A thru-hike (walking a long-distance trail from end to end in a single continuous journey) of the Tahoe Rim Trail is much simpler than most long-distance trails. First, it is only a three-hour drive from my home. Second, it is the shortest long-distance trail I have hiked. Third, it is a loop rather than a point-to-point trail, which means transportation to and from the trail is as simple as it gets.

Before I begin hiking, I’ll drive around the lake caching water at three locations and dropping two resupply packages (food & consumables) at Tramway Market (Kingsbury Grade) and Alpenglow Sports (Tahoe City) to limit the amount of food I have to carry. I’ll have a chance to charge my devices at both resupply locations, and in Tahoe City there is a campground with showers!

I have printed my permit along with a 2026 fire permit (required for using a camp stove). Most long-distance trails have limited cell service, but because of the trail’s proximity to Lake Tahoe, I’ll have good cell service for most of the trail. All this adds up to an excellent first post-surgery thru-hike! The forecast looks good, there are no forest fires in the area, and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association reports the trail is free of snow.

Trailhead parking can be a challenge, but I found a snow park near Echo Lake that is open year-round that should have adequate space. If all goes as planned, I’ll be parking at the trailhead around noon on Saturday, July 11th and hiking 10-12 miles before spending my first night on trail.

Wish me luck. I’ll update you from the trail on my progress!

Thanks for following along!

Loren, AKA Butterfingers