Preparation for the Tahoe Rim Trail

You know? I’m planning for this amazing trip. The Tahoe Rim Trail.  It is 170-ish miles and we are attempting it in 11 days. We have 2 days after our expected finish date in case our timing is off, and of course the goal is to have those two days to paddleboard and go to breweries.   These 170 miles are going to be in snow, sand, granite, and over roots all day for 11 days. Our campsites are tentative each night, averaging 15-20 miles a day. The goal is to have fun. We are definitely carrying extra weight because of the wine we have. Wine=fun.

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We are so overly excited, nervous, and anxious for the upcoming 2 weeks of travel. Will it hold up to our expectations? Will be ACTUALLY be able to finish this thing? I have learned from Connor and I’s Semi Pemi that it is okay to leave a hike.  That’s adventure. Not putting yourself at risk just to say you finished it, because I promise you, the mountains will always be there. If things don’t go as planned, then that’s part of the adventure. I would so much rather live life with the “what if” than the “definitely”.  These mountains show you what big really is and what your perception of big is. Some people are okay going through life not wanting to find this about themselves, but let me tell you, I crave this. I crave being in the mountains where you can hear absolutely nothing. I crave the sights that you can only see if you backpack. I crave the air quality that I don’t get to experience because of my urban lifestyle. Both my sister and I have never hiked in these conditions, but the sense of adventure drives us towards it. Our anxiety and the unknown are what’s driving us towards this adventure. I can’t wait to see what our new selves are going to be like on the other side of this journey.

The planning of this trip came down to many lists, phone calls, apps on our phones, and blog/vlog posts read over and over again. Amazon and REI have become our two favorite stores over the past couple months buying all of the necessary gear. We had to obtain two permits that were very easy to get. We first needed to get our permit to enter the Desolation Wilderness, in which we called the office two weeks prior to the date we will be entering this wilderness area. This phone number is on the main Tahoe Rim Trail Association website. Then we watched a 2 minute clip and couple multiple choice questions to get our campfire permit. This was basic fire safety questions which at the end of the day states that are no fires allowed along the TRT.

We fly out on Wednesday and I can’t wait.  We fly from Boston to Reno airport with a connecting flight in New York. Once we get to Reno we will take a shuttle (South Tahoe Airporter) to Harvey’s casino in South Lake Tahoe. This casino is a 3 minute walk to Mellow Mountain Hostel where we will be staying for our first night in South Lake. This is going to be a crazy long day of traveling and we are going to be beat. Our plan is to wake up in the morning around 6 to get to Safeway in South Lake Tahoe to get fuel for our trip. I don’t know if there is public transit, but if there isn’t, then we will take a quick Uber. From there we will make our way to the bus stop terminal to take us to Kingsbury South trailhead. Our goal is to be there by 7/730 to start our day. I know I know, that’s a crazy early morning after a crazy long day of traveling but we have a goal to accomplish here people.

Our luggage. Oh BOY our luggage. I found out three days before our trip that our backpacks were too large for a carry on. A lovely trip to TJ Maxx was the answer to our prayers and I found a 31 inch checked suitcase that will fit our packs.  The real trick is going to be keeping it under 50 pounds. LOL. 2 girls, this is going to be the ultimate challenge.