TRT in October - Tahoe Rim Trail

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#1

I’ll be in Reno for a conference in mid-October this fall so I’ve decided that’s a good excuse to do the TRT while I’m in that neck of the woods. I plan to take about a week and a half for it. My schedule is still flexible and I’m trying to decide whether to hike roughly October 7-18 or roughly October 22 - Nov 1. For purely hiking purposes, I would prefer the earlier option, but other logistics make that slightly less appealing (preparing and practicing my talk, having a hard deadline to finish the hike and thinking about giving the talk, etc.). I have a few questions for anyone familiar with the area:

  1. Would I catch any autumn aspen action by choosing the earlier option?

  2. I can probably expect to see a little snow at some point. What are the chances of more significant snowfall?

I am well acquainted with “it can snow anytime in the mountains” weather and I’ll be prepared to handle light/moderate snowfall, but I would like to keep the likelihood of needing to bail due to a big storm relatively low. (For reference, I’m more familiar with the Washington Cascades and the Northeast.)

  1. What water situation can I expect? I understand the trail dries out over the course of the summer. Is water still an issue in October? Will a 2-weeks-later start (and a little rain/snow) improve my water supply?

  2. What else should I know for an October TRT thru-hike? Any thoughts appreciated.

BPW

#2

I hiked the TRT in early October 2008. You’re chances of having some aspen color are better for the earlier dates but if I were you I’d rather go after the conference.

We always seem to have one small storm that brings a little snow in mid October, but it usually doesn’t stick around long. As far as water goes, it’s probably going to be the same situation for either dates. I actually never had a water problem on my hike. Plenty of water in Desolation Wilderness. Not much water on the north side but (depending on which direction you go) after Desolation you’ll go right into Tahoe City. At HWY 431 there’s a restroom with water and there was a creek flowing near there. There’s also Marlette Lake on the east side and you can take a lower alternate route along the creek before you get to Kingsbury Grade. There’s also a store in a residential area near Kingsbury. Not tons of water on the south side. I had to dry camp a few times, but don’t think I ever carried more than 3-4 liters at any time.

Other things you might want to know. Echo Lake store will be closed. If a storm does come in, chances are it will be short and you can ride it out. There’s really nowhere on the trail where you couldn’t bail out into town within a few hours if needed. Fall is a great time to hike, daytime temps are usually in the 50’s and nighttime isn’t too cold. The only issue that cuts into hiking time for me was the fading daylight, but the trail is so well graded you can still get some good miles in each day. Have a great time!

ducky