Desolation Wilderness and the South Lake Tahoe Basin by Jeffrey P. Schaffer

Author:Jeffrey P. Schaffer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wilderness Press
Published: 2021-04-14T16:00:00+00:00

Pyramid Peak above Ropi Lake

The principal cross-country route stays along the creek’s west bank as it climbs 0.3 mile to the outlet of Ropi Lake. From here, one can head west to nearby Toem Lake or, above it, to Gefo Lake. For solitude seekers, isolated lakelets and ponds lie on naked granite to the south of these. A fast way to Lake Aloha is to climb north from Toem or Gefo, passing Pyramid and Waca Lakes. You can also start from Ropi Lake’s northeast shore and ascend Pyramid Creek, passing a chain of lakes up to Lake Aloha’s principal dam.

From the east arm of snag-infested Ropi Lake, an official trail starts a climb to Lake of the Woods. This trail ascends east-northeast 0.3 mile up a joint-controlled gully; crosses a tiny, seasonally boggy flat; and then continues on an easier grade 0.25 mile east to Lake of the Woods’ outlet creek. This it follows 200 yards upstream to a crossing that can be hard to find for those descending this trail. From the crossing you head east immediately past the south edge of a small, stagnant pond, then immediately turn north to begin a 0.25-mile climb to a low ridge damming extremely popular Lake of the Woods. The west side of the lake is open to camping in designated sites at least 100 feet from the shore. However, the northwest shore clockwise around to the south-end dam is a Special Management Area.

At the lake’s northwest corner, which is nearly a mile by trail from its outlet, take a trail that starts a climb northwest, reaching a popular trail to Lake Aloha in less than 0.5 mile. Just 60 yards down it you reach a junction above a southeast arm of shallow, sprawling Lake Aloha. From here a popular de facto trail branches left and embarks on a 0.75-mile course over to the lake’s 20-foot-high dam. Relatively warm in August and dotted with islands, the part of the lake near the dam is a justifiably popular swimming area. You can make a camp on barren granitic benches to the south of the lake.

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