So I got a new camera and wanted to try it out in the wilderness, so I decided to head up to Lake Tahoe for the weekend.

To start, I took the short hike up from Highway 80 to Castle Peak. A fairly simple hike, the first half was mostly level on a Jeep trail. I decided to hike it instead of using my Jeep. 🙂

After that, it climbed fairly steeply and it was a great relief when I reached the west peak. Making good use of the new camera, I enjoyed the view and had lunch.

I was also attacked by a swarm of butterflies. Well, not so much as attacked as surrounded by them as they rode the wind over the ridge line.

Then it was time to really test my body and I made my way over to the east peak, the true summit of Castle Peak. On the way, I had a spectacular view of butterflies coming straight up a window in the rock. Very thrilling to see so many butterflies in such a narrow space.

Then I say the class 3 climb ahead of me to get the the true summit. Mostly a vertical rock face with some easy to find hand and foot holds. I’ve seen worse, but it was still a bit nerve-racking to climb up such a vertical wall with nothing to save me if I slipped.

The last time I was up on Castle Peak, there was snow and ice on the summit, so did not dare to try this climb.

As I reached the top and put my hand on the edge, a man appeared suddenly. He said he didn’t want to surprise me. He failed at that. Fortunately, I didn’t fall, but it was a little surprising to see him there since no one had been up on top when I started.

Turns out he had gone up the other side, which is more of a class 4 climb. He did end up taking a picture of me from down below, which is a viewpoint I can’t get with my own camera and iPhone.

Gathering my whits, I surveyed the area around me and marveled at the view. I thought about going down the class 4 route. It looked easy from above, but I knew that looks can be deceiving. I decided to go back the way I came so I knew where the footholds would most likely be.

I safely reached the bottom and exhaled deeply. As I made my way back down, enjoying more butterflies and feeling good at doing this short hike.

Then it was onto Reno for some all-you-can eat sushi and some gambling. I actually ended up winning $200, so that paid for my gas, food, and hotel for the night.

Up next: Mt Rose