On Sunday, the hubby and I decided that we wanted to hike to a lake. In the Sierras, the only problem with that plan is choosing what hiking trail and which lake you want to go to.

We settled on a hike to Marlette Lake, the second largest alpine lake in the Sierras. (Side note: during a complete brain lapse, the hubby asked, “what is the largest alpine lake in the Sierras?” Well, duh, that would be LAKE TAHOE!)

Anyway, we packed up all three of our dogs and drove to the trail head at Spooner Lake off of Highway 50. We parked at Spooner, and then began the 5 mile hike to Marlette Lake.

The trail was really wide and sandy, making for a nice hiking surface. It was easy rolling hills for about 4 miles, but let me tell you, that fifth mile was a pretty challenging hill! By the time we made it to the lake, it was around 5:00 pm, and I was hot and ready for a dip in Marlette Lake.

I hadn’t seen anyone on the trail for quite a while, and since the only way to reach Marlette Lake is via hiking or mountain biking, there was no one there.

Or so I thought.

I had brought my swim suit, but in a truly Adventurous moment, I decided that I was going to be one with nature and go au natural.

As I was standing on the shore of the lake, baring my lily white body to the wilderness, the hubby asks, “What are you doing?!”

“I’m skinny dipping!” I proudly proclaimed.

“Didn’t you see those people over there?” he asked. He has a history of yanking my leg, so I didn’t believe him until I looked over my shoulder and saw a man and his son rounding the corner.

Let me tell you, I have NEVER gotten in a lake as fast as I did that day, since the water was the quickest way for me to regain my modesty.

We swam around for a while with our labs, and luckily, there were no other people around when it was time for me to get out and change back into my hiking apparal.

It was a ten mile hike round trip, and the entire outing took about four hours. I highly recommend the hike to Marlette Lake. Just take it from me — skinny dipping is not advised!

Pictures from our outing (and no, there aren’t any of me skinny dipping!) are below.

Me and the dogs at the start of our hike:

This is Marlette Lake:

This is me after the skinny dipping fiasco:

This is the hubby playing with our dog, Tucker in the lake:

And this is the sunset we saw on the drive home:

I had a great Memorial Day weekend here in Reno-Tahoe, America’s Adventure Place. Here are the highlights:

• Had an incredible dinner of lobster and filet mignon at MonteVigna in the Atlantis Casino Resort. This was coupled with a Frog’s Leap Zinfandel, lobster ravioli and shrimp scampi for an appetizer, and black forest cake for dessert. I am so going to have to spend a few extra hours in the gym to work it off!

• After dinner, we enjoyed the Mark Chesnutt concert at the Atlantis. The place was packed, but it was a small room, so it was very intimate. Mark Chesnutt truly has an amazingly talented band.
• The next day, the hubby and I took our three dogs on a hike at Davis Creek, which is a short 20 minute drive south of Reno. It was a beautiful day, and I really enjoyed the fresh smell of pine trees in the forrest. The trail winds along a mountain stream, which was more like a raging river due to all of the snow run off. After the hike, we let the dogs swim in Davis Pond, where they entertained a few families as they retrieved a six foot long stick from the water.

This weekend, the adventure on tap is drag racing at the Reno-Fernley Raceway. It’s me in my 2000 Trans Am Ram Air up against my brother in his 1985 Mustang. I am going to make him EAT MY DUST! I’ll post details and pictures next week!

I went on a hike on Saturday with my two dogs, Rudy and Kona, to witness with my own eyes that Dry Pond is anything but dry – and home to some pretty big omnivores waking up after sleeping for up to seven months.

Here in the Sierra Nevada, we are experiencing a big spring thaw which makes places like “Dry” Pond a virtual oasis for critters like Wood Ducks, Mallards and – bears. Yes, high up the mountain, at this remote area, we saw many – fresh – bear tracks. Rudy, was sniffing with his nose high in the air with an incredulous look on his face, most certainly picking up the bear’s scent. Kona as usual, focused on eating doggie treats, eating more doggie treats, checking in to see if she can eat my Cliff Bar, or perhaps even more doggie treats.

So back to the bear.

I began to think about this amazing creature. He or she has been hibernating in a cave or a hollowed-out tree for over six months. I wouldn’t mind sleeping for six months. Really. Just fill me in on any important stuff I might have missed when I wake up. On the downside, I hear that in order to survive this long period of inactivity, bears work on gaining up to forty (!) pounds of fat per week (hey – wasn’t that during the holidays last year?). Anyway, I think I could learn a lot from this bear. What an incredible adaptation of nature that allows this creature to survive in the most severe of weather conditions.

Just to be safe, we ate our treats quickly at Dry Lake. After hiking for over three hours, me and my growling stomach were in no mood to share my only Cliff Bar with a hibernation-emerging hungry bear.

Proof that we saw bear tracks:

Rudy and Kona being “Mer-Dogs” in the “Dry Pond”:

My hubby could be the official spokesperson for Reno-Tahoe, America’s Adventure Place. The man knows how to take a simple, easy and enjoyable hike and bump it up a notch so that it is truly an adventure.

On Sunday, we went hiking at Silver Saddle Ranch, which is on the Eastern edge of Carson City. There were wildflowers in bloom everywhere. (Too bad I’ve lost my camera!) We hiked for about 45 minutes on the trail, where it ended. Normally, we just turn around at this point, but the hubby decided he wanted to make a loop.

The trail doesn’t loop, so this meant we got the ‘pleasure’ of creating our own loop — going off the trail. At first it wasn’t so bad, but next thing I knew, we were walking on a steep slope over rocks and sage and I was slipping and sliding the entire way.

I think the hubby is part mountain goat, as he didn’t seem to have any problems, and left me in his dust.

When we finally made it back to our vehicle, I scolded him, saying, ‘can’t you ever just stay on a trail’?

‘And what would be the adventure in that?’ He replied.

Move over Death Valley with your recent claim to having the best spring wildflower show ever – the High Country Desert conditions of America’s Adventure Place are setting the stage for a virtual explosion of color all over the mountains.

The bad memories of shoveling/plowing out 8 foot drifts of snow across my driveway (over and over and over again) are now fading fast. It’s been said that pain has no memory, and surely these wildflowers are just the antidote to letting go of that outrageous winter with all the toiling in the snow. Spring is finally here!

Dawn is Kona’s (my dog) and my favorite time of day – everything is waking up to multiple possibilities. Lately, we’ve taken to walking along a wonderful dirt road that threads the southwestern edge of Reno. I often startle groups of deer, who then scamper high up the mountain and stand like rows of statues, watching us below as we walk the road. The quail, Meadowlarks, Robins and Scrub Jays slowly all chime in as the sun rises.

I have never seen so many flowers here in the springtime. Beyond the legendary ski season the snows provided, this snow has made the hillsides and mountains literally blanketed with flowers. I’ve always loved Indian Paintbrushes – but, all those violets – in yellow, blue and purple – they will steal your heart away!

Here are some pictures from my outing.

Sunday, in celebration of Earth Day, I planned a big hike up Thomas Creek. I decided to attempt a higher elevation than my usual winter treks but ended up abandoning my Jeep ¾ of the way up the road because the snow was still incredibly deep. I found a deer trail and continued my assent on foot. On this beautiful Earth Day here in the Sierra Nevada, I intended to go hunting for the elusive ruby-colored Snow Plant.

These plants are amazing and belong to a unique group of plants that do not depend on chlorophyll or photosynthesis for food. They inhabit pine needle-covered floors of the forests and live on decaying organic matter. They miraculously emerge through the pine needles, appearing for a brief time – only when the soil has been moistened by melting snow and then warmed by the sun.

The snow was so deep on the Northern slopes (where my trail was) that I imagined it might be a month or so until any Snow Plants finally emerge. They look like plants from another world – they are bright red with scale-like leaves and flowers and look like they are made out of wax. They are somewhat rare along the trail, so it’s always remarkable when I finally stumble across one or more. They seem to grow in groups – like mushrooms do, forming a “fairly ring”. I will report back when I finally do find one – but it may be awhile.

I traveled through a beautiful meadow where I saw a lot of critter tracks coming out from the creek, before turning back and trekking home.

I love my dog, Kona. Perhaps it may be more accurate to admit to engaging in an extremely toxic, co-dependent relationship with her.

It was one of those weeks where way too much was happening at work, home, etc. Something’s gotta give, so unfortunately, Kona got short changed with lame 15-30 minute walks through the neighborhood. The dirty looks and the incessant “stare-mommy-down” episodes increased as the week transpired. Living in the Sierra Nevada, she has grown quite spoiled, expecting runs in the woods nearly daily. Kona argues that being tethered to a leash and dragged through the neighborhood is a humiliating experience where she is not allowed to wolfishly run wild and get in touch with her inner puppy. So many stinky things to roll in; so little time…

Finally the weekend came. My promise of hiking up Whites Creek, deep into the Toiyabe Forest, was kept. Sweetening the deal was the news of her best friend, Rudy and Rudy’s mom accompanying us. Kona and Rudy are both 10 years old and madly in love with each other.

Whites Creek is a major trailhead heading deep into the Toiyabe National Forest on the southwestern edge of Reno just off the Mount Rose Highway and clearly marked off Timberline Drive. This trail goes on forever and hooks up with the spectacular Thomas Creek and Galena hiking areas. All have great trails to bring your dog because of all the water.

The forest is beginning to smell great – really earthy – because the snow that dumped on us in December and January is beginning to melt in areas. At higher elevations, mainly on southern ridgelines, there are actually snows-less trails – what a novelty after hiking with big snow boots for months now. We stopped at the top of a ridge overlooking the entire Washoe Valley at an area called Dry Pond before heading back. We had a great hike – 6.4 miles!

Here is Rudy taking a dip in Whites Creek:

There’s Rudy on the left and Kona Grrl on the right:

This image shows you the snow-less (!) trail with the spectacular Mount Rose in the background:

Here’s another view showing those scary Chutes at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe: