Lake Tahoe From Tamarack Peak
Summit Trip Summary
Distance: ~ 1.3 mi one way
Transport: Hiking
Elevation Gain: ~960 feet
Time: ~ 0.75 hour one way
Route: Tahoe Rim Trail, use trail to summit
Access: Mt. Rose Summit Trailhead - Nevada Highway 431
Parking: Several spots at Trailhead
Activation Summary
Rig: MTR3b LCD
Bands/Modes: 20 mtr - CW, 30 mtr - CW, 40 mtr - CW
Antenna: Trapped 20/30/40 mtr EFHW
Antenna Support: Small and large trees
Cell Service: Very Good (Verizon)
RF Noise: Quiet
Tamarack Peak is in the Mount Rose Wilderness area; it is the third highest peak in the area. There are four 10 point peaks - Mount Rose W7N/WC-001, Mount Houghton W7N/WC-002, Tamarack Peak W7N/WC-003 and Slide Mountain W7N/WC-004 - that are accessible from the Mount Rose Summit Trailhead.
The hike starts at the Mount Rose Summit Trailhead parking lot, the .gpx file is available here. The .gpx file only contains the use trail to the summit. Use the Tahoe Rim Trail to find the start of the use trail.
Click on this link for GPX file
Getting to the Summit
Start the hike at the Mount Rose Summit trailhead on Highway 431. Take the stairs at the trailhead, these stairs will lead you to the Tahoe Rim Trail. After about 0.6 miles you will intersect the Tamarack Lake Trail. Just beyond this intersection is the trail marker in the photo below left. The use trail to the summit is just beyond the marker and to the left of the rocks in the photo below right. Go off of the Tahoe Rim Trail at 39.31196, -119.90837 and find the use trail to the summit.
Continue on the use trail towards the summit. After a short distance you should see the white post in the photo below left. As you get further up the trail you will be able to see Lake Tamarack to the northeast (photo below right).
The use trail is fairly easy to follow though there are divergent trails that eventually converge. Just follow the track and stay along the ridge. Just before the summit you will come across a high point that could make you think you are on the summit. Continue along the track following the ridge. You will come out to a small valley and the summit will be directly ahead of you. Choose a path to the summit, there is some loose rock on the way up. I did a bit of zig zagging to keep traction.
On the Summit
The summit is fairly open with ample space to set up for HF. The summit itself is at the edge of the ridge, there is a piece of rebar that I assume marks the summit. Looking to the north you see Mount Rose, to the northwest is Mount Houghton and to the east is Slide Mountain. From the summit area you can see Lake Tahoe to the south
There are trees, shrubs and gravel and rock on the summit. I used a small tree to hold up my mast and supported the feed point end of my EFHW with a line attached to a larger tree.
Getting Back
Simply return the way you came back to the trailhead. This is a quick trek so you have time to activate another summit, I activated Slide Mountain the same day.
