NORTH
TYT

Meeks
Bay Trailhead

SOUTH
TYT

Lake Genevieve

All
Permits

local
temps

End of the Dirt Road
After a short 1.2 mile hike to our Southwest from the Meeks Bay Trailhead along a slightly rising sandy dirt road we come to an interface between the forested ridge to our North (Right) and the dry meadow around Meeks Creek being invaded by lodge poles to our South (Left). Ahead we see the profusely over-signed start of formal trail veering Southwest off the dirt road to our Right up onto the flank of the ridge.

Desolation Trail Junction

6319 feet
Elevation
+80' above Meeks Bay Trailhead elevation

1.2 miles South of Meeks Bay Trailhead

See
THE NEXT TWELVE MILES
below

Meeks Bay to Echo Summit
Backpacking Miles and Elevations

The Trail Begins
As indicated by all of this signage we see ahead, Tahoe to Yosemite Trail hikers veer Right and begin to climb a bit more seriously beyond this first trail junction. This deflection off the relatively flat dirt road continues the Southwestern direction of our hike, now traversing a mild angle up the ridgeside.

Here our trail transitions from the "Easy" degree of trail difficulty to the "Intermediate" degree.

Note the extensive restrictions cited on the signs. No fires. Good thing. I never make fires. Exception: when I meet a group of folks. They generally make fires. I've always said I'd make a fire in an emergency, but so far have not yet hit that point, despite a few wild times.

Almost year-round dry conditions combined with the now over-bloated, massive population of California make prohibiting fires wise. On the other hand, this low-elevation forest is so packed with forest floor liter that any safe way to thin it out would be helpful.

Backpackers pulling out firewood would help, if someone did not start a destructive fire. The problem is that the backpacking areas have already been picked clean of firewood due to over-population/over-use, while the rest of the forest floor is deeply cluttered with litter.

The campsites along Lake Genevieve, Crag Lake, Shadow and Stony Ridge Lakes are all highly used and demands for firewood long ago stripped out burnable wood. As our forests fertilize and expand their own soils using their own dead parts and dead brethren, completely stripping out the forest floor liter is not good.

On the other hand, suppressing fires for so long that the liter has built up to a level sufficient to fuel a conflagration in the surrounding National Forests is far worse.

Ironically, our behavior/policies have brought the extremes of both too much and too little forest floor liter sitting in close proximity to each other in the forests along the West Shore of Lake Tahoe.

2015 Addition to the Hiker's Planning is Fire Awareness Due to Epic Record Drought & Dry Year (Drought weakened in 2016, broken in 2017)
	Fire and Weather Information
High Sierra backpackers should have a "rolling fire plan" that observes for indications of fire while being aware of all potential escape routes as we cross drainages.   2017 Addition to the Hiker's Planning EPIC Spring and Summer Snow Conditions and Hazards. Record Snowpack in Sierra.   See the April & May Backpacker Alert of 2017     2017 Addition to the Hiker's Planning HEAVY MOSQUITOES Wet Conditions Anticipated All Summer Long   Mosquito Hazard Mosquitoes and Mosquito Protection in the High Sierra (Note: Always have a fire plan)     Track the Latest Sierra News

High Sierra Weather Information
Always Check
THE
Weather

Local Temp and Snow Reporting Stations
Click the Big Red Dots.

Lake Tahoe Basin 7-Day Weather Forecast

Nonetheless, despite all the various hazards, passing this trail junction marks the beginning of our climb. The sandy trail of the meadow-side fire road hardens up as it thins into a trail climbing to traverse up along the length of the ridge arm to the wilderness boundary. This is the same ridge who's base we traced out along the sandy road since hiking through the Meek Bay trailhead.

We are now under more of its forest cover for the gentle hike up to our entry into the Desolation Wilderness and our ford of Meeks Creek.

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Desolation Trail, Desolation Wilderness, 1st Junction. Look at all those signs!

Nothing that I disagree with, though it is sad that there are so many people that you need a permit to day hike...

This level of regulation requires information.

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
ALL Desolation Wilderness Permit Information

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Two TYT signs along the whole route

Tahoe-Yosemite trail sign post at 1st trail junction, Desolation Trail

There are only two signs naming, citing, or identifying the route of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail along the whole length of the TYT from Meeks Bay to Tuolumne Meadows. The first one is shown above at this first trail junction South of the Meeks Bay Trailhead, while the second is located just above Highway 4.

I figure this lack of signage is because the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail (TYT intro) is not an official trail. I guess this "unofficial" status means that it is not recognized by the Forest Service or the National Park Service.

This lack of recognition may be good.

There are two points of interest the informal status of the TYT brings to light. First, the route of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail was designed by Thomas Winnett and promoted in his nifty little guide. Second, a lack of attention and maintenance due to the failure of "recognition" has kept the unmaintained segments of the TYT in unmaintained status, preserving the original character, challenges and difficulty of the route.

Good Wikipedia History of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

That's why I am of the opinion that this lack of recognition is a good thing. I am also happy that the PCT route swings around the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness by detouring around Emigrant Basin.

Sometimes lack of attention is a good thing.

How you feel about this issue should play a part in your upcoming route selections. The TYT would be a wise choice if you enjoy route-finding and rough, not perfectly laid-out conditions. The PCT would be your first choice if you prefer well-maintained trails to route-finding.

The High Sierra has a trail for everyone.

One Route-Two Signs
See the other Tahoe to Yosemite Trail sign in Bee Gulch prior to arriving at Highway 4 & Lake Alpine. That's about it for Tahoe to Yosemite Trail signs. There are two between Meeks Bay and Tuolumne Meadows.

SOUTHBOUND
From here our climb turns up a degree of difficulty. Our meadow-side hike is now a rising traverse up a shallow descending ridge arm running behind us down to the shore Lake Tahoe, and above us feeds into the mouth of a higher valley bending Southeast from the top of this valley

The trail South from the road junction beginning formal trail brings us up 1081 feet along the side of this forested ridge over the next 3.19 miles to Lake Genevieve, the first lake suitable for camping out of Meeks Bay Trailhead, and the first of a series of lakes decorating the length of the gently-rising valley behind Lake Genevieve. It is not a difficult hike up to Lake Genevieve or the series of lakes beyond. I rate it at Intermediate-3.

Hiking up to Lake Genevieve is a fantastic place for short trips to check out our skills, fitness, and gear.

Here at this trail-Y with the road we exit the meadow and start out hiking up through hot dry forest up to a substantial dry flat wedged in along the side of the ridge. That flat will be where we officially cross into Desolation Wilderness.

Unique Terrain Creates Unique Environment
The shape of the top of the ridgeline here crinkles-up into some really intriguing, unique terrain configurations as we approach the top of the valley.

We continue on the short flat past the wilderness boundary to enter in-between converging ridge arms that creates and protects a small, narrow zone of temperate forest approaching the nifty little bridge over Meeks Creek.
At the end of the dry flat we enter a cool, shady bit of moist temperate forest decorated with ferns.

A twisting trail above the Meeks Creek Bridge rises out of this tiny temperate zone to execute a set of loops through chaotic folds in the top of the canyon bringing us through a nifty S-looping section of trail to Lake Genevieve.

Short Bit of Bliss
The temperate zone around the Meeks Creek Bridge is cool, very serene and uber relaxing. The heat from the hot climb dissipates in this cool forest. The trail loop up to the foot of Lake Genevieve is mentally and physically refreshing.

Have you checked out the local TOPO MAP yet?

Click the RED dots along the marked route for the trail guide entry
for each marked spot.

The locations cited on the miles and elevations page are also linked to their corresponding entries in the trail guide.

See the whole
Desolation Wilderness
A HUGE map
Black-Dotted Routes link to detailed maps and RED DOTS lead to trail guide entries. The big maps act as indexes to the detailed maps and trail guide pages of the areas they represent.

From the guide pages you can post up your insights and experiences, or ask and answer questions.

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The sand surface and bright heat and dryness of the trail along the meadow behind us firms up into harder trail, but is still soft, and under the increased shade of thick forest as we begin traversing up the ridge arm.

Soon this dry forest will give way to a dry flat, then we will enter a small area of moist, cool temperate forest wedged in almost perpetual shade between folds in the ridge lines converging around the Meeks Creek Bridge.

Trail Junction
to
Lake Genevieve

3.57 miles up 1081 feet of Elevation

(From the First Junction)

Meeks Bay to Echo Summit
Backpacking Miles and Elevations

Environmental Overview

Gently Rising Forested Terrain.

Passing Right through the road junction onto the trail we have climbed away from the tattered edge of semi-exposed dry meadow onto a partially shaded gently rising ridge traverse to the Southwest.
We depart the sun exposure and sandy surface along the edge of the meadow for harder trail under our feet and more forest cover over our heads. It's still warm during Summer.

These cooler conditions are offset by the extra heat we generate hiking up the steeper incline of the trail across this long traverse up the Southeast flank of this low ridge arm.

We are hiking Southwest towards my favorite part of this segment of trail where the trail runs through temperate forest before cutting a sweet climbing "S" turn through the complex terrain above the bridge.

We will pass through a twisting wrinkle of terrain in-between the converging ridge arms holding this sweet little temperate elevated vale within the strangely shaped little bowl at the top of this set of converging ridge arms.

Passing through this nifty wrinkle between the ridges we will emerge just below Lake Genevieve.

Complex Logic of the Trail
We quickly become aware of just how complex a small segment of trail along our route can be.
We instantly see that it can take a lot longer to figure out the
logic of the terrain than hike the trails through it.

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Rustic
Wood Trail Work. Rare along the length of the trails between Tahoe and Whitney, except for the LTBMU and parts of the El Dorado National Forest.

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Big Black Ants: Backpacker's Constant Trail Companions. Don't step or sit on them!

I call this species "blueberry" ants because the segments of their body are as big as, and look like pieces of blueberries with legs.

Forum
High Sierra Insects

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How you Feeling?

That very well may depend on just how far we are hiking on this backpacking trip, which determines how much food we are carrying. How much food we are carrying is a big factor determining how much our pack weighs.

How much our pack weighs and how physically prepped we are to carry this weight determines just how we are feeling, my fellow Sherpa.

Cowboys laugh at me, until I tell them that only wimps need mules. I am my own mule, self-sufficient within myself.

Climbing to the top of this first ridge does not give us much of a view of the surrounding terrain. Great overviews come a bit further down the trail.
But this first climb can give us some deep internal insights about how we feel, and how we are going to feel.

Sweeping views do not give us a view of what's going on internally, how we are responding after carrying our pack up this little ridge arm.

Anything on the body tightening up? Any rubbing boot or gear issues that need to be resolved, before they rub into wounds?

Make adjustments now, before irritations compound into wounds.

We will adjust our pace to suit how we feel. Don't hurt ourselves over the first miles. Relax!

My rule is to stay within my capacities. It's good if you are feeling strong and fast, but don't spend it all the first day in a burst of natural enthusiasm.

If you are feeling ragged, then slow down, and in every instance, "Stay within Yourself."

Coolness Ahead:

Onward Temperate Warriors
We're entering a narrowing channel at the end of the flat between converging ridge arms holding a very sweet little temperate zone.

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A Little Temperate Zone
Hiking the mile from the wilderness boundary up to little flat elevated at the head of the valley holding Meeks Creek, we find ourselves entering into a protected area under the shadows of the surrounding ridgetops coming to convergence.

The physical layout of Meeks Creek running through a narrow channel pinched into the terrain here induces cool moist shade nourishing a dense stand of forest that appears to protect the moist environment supporting the ferns, ivy, and moss characterizing this sweet little zone as temperate.

I find the cool air refreshing after the hot climb.

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To, and Past the Wilderness Boundary
We have another 2.14 very interesting miles of hiking up 680 more feet from the Wilderness boundary to Lake Genevieve.

First we'll cross the South end of this open ledge wedged in the side of the ridge as we enter a narrowing channel of cool forest reaching to the top of the valley along Meeks Creek.

At the far end of the open rocky flat we enter a deeply muffled temperate forest before we come upon Meeks Creek and its convenient bridge. We recognize a natural "sweet spot," where the nifty shape of the terrain works with prevailing winds and character of the weather cycle to create this unique little self-perpetuating bubble of biological lushness.

Man, we've barely entered the Desolation Wilderness and encounter a wide range of Natural Treasures, and we have barely begun.

Sometimes these "sweet spots" are as simple as a circle of grass growing out of a gravel bed, other times they are crowns of temperate lushness concentrated and focused by terrain complexities and wedged atop an otherwise dry dry strip of forest.

Like this little zone.

The air is enriched and sweetened by cool moisture within this special zone, this little concentration of environmental energy and and the
life that follows it.

The terrain steps up in complexity on the other side of the bridge as we climb out of the temperate zone. The trail bends a set of U-turns around the hilltops through an interesting close-in section of terrain as part of an even larger S-turn around and between the hilltops wedged in the top of this valley.

This S-turn marks the junction where we climb above the tops of the ridges bracketing the valley we entered hiking through the Meeks Bay Trailhead.

The ridge arm we have been traversing up was pinching up to the unique head of this low valley, this sweet little vale, as we climbed. Now the route of the TYT is bringing us into the mouth of the next valley.

Meeks Bay to Dicks Pass
15 minute Backpacking Map

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Exiting the open space into thickening forest the trail winds around pleasing boulders into a zone of temperate forest below Lake Genevieve, Desolation Wilderness.

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Footbridge over Meeks Creek

Transitions

The exposed heat of hiking along the edge of the dried out meadow from the trailhead to the ridge, albeit a meadow that is being filled up with lodgepoles, swiftly transitions into a still hot, but shaded hike traversing the ridge arm up towards the head of the valley carrying Meeks Creek down to Lake Tahoe below Lake Genevieve.

At the head of this little vale the junction of its convoluted ridge arms forces the terrain to focus a temperate zone, which our trail passes through as it tracks around and through a nifty set of close-in wrinkled terrain features.

A whole lot of natural complexity and beauty, and we've hardly begun!

Approaching the head of the valley below Lake Genevieve your body will not fail to notice the transition from hot, dry forest into this small protected cool zone sheltering temperate conditions, replete with lady finger ferns and ivy, all part of a deep green layer of undergrowth, with a refreshing cool and moist feel to the air.

Then we turn up and out of the coolness for the final hot climb to Lake Genevieve.

The Roar of Silence
This little temperate zone is a delightful place, and the same terrain features that provide the shade and coolness also creates a muffled zone of quiet that relaxes the soul as well as it cools the body.

This quiet so near the trailhead can be profoundly loud, as the subjective absence of accustomed urban noise can register more heavily on the senses than noise itself.

The absence of noise itself can roar during our first days on the trail.

I call this profound transitional sense of silence the roar of silence. It is the echo of civilization you can't hear when inside the social bubble.

The auditory sensory-shift is just the first of what will be many examples of backpacking not just through nature, but through profound internal transitions created by departing an environment dominated by man into one run by nature. These will be internal as we adjust our goals and expectations, and external as our capacities and engagement adjust and increase.

The strains and pains of hiking with a heavy pack are immediately psychologically offset by the beauty of the terrain and deeply engaged experiences our packs allow us to access.

Balance of Factors
We should also be getting a sense of our diminishing returns, of the real physical and psychological costs of carrying a heavy weight over difficult terrain. Diminishing returns are the cost of each step, the cost of speed, and how both distance and pace will affect us for the span of our trip.

We should be getting a picture of the balance between the bookends of our experience, of our fundamental operating relationship between the pleasures and pains of backpacking.

This relationship deepens where the trail steepens.

The trail turns up , being significantly steeper than the trail from trailhead up to Lake Genevieve, once we hike past the boggy zone off the South shore of Stony Ridge Lake.

Then we climb!

1000 feet in 2.11 miles between the South shore of Stony Ridge and Phipps Pass.

A Hard-3 or Intermediate-1 little segment of trail.

Meeks Bay to Dicks Pass
15 minute Backpacking Map

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Hiking North

Desolation Trail to Meeks Bay

Hiking South

Lake Genevieve