Wednesday, February the 26th - Day 10
72Miles.
Second stage of the journey, crossing of the forest.
The landscapes are grandiose, we do not get tired of the blue sky.
We take our marks.
California does not allow free camping so we had to stop in a place with facilities. We found a SNO-PARK nearby and went there as soon as we arrived.
The site is still covered with snow, the access is clear for a one-way passage, we enter carefully and we settle at the bottom near the dining areas equipped with dry toilets, tables and benches, fire corners and especially iron cabinets locked with a removable key to store food safe from bears. We are indeed on their territory
We read carefully the regulations related to the use of the place: we enter the place where the bear lives, vigilance points and warnings are detailed: nothing must be left that could tempt the curious animal. We also learn what to do in case of a visit of the animal on the premises. Let's be on our guard!
Alone on the site, surrounded by a thick layer of snow, we have the impression that the bear will come at any moment.
In spite of the blue sky, the temperature remains cool on the site. Faced with the prohibition to collect wood on the spot to light a fire, and for lack of having foreseen our reserve of logs in the truck we give up the meal in the open air. We will eat quietly in the warmth of our truck after having carefully secured it for the stop and unhooked the car for our next trip in the surroundings.
The afternoon will be devoted to the discovery of LAKE TAHOE by the North.
URSA Mater and her cubs
The Ursa Mater (Mother penny Bear) is a 12 foot sculpture of a grizzly bear and her cubs that stands in the Heritage Plaza in Tahoe city.
Made by the artists M Mrs. FERGUSON who made the fur from 200,000 pennies.
Ursa Mater was sculpted in moss and layered in a concrete stucco with the pieces placed in the wet stucco vertically. It took the artists and their artistic team of 12 people 4 months to complete.
The artists' work is one of visual and sensory deception.
One participant sees the installation from a distance and recognizes it as a brown bear, but upon closer inspection, he sees that the fur is made of pennies and that it feels good to rub his hands.
LAKE TAHOE
1,897 meters above sea level, the largest mountain lake in North America.
Border between California and Nevada.
Its surface area +/- 502 km2 : 19 km wide - 35 km long
With its depth of 501 meters, it is the second deepest lake in the United States and the tenth deepest in the world.
The water of Lake Tahoe is clear enough to see up to 21 meters deep.
In the summer it is a popular resort, in the winter skiing is popular in the surrounding areas.
Few people in this season. The sky remains magnificently blue and we have a splendid view on the lake, a real mirror where the snowy peaks are reflected.
We spend the rest of the day walking along the banks. The time to admire the grandiose landscapes and to observe some geese swimming in the lake and to admire the courage of some rare sportsmen on paddle.
No tourists unlike in summer when the place is crowded.
We appreciate these moments.
Back to the truck we have just enough time to admire the sunset on the lake.
Card evening after a home made risotto.
We did not open the shutters of the RV to keep the heat. As much as the daily temperature is pleasant up to 68°F/20°C, as much the night the cold is prickly 20°F/-6°C.
Our first night in the wilderness will be quiet... cradled by the Aquahot which allows to maintain a correct temperature in the truck.
Thursday, February 27th - Day 11
Fresh rise.
In spite of our precautions, we hardly manage to maintain a good temperature in the RV. Vincent, on the lookout for heat loss, discovered the holes under the fridge...
The weather is always so splendid, the sky is invariably blue. The luminosity is dazzling.
9:45 am - Departure for the tour of LAKE TAHOE
Incline Village. MAGNIFICENT
We are amazed by the houses whose architecture and size are breathtaking. Built in wood, stone with or without glass roof to take advantage of the light and the lake. They are all more impressive than the others.
Our road leads us to Nevada to discover a much less picturesque city, CARSON City, capital of the state.
Nothing fantastic, so we take the opportunity to refuel our vehicle. Gasoline is much cheaper than in California and especially Lake Tahoe which remains a tourist resort even in winter!
We continue our tour of the lake by SOUTH LAKE TAHOE where there are huge ski resorts. Everything here has dimensions that we don't know in Europe.
We go up towards the East then the North.
The lake never ceases to amaze us. The road on the other hand leaves us some doubts about the route to take with WILLIRoad for the rest of the trip.
In the meantime, we take advantage of each viewpoint, each one more magnificent than the next.
We find our camp. We will not be alone tonight because another motorhome has taken up residence right next to the entrance where it has plugged into the only available electrical outlet. We had not spotted it buried under the snow. Too bad, for us we will have to continue our energy saving for the night. We still have a lot to learn about our new life as travelers.
Meal and studious evening.
Preparations for the road of the next day. Gauthier is doing some research for our next step. We are not yet very good at racking up the miles and so the location of the stops remains complex. We want to avoid the RV Parks and stay as autonomous as possible.
Friday, February 28th - Day 12
Still cold outside in the morning despite the sun still shining.
Time to prepare everything:
- Tidying up inside, locking the fridge, blocking the doors...
- Tucking in the shutters
- Hitching up the car and checking the headlights, brakes...
WILLIRoad is ready for departure.
... Follow us to Stage 3 - Road to DEATH VALLEY - California
Our WILLIRoad video in LAKE TAHOE
View here our route around LAKE TAHOE
Follow WILLIRoad in LAKE TAHOE
... Follow us to Stage 3 - Road to DEATH VALLEY - California
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