all the dogs and little kids lugging their own packs.” Aletha says, “Being a Trail Ambassador is a rewarding experience. I’m already looking forward to next year.”

Mover, Shaker, Record Breaker

Mover, Shaker, Record Breaker

AmberWeibel has trail running down to a science. And few hikers or runners know the Tahoe Rim Trail better than she does. Her detailed knowledge of the trail and scientific approach to trail running, coupled with physical stamina and determination, enabled her recently to set a new record for the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for a woman to complete the TRT unsupported, finishing the trek in 49 hours and 39 minutes. Her record-breaking run was completed last August.

Anyone who has ever hiked, thru-hiked, or run trails can imagine what a feat of endurance, strength, planning, and mind control an ultrarun entails. Amber ran the entire TRT without resupply stations for food and water. Knowing that a body can only digest about 250 to 300 calories an hour, Amber calculated the fuel she would need for her multi-day run on the TRT. This knowledge was vital because the only supplies she had were the ones she carried herself, including food, water, a water filtration system, and a few minimal extra layers of clothing for nighttime temperatures.

Amber, an ultra-runner, enjoys pushing her body to the maximum. In challenging her own limits, she has been upending thresholds set

by others. She began running in 2003 when she participated in a triathlon. “Running was my weak link during the triathlon. I switched to primarily running in 2011. I fell in love with the trails, and running became a way to cover more miles on my days off.”

The TRT is not the first trail she has run unsupported. In 2015 and 2016, she ran the John Muir Trail without support. She also made a previous attempt at a record on the TRT in mid-July during a heat wave. While this attempt was unsuccessful, it gave her further insight into planning and preparing for her next try in August, which would turn out to be one impressive run for the books.

Planning for her ultra-run on the TRT, Amber did a lot of scouting. She describes driving around the lake and running specific sections to determine what water sources would be available. Amber was specifically concerned about the east and north sections of the trail, as they are the driest sections of the TRT. She knew that the northern section of the TRT has only a few potential water sources, such as Watson Lake and Gray Lake. She knew that by August in any given year, many creeks are usually down to a trickle. With this in mind,

she decided to begin at Kingsbury North and run the trail counterclockwise. “I deliberately did east shore first,” Amber explains, “so I could start really well hydrated.”

Her run in August also began as a weather system moved through the Lake Tahoe region, so her first day on the trail was overcast and rainy. She had been watching the weather and realized the chance of rain was a great opportunity to start on the typically hot and dry east side of the trail under the cover of sheltering clouds and unseasonably cool temperatures. By sunset, she was passing Brockway Summit, some 60 miles northwest of where she had begun 14 hours earlier.

by Kate Gallaugher Outreach and Marketing Coordinator

Amber loves to run at night. She isn’t deterred by the idea of lower visibility, nocturnal animals, or being in the woods after dark. For her, running at night is peaceful. She tries to schedule her night runs around full moons.

The story behind the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for a woman to complete the TRT unsupported

“The moonlight reflecting off the granite out there is just beautiful,” she says. “It’s a different view that other people don’t get to see.” She spotted her first bobcat at night on the trail during her record-breaking run. As for other potentially worrisome animals, Amber explains that “The animals that most people worry about, I feel privileged when I get to see. Just like running in towns or cities, you have to be present and pay attention to your surroundings. It’s empowering to be out there on the trails.”

Being prepared is the best way to mitigate danger while in the backcountry. Amber always carries a DeLorme inReach satellite tracker. This device tracks and transmits her location to her family and enables her to send an SOS signal if necessary. The DeLorme also recorded her run as proof of time, route, and completion.

As her second night on the trail began, Amber realized she had not packed sufficient calories despite meticulous calculations. “You get to know yourself being on the trail,” she said, “but it’s strange because every time you go out, something that worked for you last time you were out there doesn’t work this time.”

In addition to being tired, chilled, and having to ration her calories, she was on her final stretch of the trail, which happened to be a long climb up from Big Meadow to Armstrong Pass, and back to Kingsbury Grade. Amber desperately wanted to lie down but knew it would be too cold to lie down at night. She told herself that when morning came, she would be able to take a 15-minute rest in the sun. She told herself this knowing that come sunrise, she would be too close to her destination to want to lie down.

As it happened, Amber never did take that 15-minute nap in the sun, but instead completed the TRT at 7:40 AM. At 49 hours and 39 minutes, Amber broke the women’s unsupported record on the TRT, previously set by Candice Burt in 2020 at 60 hours and 47 minutes.

Amber is a part of a steady rise in women who compete in ultramarathons. She has found the ultramarathon community wholly welcoming, and while she says the number of women competing is low, it is growing. She recalls, “One of my favorite experiences this year was on a training run for the Western States [Endurance Run] and being out there with a bunch of other moms.” She continues, “What’s

super exciting about FKT’s recently is a big increase in women’s efforts, and records have been dropping. Hopefully, [these statistics] will inspire more women to get out there and enjoy the trails.”

Amber is far from finished adventuring on this beloved loop. As a South Lake Tahoe local, Amber can be found running and backpacking out on most Tahoe trails. Currently, her favorite section to run is in Christmas Valley. She likes to run along the Hawley Grade trail and up to Echo Summit. Her favorite view of the lake can be seen coming around the corner from Mt. Rose to Brockway Summit above Incline Village. To Amber, ultra-running comes as naturally as her love for the trail.

by McKayla Bull 2022 YBCC Instructor

Connecting Roots to Self:

The

Tribe and Youth Backcountry Camp Partnership

Waši∙šiw

The melodious, rhythmic hum of her prayer rained upon us. Pitches of each phrase drew invisible, yet tangible, lines of interconnectedness that hung in the air like a garland. This spoken blessing, shared by Waší∙šiw (commonly known as Washoe) Tribe language teacher, Lisa Enos, resonated across the ten tribal youth waking up for their first full day of backpacking led and organized by the Tahoe Rim Trail Association. She ended the prayer, “dekmí∙giɁé∙s lew beziɁéziŋ Ɂí∙wigawesuɁá∙kɨm” (Translation: the unseen, watch over our children), and

tears welled from her eyes. “Your land probably hasn’t heard these words, in this place, in far too long,” she relayed. In typical teenage fashion, the students were quiet, but they silently soaked in her message.

This powerful moment was among many for the Youth Backcountry Camp (YBCC) Program in 2022. These four-day, three-night backpacking trips facilitate challenging yet rewarding experiences for youth on the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT). Participants are fully outfitted with gear,

food, and transportation. They are taught a menagerie of backcountry living skills (Leave No Trace principles, orienteering, camp cooking, water purification, plant identification, etc.).

For Waší∙šiw Tribe youth, these days outside and in-community were especially meaningful to connect with their ancestral land, their culture, and themselves.

One-by-one, the participants hoisted and secured 70-liter bags onto their backs. The day was ripe with possibility: with hip belts secured and their first night of cowboy camping underneath them, the group was ready (despite butterflies and nerves) to embark on their day’s adventure. En route to their next destination, BillyHawk – Lisa’s husband, fellow cultural leader, and chaperone – pointed out an ancient Waší∙šiw grinding tool in a Granite boulder. With amazement, students touched

and felt a tool their ancestors used many summers ago in the same spot they slept the night before. Further down the way, the group traveled through a magical, lush-green riparian zone. With BillyHawk and Lisa leading a reciprocal teaching activity on trail, the walk served as a portal for which students could tangibly connect to the Waší∙šiw way of life.

By the next morning, the increased comfort and joy these young people were experiencing were palpable. They knew how to unlock bear canisters, ignite backcountry stoves, and cook dehydrated mac-and-cheese. They jubilantly skipped to the lake’s edge to fetch “díme” (water in Waší∙šiw), setting up the gravity filters like seasoned backpackers while giving thanks to the creator for the life-giving element. You could see them starting to feel their power.

And so, this little family set off to achieve their day-three goal: to scramble up a rocky gully and summit the granitic peak overlooking Dardanelles Lake. This quest was not without hardship – several students felt queasy due to fears of heights, some were unsure they were physically strong enough to climb to the peak, and others felt anxious about being off-trail. “They can’t make us go to the top, can they?” one student whispered to another. Fortunately, the warm encouragement and support from BillyHawk and Lisa (and the reminder that their ancestors had done the very same thing orienting themselves using landmarks and navigating via peaks) eventually led them to their victory: the top of the mountain!

Collective relief, bliss, and triumph reigned. The kids were, figuratively, on top of the world and literally on top of the Sierra! They

rested worn muscles, and enjoyed Goldfish and Gatorade while overlooking a land sacred to their lineage - a place integral to who they are. After plenty of big smiley photos and Lisa sharing native Waší∙šiw folklore of how the peaks in front of us came to being, the group descended the mountain with newfound ease. Hearts were swelling and warm: the adults sunbathed on a flat rock, smiling and watching the kids enjoy a carefree afternoon of laughter, splashing, and swimming in the crisp, clean waters of Dardanelles.

With less than one hundred remaining Waší∙šiw Tribe members under the age of

eighteen, the trip was impactful for reasons that rippled beyond the confines of those four days. Of course, the TRTA provides the fireless s’mores, the backcountry burritos, the brandnew, durable gear to keep groups safe and happy, and transportation to-and-from the trailheads – but the magic, and the passing down of the cultural information, was brought to life by the valiant, Waší∙šiw leaders and their courageous kids.

The impact didn’t end there. During the short, but sweet summer months, the TRTA engaged 195 kids in backcountry bliss during 20 backpacking trips, doubling the capacity

Rose-Colored Vision

A

poem

by McKayla Bull

Below me, an on-the-go sleeping pad a nomadic fortress a portable throne a one-inch thick cloud its grooves of heaven supple on joints after a day chocked-full of sandy ascents July-high temps and crystal-blue skies riddled with rocky mountain trials fields of eye-high Lupin and aspen dancing with style

I lay comfortably under more stars than grains of sand rose-colored, red, headlamp illuminates a small, central tunnel of vision every cell feels a visceral gratitude for these tiny moments in a big universe isn’t it so obvious these miracles swirling around us? cascading upon us? Rising up within us?

of the program from the previous year. This significant expansion allowed the TRTA to collaborate with the Waší∙šiw Tribe and ten other groups dedicated to serving youth who would otherwise miss out on these short but powerful experiences. To our incredible donors, who kindly prioritize fostering environmental stewardship within the hearts of the next generation, and to those who care deeply about making the outdoors an equitable and accessible place, thank you. Your generosity opens doors for youth from all walks of life to be themselves outside; to reach for the stars, connect with the cosmos, and always embrace their light.

Around me, young women, young men, teenage spirits nestled in mummy bags — they whisper & rustle — sifting stories & jokes through bug nets and dream of a better tomorrow. Above me, high alpine winds swirling ‘n whirling acting on impulse & passion (in a way I aspire to) their forces rumble, tumble forward, rattle me deeply (pushing me to do the same)

I am always always always in awe of Mother Nature how she humbles me happy guides clear-cut pathways to things my DNA already knew I know nothing to this respirating, pulsating planet

I know that living off this land is a song I’ll never really know the chords to

How can we honor the Native stewards of these winds? How can I do right by the handful of Waší:šiw youth remaining?

how badly I want to give this access to the world, Sweet honey serenity of the backcountry

Dip it in gold

Put it on a stick Place it under everyone’s seat Call it Oprah’s Favorite Things Stand on a chair and sing “You get a backpacking trip!” “You get a backpacking trip!” “You get a backpacking trip!” to be the fairy who grants open-gates to the outdoors for all now there’s valid reason, (nature & safety laughter & roots) to see the world by a rose-colored headlamp

Chances

are you spotted this colorful design at a TRT trailhead. Created by 13-year-old Shealyn Toland, a student from Reno, this depiction of the Seven Leave No Trace principles spent the season displayed at trailheads around the TRT system to educate users on how to recreate responsibly. Through the TRTA’s annual poster contest, Shealyn and 82 other elementary and middle school students from the Reno-Tahoe area learned about and participated in local Leave No Trace education with their crayons, colored pencils, and markers!

Design by Shealyn Reno, NV

The Dirt On Trail Operations

Leopold, famous ecologist and author, once wrote about the wilderness: “It is not only boundaries that disappear, but also the thought of being bounded.” Many Trail Operations projects this year maintained and improved the Tahoe Rim Trail system to give trail users that same feeling. A trail experience with few signs of civilization; where one’s greatest comfort is the meandering TRT that leads to the sound of melodious bird songs, colorful meadows, tall swaying trees that seemingly etch the sky, alluring mountain peaks, clear alpine lakes, or all of the above.

Aldo

by Tommy Rosenbluth Director of Operations

A plethora of projects was completed during the 2022 trail season. These projects reflect the biodiversity that the TRT provides to diverse trail users. The major project focuses ranged from wildlife habitat improvements, alpine meadow and lake protection, wildfire trail rehabilitation work, data collection in the backcountry on illegal camp use, trail realignments, and improving TRT access and infrastructure, to name a few.

Major Projects

• On the Castle Rock & Peregrine Falcon Protection project, the TRTA constructed 0.5 miles of new trail, decommissioned 0.8 miles of social trails, cleared 30 hazard trees, and installed permanent educational signage about Peregrine Falcon habitat.

• A stretch of TRT damaged from the 2021 Caldor Fire near Echo Summit and the upper parking lot at Echo Lakes was rehabilitated through a massive effort to fix stump holes, remove hazardous trees, restore trail tread, and replace burned signs.

• The TRTA finished the Painted Rock Reroute, realigning the trail to sustainable grades with panoramic views, and officially expanding the TRT! This .9-mile reroute also leads to a beautiful vista spur of Alpine Meadows.

• The TRTA hosted two backcountry camps and the California Conservation Corps helped to widen the trail, add drainages, and replace confidence markers in Desolation Wilderness from south of Richardson Lake to Middle Velma Lake.

• Near the Galena Creek Waterfall toward Mt. Rose Summit, volunteers fixed a creek crossing, decommissioned social trails, and built 500 feet of new rock wall to fix trail erosion issues near this popular waterfall destination.

• As part of a regular cycle of trail maintenance, trail crews from the Great Basin Institute helped with maintenance work on the following segments: Big Meadow to Echo Lakes, Echo Lakes to Barker Pass, and Barker Pass to Tahoe City. These crews brushed the trail corridor and fixed drainages on all three segments.

Volunteers establish tread on the Painted Rock Reroute.

Rock steps added to cross Galena Creek.

The TRTA also began a new tradition this trail season with our Weekend Warrior Camps. These two-night camps were geared toward those that work during weekdays. In total, 23 volunteers participated in this new program. One of these camps focused on completing the Painted Rock Reroute. The second camped at Marlette Peak Campground to help with work nearby that included decommissioning social trails, performing general trail maintenance on Christopher’s Loop, removing trees, and installing signage. One Weekend Warrior participant remarked, “Not only did I learn new things and feel a sense of accomplishment, but I slept under the stars for the first time in a while. Working near such incredible views of Lake Tahoe and Marlette Lake was truly unforgettable. I also enjoyed meeting people both local and from all over the country.”

Overall, the Trail Operations Program hosted 80+ public workdays, installed 50+ signs, cleared nearly 600 trees off trail, recruited 100+ new volunteers, and brushed 50+ miles of trail. Over 300 volunteers contributed to maintaining and preserving the TRT system. This amount of work and dedication from our volunteers and partners is truly astonishing. Often trail work, especially maintenance, goes unnoticed because trail users expect confidence markers, pristine wilderness, and clear trail corridors. We know we’ve done our job when this experience becomes commonplace. A sterling example of this is recent TRTA Hall of Fame inductee Chris Strohm, who keeps the TRT crossing at the Star Lake outlet dry and easy to maneuver by hauling driftwood and logs out of the water each year. The trail user experience is not something we take lightly. It can be lifechanging. We see it in the faces of trail users when they reach a summit, dip in an alpine lake, or ride a new trail. These are moments that remind us of the importance of our trail work.

“I recently had the pleasure of completing a thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail and something that impressed me very much was the excellent quality of the trail work. I worked on a U.S. Forest Service trail crew in the White Mountains of New Hampshire back in 1988, and since then have been a volunteer trail adopter on one of our historic trails, so I have some experience in and knowledge of trail construction and maintenance . . . Tim Hauserman in his guidebook rightly considers the TRT as an example of world-class trail design and construction.” ~Anonymous Donor, August 31, 2022

Wendell Berry, American novelist and environmental activist, wrote: “And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our own feet, and learn to be at home.” Learn to be at home on the TRT, and consider working with us next trail season: tahoerimtrail.org/volunteer-trail-workdays.

TRAIL BLAZER | Winter 2023 | Tahoe Rim Trail

Volunteers helping decommission trail during the Weekend Warrior Camp at Marlette Peak Campground.

Crew Leaders install a sign near Star Lake (Left to Right): Chris Strohm, Don Bailey, Jim Large.

Views we love

Individuals, families, and organizations can help to ensure the continuing legacy of the Tahoe Rim Trail by adopting your own vista or mile! As an Adopt-A-Vista / Adopt-a-Mile donor, you have the opportunity to be a steward of the trail by giving back to something you love – the trail and the Lake Tahoe Basin. Learn more at tahoerimtrail.org/adopt-vista-adopt-mile/

Sandy’s Five “S” Pets Vista

A rock outcropping on the Tahoe Rim Trail near Martis Peak with expansive views overlooking Lake Tahoe has been a favorite hiking location for Sandra Zoerner and her three dogs for many years. They love climbing on the highest rocks to look for squirrels, rabbits, lizards, and other critters. While Sandy with Sierra, Summit, and Strider explore the TRT, Sandy’s two other pets, her cats, named in the same “S” tradition, Simba and Shadow, remain home guarding the homestead. This summer, Sandy adopted the vista from the rock outcropping and dedicated it in loving memory of her five “S” pets and all special pets.

Middle Velma Vista

At the end of their 15-day hike, the participants of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s guided August 2022 Thru-Hike adopted the Middle Velma Vista in honor of their Guides Tricia Tong, Sharell Katibah, Brett Hubbard, and Jim McNamara.

They dedicated the vista, “To our fabulous, knowledgeable, friendly, funny, patient, strong, persevering, thoughtful guides - Tricia, Sharell, Brett, Jim - we, the August 2022 Thru-Hikers, wanted to say an extra special thank you for everything these past two weeks. You’ve made this experience one we’ll remember wherever the trails lead us in the future, and many of us will continue to cherish and foster relationships formed on this trip in the weeks, months, and years to come. As a token of our deep appreciation for all you’ve done to prepare … for this hike, for all you’ve put up with during it, and for every bit of knowledge you’ve imparted throughout, we’re excited to adopt the Middle Velma Vista in your honor.”

Incline Creek Vista

Also adopted this year is the Incline Creek Vista. This vista, located above Diamond Peak Ski resort on the Tahoe Rim Trail’s northeast side, was generously adopted by Sharon and Travis White.

Tell Siri or Google to remind you of our upcoming cool-weather outings with an educational twist!

Nature Photography Snowshoe Trek

January 12

Winter Exploration Series with Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS): Nordic Tour Among the Trees February 2

Snow Camping 101 February 4-5

Snowshoe Sweetheart Trek for TRTA Members February 14

NOLS Wilderness First Aid Course February 25-26

Winter Exploration Series with TINS: Winter Wildlife Survival March 2

Winter Exploration Series with TINS: Hydrology Lake Walk April 6

NOLS Wilderness First Aid Course April 29-30

Pre-registration is required for all outings: tahoerimtrail.org/guided-day-hikes

Business Members

TRTA Business Members are essential partners that help us fulfill our mission. These partners help ensure the Tahoe Rim Trail remains just as phenomenal in the future as it is today and help us inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

For more information on becoming a Business Member, contact Veronica at veronicap@tahoerimtrail.org.

FREEL PEAK $10,000+

MT. ROSE $5,000-$9,999

MT. TALLAC $2,500-$4,999

MT. BALDY $1,000 - $2,999