BY KRISTA MINARD PHOTOS AND ART BY GABRIEL TEAGUE
W
hile descending the grade from Echo Summit into the Tahoe Basin on Highway 50, mixed emotions boil up. Within sight distance, the lake beckons, its water the deepest blue, and excitement sets in. Yet off to the right, black tree trunks and a rusted-out pine canopy bring sobering reality about the damage done last summer. Already, it’s been a hard drive up, past communities destroyed and forests turned to char. Rolling down the grade into South Lake Tahoe, it’s easy to see how close the Caldor Fire came to taking the beauty of the Lake Tahoe playground away from us all. So let’s celebrate this natural wonder with a drive around the lake, making stops along the way. Whether you start on the north shore or south, the 72 miles of shoreline highway present opportunities for all manner of recreation and sightseeing—possibly even some bear spotting. It’s impossible to cover it all, but here are some highlights from recent trips.
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SACRAMENTO MAGAZINE August 2022
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7/18/22 5:35 PM
