1 of 7 2 of 7 3 of 7 4 of 7 5 of 7 6 of 7 7 of 7
I would tell you Wright's Lake west of Lake Tahoe is a must see-- it is-- but you can't get there right now. Because of snow, the recreation area is closed, but it's still worth the trip.
I thought the idea of Desolation Wilderness sounded like the perfect cure for a stress filled work week, so on a Saturday my son, Jordan, and I took off from Sacramento on US 50. We turned left onto Wright's Road and drove until we got to snow. We could have gone farther with four-wheel drive, but instead we hopped out of the car and started walking up a large hill. Once we got to the top, the view was incredible. Jordan checked his phone for the elevation, and we were at 6,700 feet.
Adding to the adventure, I saw what looked like a big cat's paw prints in the snow. For a while it seemed like no other human had ever been there before, but at the top we saw cross country ski tracks.
Wright's Lake is in the timber belt, close to the lake shore, looking up at the majestic rocky peaks of the Sierra Nevada's and Desolation Wilderness. It's a popular place for hiking, wildflowers, and bird watching. I didn't get to see the lake, but if it's anything like what I experienced from atop the hill we climbed, I'll go back again.
Side note: next time I'll bring trekking poles. The pine needles, ice, and snow were pretty slick. I lost my footing at one point and took a tumble, which left me scraped up my arm. Still worth it though!