Tahoe really is a place for all seasons.  The lake, which is divided between California and Nevada, is the perfect setting for outdoor activities from hiking to winter sports and anything on the water….kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding – you name it!  Although I’d been to Tahoe a few times before, we thought it would be nice to make the drive around the lake this time and see it in its entirety.  Our timing in making the drive couldn’t have been better. 

Just the very next day, a snowstorm rolled in which meant a white Christmas was on its way.  Fortunately for us, we were able to make it safely around the lake before the weather began to slow down the roads in the mountains.  Watching the winter transformation unfold made this visit to Tahoe a special one.

 

Lake Tahoe is an altitude lake at a surface elevation of 6,225 ft above sea level. It is also the second deepest lake in the United States.

Emerald Bay with view of  Fannette Island – Tahoe’s only island – ahead.

Low water levels at the lakeside docks put California’s drought into perspective.

Clear turquoise waters from the Nevada side.

The calm before the storm.

A return to the pier the next day during a break in snowfall.

The fringes of the lake had already formed some ice on the surface.  Because of the immense quantity of water and depth of the lake, the entire lake itself will not freeze over.

Canada geece feeding on the grass.