The Line of the Week
East Shore, Lake Tahoe
Boulder Hopping, Bushwhacking and Trespassing
Have you ever found yourself walking along Tahoe’s East Shore in all its glory, solitude and wonder only to come around a corner and find yourself face to face with a saggy set of old man balls?
For years now I have had a goal in mind to walk the entire coastline and boulder hop the East Shore. That’s why I chose to head out there on December 5th because nude beach season is over. We all know what that cold weather can do.
Over the last few days I tried to find a partner who was down to walk this unknown distance with all its peninsulas, coves, beaches, private dwellings and finally got a response from my buddy Sean Duerr of the Dead Winter Carpenters. The band was on a brief break from a busy touring schedule and a recent throw down at the Crystal Bay Club and Sean thought it was a good idea to get some exercise before hitting the road again. I told him it was going to be a huge day. There’s nothing quite like whipping a rock-star into shape.
We set out before dawn in an attempt to get this hike done before sunset. I had walked this first section a few times in the past and knew that gated communities and “No Trespassing” signs would be an issue. As the alpenglow hit Mt Tallac and the West Shore we dropped into the start of the journey at Glenbrook, NV. It’s funny how all journeys start with smiling faces and high hopes.
The shore is ridden with granite rocks, void of houses and this time of year is virtually empty. We moved as fast as we could over the chunky blocks of granite and quickly realized that the recent wind storms had soaked the rocks which then froze overnight. The boulders near the waters edge were covered in ice. This was supposed to be our pathway. What made it even more difficult was that my stubborn ass had a goal of walking the coastline proper not up in the woods above. So we attempted to walk the high line of boulders instead of the flatter ones by the water’s edge. This constantly put us amongst bushes, manzanita and small trees. So, not only were we getting abused by the regular boulder hopping workout but we were getting scraped and slashed through constant bushwhacking.
When we reached Skunk Harbor after 3 hours we were basically even with where we parked the car. It was going to be a long day! We constantly rebooted our system with home-made cookies, conversations with Jah, candy, and food then moved onwards. Northwards up the coast past Skunk, Secret, Whale, Creek, Chimney, Thunderbird, Sand Harbor to Hidden we hopped from rock to rock, squeezed through cracks, and climbed fallen trees. Every so often we were gifted by a stretch of flat sandy beach.
By late afternoon we could see our destination. As the sun hit the horizon line we had accomplished the goal of walking our version of the East Shore from where the houses ended to where they began again. I have no idea how many miles it was but my body hurts. Looking back on the distance walked a few things come to mind. We are blessed to live in a place as beautiful as Tahoe. I am so glad they never built up the East Shore. It’s pretty rad that there is no real trail out there, at times it feels like true wilderness. And finally, when summer hits can we get a handful of beautiful naked ladies out there on the nudey beaches so I don’t have to only look at balls on my nature walks.
“It’s always a toss up as to what I’m actually willing to do after playing a long weekend of shows and staying up to sunrise a few nights in a row. Here’s an idea… I’ll get up before sunrise and scramble over boulders until sunset. Â With not enough snow to ski, and too much to ride a bike, I feel like I’ve been cooped up for months now, so this was a perfect thing to do. Â It turned out to be an epic!… Â Now all I’m thinking about is will my hands heal in time for our gig tomorrow night… Â It’s pretty sweet when you go on a day hike, and your hands are still bleeding on your computer the day after.” – Sean DuerrÂ
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The Line of the Week is a weekly photo piece by Ryan Salm featuring some of Tahoe’s finest athletes doing whatever we deem rad. We will be using the term “Line” loosely to describe anything resembling chutes, big airs, pointers or any general madness. All images are the property and copyright of Ryan Salm Photography. All images are only to be used in conjunction with the Line of the Week. Any other usage must be cleared in writing by Ryan Salm.