CA>Desolation Wilderness

[Ryanhammockmonkey]

Awesome first hang in Desolation Wilderness, Lake Aloha. (California / Tahoe)

WB BB and RR for the lady.

Paradise found!

[TrailSlug]

Wow! Post card view. I now see it was Lake Aloha. Thanks for sharing the pic.

[Bizzz]

Very cool and congrats on a beautiful hang. I was in Tahoe last year but didn't make it to the Desolation Wilderness area. I'm going to the area in October and couldn't make up my mind which lake to try. You made the decision much easier...thanks! Did you happen to make it to any of the other lakes in that area?

[Ryanhammockmonkey]

Thanks, yeah, was such a great experience, one of the most interesting landscapes I've ever seen.
Hiked along side Lake of the Woods too... places to hang everywhere, your own private lake is not hard to find... On Thursday though (late July) it started getting a little more crowded by Lake Aloha, (nobody within about 300' though) which seems like it's the main attraction, it's beautiful everywhere out there.
Recommendations: take the ferry from Echo Chalet into DW (or add another 5 miles onto your hike) Runs 9-6, every half hour, closed probably though in the off season.
Get camping permit from recreation.gov. You need to pick a zone for your first night, then, for your second night and beyond, you can stay wherever you want.
We saw one of those giant Stingray hammocks there. They said they were cold, no UQ, and the thing weighed 20 lbs. Don't get one of those!

[TrailSlug]

Thanks, yeah, was such a great experience, one of the most interesting landscapes I've ever seen.
Hiked along side Lake of the Woods too... places to hang everywhere, your own private lake is not hard to find... On Thursday though (late July) it started getting a little more crowded by Lake Aloha, (nobody within about 300' though) which seems like it's the main attraction, it's beautiful everywhere out there.
Recommendations: take the ferry from Echo Chalet into DW (or add another 5 miles onto your hike) Runs 9-6, every half hour, closed probably though in the off season.
Get camping permit from recreation.gov. You need to pick a zone for your first night, then, for your second night and beyond, you can stay wherever you want.
We saw one of those giant Stingray hammocks there. They said they were cold, no UQ, and the thing weighed 20 lbs. Don't get one of those!

Where did you start your hike from? A trail head? Did you stay in Lake Tahoe and then go from there. I'm wanting to do this next summer.

[Bizzz]

Thanks, yeah, was such a great experience, one of the most interesting landscapes I've ever seen.
Hiked along side Lake of the Woods too... places to hang everywhere, your own private lake is not hard to find... On Thursday though (late July) it started getting a little more crowded by Lake Aloha, (nobody within about 300' though) which seems like it's the main attraction, it's beautiful everywhere out there.
Recommendations: take the ferry from Echo Chalet into DW (or add another 5 miles onto your hike) Runs 9-6, every half hour, closed probably though in the off season.
Get camping permit from recreation.gov. You need to pick a zone for your first night, then, for your second night and beyond, you can stay wherever you want.
We saw one of those giant Stingray hammocks there. They said they were cold, no UQ, and the thing weighed 20 lbs. Don't get one of those!

I really appreciate all the additional info...thanks!

[Ryanhammockmonkey]

So, we stayed in a dive motel the night before. Then, went to Echo Chalet, which, is where most people, especially noobs, tend to enter. You pay $14 for a boat ride through lower Echo lake, and Upper Echo Lake, it then drops you at the trailhead for PCT / TRT. Kinda one of those things that make sense once you've done it, but, we didn't have much intel, and had a blast. Would recommend GAIA for navigation.

[Craig2112]

Hi Ryan. Awesome pic!

I am headed to Lake Aloha in a couple weeks and am looking for a bit of information. I am using a new whoopee sling suspension paired with a set of 5' huggers this trip and am curious if I'll run in to trees that might be too big or too far apart? Can't clearly tell tree girth or distance from the pictures/videos I've watched. From your pic it looks like one of you might be using whoopee slings. Did you run into any issues with site selection?