Mt. Tamalpais

Hands down, the most breathtaking backpacking journey I’ve done so far. Out there, I had space to think deeper than ever before. Like my brain was rewired. Crossing paths with so many PCT hikers and hearing their stories lit a fire in me. No photo can capture the raw beauty of the wilderness just beyond Tahoe. The place I camped felt like a secret treasure. Truly unforgettable.

Trail: I started out at Wrights Lake, Rockbound Trailhead, and hiked over to Lake Aloha to set up camp for the night. The next morning, I decided to complete the full loop by heading up and over Dicks Pass, passing Fontanillis and Velma Lakes, then continuing down past Schmidell and Lois Lakes before returning to Wrights Lake to complete the loop.

Snow: There were a few lingering snow patches, but nothing that required microspikes.

Water: I brought two 1-liter bottles but only ever needed to fill one at a time. There’s water everywhere, lakes around every corner. No need to carry extra weight.

Trail Conditions: The section between Velma Lakes and Schmidell/Lois Lakes involved quite a bit of bushwhacking. In places (Rubicon, Schmidell, Blakely trails), the tread was so faint it barely felt like a trail at all. I had to reroute a few times to stay on course. Surprisingly, this area ended up being the most challenging part of the trip, especially the relentless rocky climb toward Schmidell. In comparison, ascending Dicks Pass and Mosquito Pass felt much easier. Those endless rocks approaching Schmidell were honestly pretty frustrating.

River Crossings: There are plenty of crossings. At the first one, I considered taking off my shoes and socks, but eventually decided to just embrace it and trot on through. With trail runners and Darn Tough socks, everything dried out within an hour.

Mosquitoes: Most of them were concentrated along the first few miles of Rockbound and portions of Rubicon trail. Some bites swelled up pretty bad, so bring repellent if you’re sensitive.

Favorite Lake: Damn, all of them! They were all so beautiful!