Tahoe Trail Guide

Your Online Resource for Hiking, Backpacking, Cross-Country Skiing, and Snowshoeing at Lake Tahoe

Menu
  • Summer
    • Trails Overview
    • • Best Day Hikes of Tahoe
    • North Tahoe Hiking
    • South Tahoe Hiking
    • • Short South Tahoe Hikes
    • East Tahoe Hiking
    • West Tahoe Hiking
  • Winter
    • Trails Overview
    • Jared Manninen’s Cross-Country Skiing VLOG
    • North Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • South Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • East Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • West Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
  • Skills
    • Trip Planning
    • • Backcountry Travel Considerations
    • Trip Documenting
    • XC Skiing Explained
    • • Buying XC Skis
    • • Classic XC Skiing
    • • Backcountry XC Skiing
    • • Waxing Waxless XC Skis
    • Snowshoeing Basics
  • History
    • Natural History
    • • Naturalist Resource List
    • Local History
  • Store

Tag: lake tahoe wildflowers

Naturalist Resources for Sierra Nevada Plant, Bird, and Wildlife Identification

October 15, 2023
| No Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog, Natural History

I used to love to log countless miles on the trail. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. However, as the saying goes, I now prefer to take time to stop and smell the roses. As a result, this process of learning about the flora and fauna of the Sierra Nevada has been one of my…

Read More »

Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog, Natural History Tagged Birds of Lake Tahoe, lake tahoe wildflowers, trees of the sierra nevada Leave a comment

Considerations and Reasons for Doing a Big Year

April 27, 2023
| No Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog, Natural History
Birder looking through binoculars in the forest

Take what I’m about to recommend in this article with a grain of salt. Don’t get me wrong. I totally recommend that you participate in at least one Big Year during your lifetime. Just know that this recommendation comes from someone who’s both obsessive and compulsive. I’m also very competitive. And I love to collect…

Read More »

Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog, Natural History Tagged Birds of Lake Tahoe, lake tahoe wildflowers, trip documenting Leave a comment

Lake Tahoe Wildflowers: Big Yellow Wildflowers with Big Green Leaves called Woolly Mule’s Ears and Arrowleaf Balsamroot

May 1, 2022
| 2 Comments
| Blog, Natural History
Woolly Mule's Ears (Wyethia mollis) and Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata)

I first met Lake Tahoe’s ubiquitous Woolly Mule’s Ears in 2006. Since that was my first summer living at Lake Tahoe, I was eager to learn about this new home of mine. So I enrolled in a basic mountaineering course at Lake Tahoe Community College. This seemed like a great way in which to gain…

Read More »

Posted in Blog, Natural History Tagged lake tahoe wildflowers 2 Comments

Lake Tahoe Wildflowers: Tips for Finding Wildflowers at Tahoe

April 14, 2022
| 1 Comment
| Blog, Natural History
Columbian Monkshood - Aconitum columbianum

Looking for wildflowers at Lake Tahoe is much like embarking on a treasure hunt. But the beauty of searching for Tahoe wildflowers is that you’re nearly always guaranteed to find some in bloom. This is assuming that you’re looking during the warmer months, of course. And that you don’t mind looking really closely at the…

Read More »

Posted in Blog, Natural History Tagged lake tahoe wildflowers 1 Comment

Lake Tahoe Wildflowers: Two Major Factors that Determine Peak Bloom Times for Wildflowers at Tahoe

April 12, 2022
| 9 Comments
| Blog, Natural History
Copyright © 2014 Jared Manninen

The United States is obviously composed of multiple climates. And, spring weather manifests at various times around the country. But May is usually the month that most Americans expect to see blooming flowers. This is evidenced by our use of the old English proverb April showers bring May flowers. The Sierra Nevada Mountains at Lake…

Read More »

Posted in Blog, Natural History Tagged lake tahoe wildflowers 9 Comments

Lake Tahoe Wildflowers: The Sinister Mustard Flower Rust

April 7, 2022
| 2 Comments
| Blog, Natural History
Mustard Flower Rust (Puccinia monoica) Copyright © 2015 Jared Manninen

I always stop to appreciate Sierra Nevada wildflowers while hiking. However, my love of specifically hunting for them comes and goes like the seasons. For example, during some years I’m active in my search for the small treasures. In other years, however, I’m more interested in logging bird species or hiking miles. But one of those…

Read More »

Posted in Blog, Natural History Tagged lake tahoe wildflowers 2 Comments

Support Tahoe Trail Guide with a Financial Contribution via PayPal (once) or Patreon (reoccurring)

Support Tahoe Trail Guide
Become a Patron!

Subscribe to Tahoe Trail Guide

The mission of Tahoe Trail Guide is to provide information, education, and inspiration to all people seeking to recreate outdoors.

  • All Summer Tahoe Trails
    • Trails Overview
    • North Lake Tahoe Hiking
    • South Lake Tahoe Hiking
      • Short South Tahoe Hikes
    • East Lake Tahoe Hiking
    • West Lake Tahoe Hiking
Tahoe Nordic Expo

Jared Manninen (Tahoe Trail Guide) Wins Sierra Nevada Alliance’s 2020 Frank Wells Last Best Place Award

2020 Frank Wells Last Best Place Award - Jared Manninen

In Recognition For Your Exhibited Stewardship As An Individual On Behalf Of The Sierra!

ORDER JARED MANNINEN'S “COLOR THE TAHOE RIM TRAIL” COLORING BOOK

Copyright © 2016 Jared Manninen
  • All Winter Tahoe Trails
    • Trails Overview
    • North Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • South Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • East Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • West Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing

Top Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

Short and Easy Hikes in South Lake Tahoe
Hiking Rubicon Trail (via Emerald Bay in South Tahoe)
Hiking Lam Watah Historic Trail (via Rabe Meadows at Stateline, NV)
Kokanee Salmon at Taylor Creek (via SR 89 in South Tahoe)
Hiking the Historic Donner Pass Train Tunnels in Truckee, CA
Hiking Emerald Point (north side of Emerald Bay in South Tahoe)
Hiking Freel Peak (via Forest Service RD 051 near Luther Pass in South Tahoe)
Making an 8-Page Zine From a Single Sheet of Paper
Birds of Lake Tahoe: The Tree Cleaving Pileated Woodpecker
Hiking Maggies South Peak (via Bayview Trailhead near Emerald Bay in South Tahoe)

Backcountry Skills Articles

  • All Backcountry Skills Articles
    • Trip Planninng
    • Trip Documenting
    • XC Skiing Explained
    • Snowshoeing Basics
    • Gear Maintenance
  • History
    • Natural History
    • Local History
  • All Tahoe Trail Guide Articles (published chronologically)

Order a “Hike Lake Tahoe” Sticker ($3.00+$.99 shipping, 5×3.3 inches)

Recent Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

  • Cross-Country Skiing on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe
  • FAQs about Waxing Your Waxless Cross-Country Skis
  • Overview of Off-Track and Backcountry Cross-Country Ski Gear
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 1): Intention, Types of XC Skis, and Whether to Buy New or Used
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 2): How Much Gear to Acquire, Evaluating Your Commitment, and the Value of Taking XC Ski Lessons

Order Prints of Jared Manninen’s “Faux Vintage Map of Lake Tahoe”

Fun Vintage Lake Tahoe Map
Self-portrait of Jared Manninen
Jared Manninen has been a Tahoe local since 2005. He began building Tahoe Trail Guide (c. 2017) in order to inspire people to embrace the outdoors as a place in which to learn and play.
iNaturalist
View jaredmanninen's observations »

Popular Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

  • Cross-Country Skiing on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe
  • FAQs about Waxing Your Waxless Cross-Country Skis
  • Overview of Off-Track and Backcountry Cross-Country Ski Gear
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 1): Intention, Types of XC Skis, and Whether to Buy New or Used
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 2): How Much Gear to Acquire, Evaluating Your Commitment, and the Value of Taking XC Ski Lessons
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 3): Can One Set of Classic Cross-Country Skis Work for Groomed and Off-Track XC Skiing?
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 4): Can I Use One Set of XC Ski Boots for All of My Cross-Country Skiing Needs?

Lake Tahoe Trails

  • Tahoe Trails Overview
  • All Summer Tahoe Trails
    • North Lake Tahoe Hiking
    • South Lake Tahoe Hiking
      • Short South Tahoe Hikes
    • East Lake Tahoe Hiking
    • West Lake Tahoe Hiking
  • All Winter Tahoe Trails
    • North Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • South Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • East Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • West Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing

Tahoe Trail Guide Info

  • Home
  • Backcountry Skills
  • History
    • Natural History
    • Local History
  • Store
    • Tahoe Swag (external link)
  • Randomly Asked Questions
  • About Jared Manninen
  • JaredManninen.com (external link)
  • Contact Tahoe Trail Guide

Although I encourage you to venture out of your comfort zone, you need to know your limits and when to turn back. Tahoe Trail Guide and its contributors are not liable for property loss or damage, personal injury, or death. Always consult multiple sources when venturing into the backcountry. Always be prepared for the worst case scenario. Your safety is your responsibility. Tahoe Trail Guide copyright © 2016-2023 by Jared Manninen. All rights reserved.  This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Per the Associates Program Operating Agreement I must disclose the following statement: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases” when you buy something via an Amazon.com advertisement.