"Majestic Diversity" aka Fallen Leaf Lake and Mt Tallac 30" x 160"
The atmosphere here is glacial. Fallen Leaf Lake was initially formed by at least two glaciers that traveled northward down the Glen Alpine Valley. If those glaciers had continued instead of stopping, the Lake would have been a bay of Lake Tahoe, similar to nearby Emerald Bay. The Lake's surface elevation is only 152 feet above Lake Tahoe; however, water in the Lake is exchanged every eight years, compared to the much deeper and slower Lake Tahoe, which is exchanged every 700 years.
Nestled below the majestic Desolation Wilderness Area and Mount Tallac, the lake stretches approximately 2.9 miles and reaches a depth of 380 feet, sitting pretty at 8,588 feet. Angora Peak and Echo Peak sit behind and to the left of Tallac. The trail up Mount Tallac is one of the most well-known day hikes in the Tahoe area. The 10.5-mile round-trip ascent includes a 3,500-foot trail elevation gain. It starts from Baldwin Beach and promises unparalleled views of Lake Tahoe from its summit at a breathtaking 9,735 feet.
By the way, the log in the image, perched on the stump in the shallow water, front right, is said to be a viable teeter-totter for the brave.
The origin of Fallen Leaf Lake's name is generally agreed to have come from the local Native American legend of Doolagoga, an Indian. According to legend, the man was being chased by evil spirits. Good spirits gave him a magical branch, which he threw on the ground, and it transformed into Lake Tahoe, giving him time to escape. Later, evil spirits pursued him again, and he was given a magic twig with only one leaf, which he dropped on the ground, becoming Fallen Leaf Lake, escaping once again.
Fallen Leaf Lake is home to an ancient underwater forest of Mature conifer trees that can be found on the bottom of the Lake, preserved for some 800 years by the cold water. Scientists believe these trees show evidence of a so-called 'megadrought' between the 9th and 12th centuries that eliminated or reduced the Lake, allowing conifers to grow to maturity. Even much older trees have been identified, dating to between 18 and 35 centuries old. A recent expedition by the Undersea Voyager Project concluded that those ancient trees did not grow there during an ancient drought but instead slid into the Lake during one of the many seismic events in the Tahoe Basin since it was formed.
This remarkable ecosystem reminds me of our planet’s grandeur and the privileges fallen upon us to embrace the mountains every day.
