Lake Tahoe

We left on the 20th of August for Lake Tahoe and arrived in the evening. This time we booked a camping spot up on Mount Rose, close to Incline Village (no showers, but Toilets ✌️). On our way to the camping place we saw a bear peek up at the side of the road and cross behind us. Brian cooked an amazing dinner for us on his gas stove.

The next day we wanted to ride the Tahoe Flume Trail, a beginner-friendly mountain bike trail. Unfortunately, it was closed, so we picked the Tahoe Rim Trail. We were told it's also suitable for beginners (me 😬) and there would only be a few technical bits that I would have to walk. I also had to rent a mountain bike, as the bike Brian had borrowed from a friend had issues with the brakes.

Well, I guess beginner-friendly is a very stretchable term. There were some easy bits that were fun to ride for me. But a lot was too technical, rocky, and even Brian and Kirsten had to walk quite a bit. Combined with me still being sick, the dry air, and the elevation, it was very hard for me. I even had an EILO (exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction). The vocal folds spasm and close, so you can't breathe. After a couple of seconds, it usually stops. Luckily I did not panic because I knew what it was and that it would pass, but it was very uncomfortable. The views were great though 😋

After the ride I was totally exhausted. We found a recreation center (fitness club, swimming pool), where we could pay for a shower. That was one of the best showers of my life! And the burger afterward tasted amazing.

The next day we took it slow and did a little evening walk to a nude beach, where we watched the sunset. We had another delicious meal in the van.

On the 22nd, Brian and Kirsten did another mountain bike ride, and I took the van down into town to a meeting point. I wanted to walk to the lake, go for a swim, and chill in a café. Well, Incline Village has decided to only cater to the wealthy visitors and residents. There were two 'public' beaches that could only be accessed by property owners or guests of the expensive Hyatt Hotel. I couldn't even purchase a day pass. Capitalism at its peak. So I walked around, looking at decadent villas (the horse statue in the picture is about 3m tall!), trying to find some kind of access to the lake. Nope, no chance. So I thought, I could at least have an iced coffee. Nope again, no cafés close to the lake. I ended up walking back towards the van, going to a café next to a busy road, where I was kicked out at 4pm (16:00), because they were closing (🤷). Unless you are incredibly rich, I can't recommend Incline Village. Around 5pm, Brian and Kirsten were back, and we started the drive to Bucks Lake, a campground where Brian used to spend vacations regularly as a child. On the way there, we stopped for dinner with some of Brian's friends, a lovely couple and their son. We had a wonderful evening with them and arrived late at Bucks Lake.