Our hike up Mount Tallac, September 2, 2002
			PHOTOS
	We set out for Mount Tallac, Lake Tahoe, very early in the morning on  September 2, 2002 (Michael's 50th birthday).  The Subaru was o.k. at first, then started overheating.  Found that the radiator had a hole in it, about 30 miles from home.  Went back home, & picked up the truck.  Made our way back up to Tahoe, eating breakfast at a diner, then got our pass to hike for the day.  I say: "hike" rather than climb, because we used no pick-axes, crampons, ropes, carbiners,  or other climbing equipment.  There were times when we had to scramble, like on one hill that we discovered was not on the designated path.  Scarey for me to be hanging off of that hill, but I scrambled up & tried not to look down.  About halfway up the mountain, Michael said that if I wanted, we could go back down.  But there was no way that I wasn't going to summit my first mountain.  We finally made the summit around 2:00 p.m..  I pulled a birthday card out of my bag, and gave it to Michael, wished him a happy 50th birthday.  We then rested a bit (there were a few other hikers on the summit, along with half a dozen chipmonks), then we went back down. That was often tougher than the climb!  Hard on the feet.  When our yellow truck finally came into view, it was such a welcome sight!   I'm making it all sound much easier than it was  - it required some endurance, and took all day.  The views are spectacular.  Here is some general info. about Mount Tallac: Mount Tallac Height:  9,735 feet (2,967 meters) Location:  California, United States, North America Lat/Lon:  38.9°N, 120.09°W Mount Tallac is probably the most recognizable of the Tahoe Area peaks. With its distinctive "cross" of snow rising directly above the southwest corner of Lake Tahoe, Mount Tallac commands attention. While neither the highest peak in the area nor the hardest to summit, Mount Tallac nonetheless serves up enough adventure to satisfy nearly everyone. Compared to the giants of the southern Sierra Nevada, Mount Tallac is a mere child, standing at only 9735 feet above sea level. Still, it stands over 3,500 feet above the surface of Lake Tahoe, and from the summit, one may take in panoramic views of that amazing lake, as well as the enchanting peaks of Desolation Wilderness area. (Click here to see a 270 degree panorama from the summit). The views from the summit, as well as the mountain's proximity to highway 89 and its wide selection of terrain types, make Mount Tallac one of the top hiking and backcountry skiing destinations in California. Geologically, Mount Tallac is situated roughly on the boundary between the granites of the Sierra Nevada batholith, and the earlier metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. The southern and eastern slopes, especially Cathedral Peak, are crumbly, clinky "metaseds", while the other parts of the mountain are a bit more solid, but not Sierran granite, quite like Mount Ritter.