Peaklet Bagging in Tahoe

Aahhh...Tahoe in the Fall: the crisp mountain air, the quivering golden leaves of the Aspen trees and the siren song of one last run up the mountain before the snow hits. This idyllic scenario blown to bits the day before with a respectable dumping of snow in the Sierras.

But what a difference 24 hours makes. Early morning surveillance would reveal clear skies and optimal conditions for a frontal assault up Dick's Peak—a mountain top clearly begging to be bagged by a threesome and a finger puppet named Foo.

Our summit team would consist of 4: Mama Foo, Irish "Annie" Colleen, "Bobcat" Bob and our mascot—Ms. Foo herself. Sadly, we would have to leave Dave and Steve behind at the Waffle Hut to ponder how to expend their overabundance of carbohydrates.

The bullet: 4" of snow to trailblaze, 8 solid hours and 12 miles of rocky terrain to hike, 1 sunburned neck, 3000' vertical gain—and a wise decision to bail at Dick's 9500' Peaklet instead of the summit which hovers a skosh under 10000' at 9974'. Safety tip: getting down the mountain safely is just as important as getting to the top.

But Bunny will be back to bag this peak, even if it's the last notch on her belt. To be continued next Spring...