By this time, I had already backpacked many times in the awesome Desolation Wilderness region in the Lake Tahoe area. Considered by many to be among the most beautiful wilderness regions in the country, DW has a large number of glacier lakes and despite its popularity, you can find peace and quiet in the back country and there are times where we had entire lakes to ourselves. This trip, Eugenia and I went with our friends Mike and Maria. The trailhead for this trek is at Lower Echo Lake, a popular lake for car camping and fishing. The initial part of the trail is part of the famous Pacific Crest Trail and parallels the Echo Lakes for a while. After about 3.5 miles of climbing, you reach a crest and then its downhill to Tamarack Lake. The whole trail is 8.4 miles roundtrip.
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