Meeks Bay to Eagle Falls in May

[Doug Smith]

Hello all, I'm going on my first backpacking trip with friends during the last weekend of May. Until now, all my backpacking has been solo with dog. It'll be a fun and different experience going with other people, there should be 5 of us total (plus my pooch).

The planned route is a very relaxing 3 day hike from Meeks Bay, west side of Lake Tahoe, to the Eagle Falls trail that dumps you out in Emerald Bay. Depending on a couple route choices, it looks to be between a 17 and 18.5 mile hike. Highest elevation is just over 8800 feet, and the lowest is around 6400'.

For anyone who's been on this hike, or portions of it, I'd love to hear suggestions or thoughts. Pictures would be cool too. :) I'm not in charge of the route, but I'd like to be able to give constructive input…I'm wondering if the third day would be better to come down to Emerald Bay past Eagle Lake, and Eagle Falls, or the alternate route past Granite Lake. On Google Earth, Granite Lake looks like a really cool area, sandwiched on a little ledge on the side of the mountain. But it would mean missing Eagle Falls.

[USA Duane Hall]

By way of the highway or ridge top? Not much snow even higher up, you may get lucky and have all the snow melted off. I think another issue may be brush if the snow has melted off. Six or one, half dozen of another. :) Can you tell from the view how brushy things will be? Four of us were up above Fallen Leaf and below Mt Tallac a couple weeks ago, not a lot of snow. You should miss the tourist season, it can get busy around Eagle Lake, Granite will be nice, small lake. Sorry, can't be much more help.
Duane

[Jason G]

Hey doug, I have a 2nd home in meeks bay so I hike up that way a LOT. That will be a good hike for a big group like that. its fairly easy..just the first 5 miles and then the section right before rubicon lake are the climbs.

Definitely take the little side route to the top of Phipps peak. its only a couple hundred feet off the pass. There is also a nice spot to camp above the trail right near the little summit rock area. closest water would be phipps lake 500' down though.. the sunset atop phipps will be great.
Another cool side trip is Azure lake. Its just a bit off the trail and very pretty.

Granite lake is ok.. but not great..

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