Explorations on My Doorstep: Washoe Lake

Dusty surveying the lake with Slide Mountain in the background.

Since Dusty isn't really as up for long hikes as he used to be, I'm exploring more and more in my immediate area. This past weekend checked out Washoe Lake for the first time. I am a little amazed that I had never really been out there, since we've gone down to Little Washoe Lake a number of times. As the world tends to do, it surprised me with it's wide beach, great sand dunes, and large and deep feel. I tend to think of it as a bit of just a large mud puddle, but being along it on an overcast and threatening spring day, it felt like a real lake, very much a counterpoint of Pyramid and even Tahoe in its own—admittedly more modest—way. The only drawback was that the boat launch/parking lot required a $5 parking fee, but I'll continue to explore to find free places to park and honestly it was worth it for a couple of hour excursion.

Washoe Lake from the top of a dune.

Loving the water.

Washoe Lake and dunes under gray sky.

Beach with yellow flowers.

Pups loving being out, as usual!

Coco walking on water.

Desert beach blooming on the dunes.

Coco on the dunes.

Washoe Lake reflecting.

Desert peach blooming.

Dusty soaking with Slide Mountain.

Coco loving the beach.

Yellow flowers.

Dunes and brush.

Beachside tree and Slide Mountain

And another view.

Yellow flower close up.

Dusty and desert peach in fisheye.