07/27/2022 - 8/14/2022: Lake Tahoe, CA/NV, U.S.A.
Until we stepped onto the Tahoe Rim Trail, every backcountry hiking trip we’d taken only lasted a few days. Most of those trips were conveniently lined with chalets or huts that provided bunks and stoves to cook on. We’d never planned a true thru-hike where we had to depend on our own gear and food planning for more than a few days.
A thru-hike is generally considered to be a multi-day hike that can takes weeks, if not months, to complete. It requires hikers to think about where to resupply their food, where to fill up their water, and where to pitch their tent every night. Katie and I often wondered what it would be like to attempt a massive thru-hike, something totally out of our comfort zone, like the Pacific Crest Trail or Te Araroa. But in all those imaginings we’d often end with: “Well, we have to do the TRT first.”
TRT is short for the Tahoe Rim Trail, and it was to be our litmus test. Could we do it? Would we enjoy it? Does a grander thru-hike exist in our future?
The TRT circumnavigates Lake Tahoe in one long 170-mile loop (though some maps show it to be slightly longer). Its path undulates up and over mountain saddles and around numerous alpine lakes. It also passes by two towns that make a thru-hiker’s experience extremely pleasant, because nothing compares to a hot shower and fresh food after days on trail.
Katie and I had discussed hiking TRT for several years but had to put it off due to the pandemic. Finally the planning fell into place, and in the summer of 2022 it was time to find out if we were up to the challenge.
After months of research, food preparation, gear accumulation, and mapping our path around Lake Tahoe, we took to the trail and had an amazing experience filled with the joys of nature and the aches of foot pain. Will we ever attempt something longer than TRT? I don’t know. Do we still dream about it? More than ever. Because now we know we can actually do it. The TRT taught us that you can accomplish seemingly insurmountable goals bit-by-bit: A book is written one word at a time, a painting is a series of brush strokes, and a trail is a string of footfalls, one in front of the other.
Below is our entire 2-week trail experience, day-to-day. The videos are part of a YouTube playlist, so one day will play into the next. We hope it will be informative if you are interested in attempting the hike yourself. Otherwise, we hope you simply enjoy walking the trail with us.
