Variety is the spice of life. Just as this saying holds true, variety in hiking, for me, is the key to continue onward and upward. I can't tell you how many times we have driven past this trailhead over the course of 40+ years. There's so much interesting history in the hills and woods of Reno/Tahoe so I'm almost embarrassed to say it took so long to begin hiking these trails!
This special hike was in preparation for our RV trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We knew we'd encounter high altitudes, mosquitoes and probably bear! So, we armed ourselves with our bear spray and repellent for bugs. Okay, so we didn't see any bear on this trail to Marlette Lake, but the bug spray sure came in handy. In fact, the mosquitoes were so bad we didn't complete the trail to the Lake. The mosquitoes even bit through clothing!
All in all the trail was a steady climb once you made the turn off away from the creek. There's a lot of dappled shade along the trail which made it pleasurable instead of strenuous even though we climbed in elevation and were drenched in sweat from the steamy morning. I'd love to revisit this trail in the Fall when the trees turn colors, the mosquitoes die off and when the temperatures are in the mild 60's or 70's. I'm not asking for much, huh?
Now for some pictures! The one above is called Spencer's Cabin (keeper of the cattle on the ranch).
The branding symbol for the cattle ranch.
Beautiful hidden meadows filled with mosquitoes!
Spooner Lake
