Glen Alpine Falls From 1 Mile Away!

Along with Eagle Falls tumbling down to Emerald Bay, Glen Alpine Falls brings water to Fallen Leaf Lake. For much of the year, they are the two biggest falls feeding Lake Tahoe.

Most photos of them are taken up close. In the spring and early summer they are amazing sights.

Yet there is another perspective of Glen Alpine Falls.

From up at Angora Lookout, there is a pervasive white noise filling the air. It sounds a little like a jet plane. It takes a little visual searching to locate the source of sound. Most people won't find it because source of the sound, Glen Alpine Falls, is a mile or more away.

At the center top of the photo, the highest point is Mt. Price, just 25 feet shy of 10,000 feet.
Near the center of the photo, 1/4 way up from the bottom, is a white slash/arrow shape.
That is Angora Falls, over 1 mile away.
Despite the distance, the air is filled with the white noise from
the roar of the falls. Amazing!

Amazing South Shore Hiking

Some hikes are worth going back to again and again. One of those is Angora Ridge. I wrote about it before. Here's the link to that posting:

http://toddborg.blogspot.com/2013/04/best-hikes-in-tahoe-angora-ridge-lookout.html

However, that write-up was about going up Angora Ridge Road, a pleasant walk but one with few views until you get near the Angora Fire Lookout.

Since that time, a "single track" trail was built to the northwest of the road. And the views from that trail are amazing all the way up.

To get to the single track, go to the entrance to Angora Ridge Road. (Google Maps 'Angora Ridge Road, Dundee Circle, Tahoe') Zoom in to the intersection where Angora Ridge goes southwest from Dundee Circle.

At that intersection, look for the Forest Service gate, which is only open during summer months. To the right side (west) of the gate is the hiking/biking single track. It doesn't have a super obvious trailhead sign. But it isn't hard to find.

While Angora Ridge Road follows a shallow valley (blocking the views), the single track goes up the ridge just north of the road.

The lake directly below is Fallen Leaf. The lake in the distance is Tahoe.
The mountains in the distance are the North Shore mountains, 30 miles away.

This is Mt. Tallac, directly across Fallen Leaf Lake, which is directly below us,
visible all along the hike, but out of this picture unless you look almost straight down.

This is Pyramid Peak, part of the Crystal Range,
all of which is visible from the Angora Fire Lookout.

Trust me, you will be amazed at the views, and they continue all the way up to the fire lookout, which of course has its own amazing views.

By any measure, The Angora Ridge Single Track is one of the Top 10 best view hikes in all of Tahoe. If you're looking for short view hikes, I put it in the Top 3.

P.S., Yes, a few mountain bikers use the trail, but we've found them to be courteous. We just step off the trail and let them pass.

Tahoe Deep Is Now Available On Nook

My most recent title, TAHOE DEEP, is now available on Nook, (the ebook format sold by Barnes and Noble).

Thanks to all of you Nook readers who've been patient for so long. I appreciate your support!

Here's the link to TAHOE DEEP on NOOK.

Asian Giant Hornets In Tahoe?

Whole lotta fuss about giant hornets goin' on. Are there giant hornets in Tahoe?

Photo credit: By Yasunori Koide -
CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63832922

The short answer is No.

I thought I'd consult local entomologist Street Casey. (I know that some of you readers are sticklers for full disclosure, so I'll admit up front that Ms. Casey is fictional.) Having said that, I believe her information to be reliable.

First of all, yes, the giant hornets from Asia that can be as long as two inches are formidable critters. However, the current media buzz is as much sensationalism as anything. They've only been spotted in a couple of places near Vancouver Island. They may never establish a beachhead. And even if they do, it probably won't be as worrisome as the media suggest.

Remember the big uproar about African killer bees? Their rep had us envisioning swarms that would carry away your dachshund.

Remember fire ants? Their rep had us envisioning a future where the only surviving humans would be on submarines.

So don't worry about giant hornets. Especially not in Tahoe, where they'll probably never be. Why?

*They don't like high altitude. And they've not been reported at high altitude anywhere in Asia.

*They are picky eaters, and they mostly only live where they can prey on their preferred food source, which is honey bees. (Adult giant hornets don't actually eat bees themselves, but they kill bees and bring them back to their nests to feed to their children (larva), who apparently love bee steak. We don't have honey bees to speak of in Tahoe, thus Tahoe ain't a good place for giant hornets to set up housekeeping.

So even if the giant hornets make inroads into our continent, don't worry when you come to Tahoe. We have lots of yellow jackets. And they can be pests and hassle you during outdoor picnics. But the next time you are buzzed by a yellow jacket, just think about a hornet three times that size. Yellow jackets will never again seem like that big of a deal.

P.S. For what it's worth, most hornets and wasps are beneficial creatures feeding on flies and other insects that can carry disease. Let's see their good side.

A Little Bit Of Norway

One thing I remember about Norway was hiking through the forest and always seeing and hearing waterfalls.

Tahoe isn't especially similar to Norway, we don't have fjords but we have a huge lake. However, in the spring, wherever we hike, we see and hear waterfalls. This one is in the woods behind our house. It reminds me of Norway. Sweet.