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Lake Aloha or bust

When it's time to use every hour of the day to chase happiness, our very own Neil Amonson and his favorite adventure partners end up in some beautiful places!

By KAVU

July 31^st, 2018

Over this past winter, Maureen brought up the idea of going to Lake Tahoe over July 4th. It would be a great escape from the Utah heat and a chance to take our new pup on a proper road trip. Heidi, our now 8 month old German Shepard loves to hike and adventure and, what better place to explore then the Sierras! Maureen also mentioned a hike she wanted to go on at a spot called Lake Aloha. I asked her how far of a hike it was and she said 8 miles each way.... 16 miles total round trip. A bit out of my comfort zone but I’m always up for a challenge. We decided to double down on the fun and spend the night camping up at the lake and then hike back to the truck in the morning.

Let the KAVU adventure begin!!

We broke up the 8 hour drive from Salt Lake City to South Lake Tahoe by making frequent stops. This first one is a cool spot called the “Tree of Utah” and is located about 25 miles east of Wendover. It was created by the Swedish artist, Karl Momen in the 1980s and is 87 feet tall. The colored spheres are coated with natural rock and minerals native to Utah.

vacation!

There were many dog friendly beaches and we quickly made our way to the water. Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in North America at 1,645 feet.

go time

After a few days of relaxing it was time to head out into the wilderness. We started in the middle of the day with the goal of making it to camp with enough time to set up our tent and go for a swim before sunset.

I was impressed with how quickly Maureen hikes. She is 5’3” but moves through the mountains at the same speed as me.... and I’m a foot taller!

Heidi the pup, carried her food and water in a nice little dog specific pack from a cool company called Ruffwear.

rest stop

The entire hike was lined with high mountain lakes. It was hard to stay on the trail when off in the distance, there were so many tempting swimming holes! But, we stayed focused with our eyes on the prize.

lake aloha!

A few hours before sunset, we made it to our destination. Tucked up in the Desolation Wilderness Area, this high mountain reservoir was dammed in 1943 shortly after the Great Depression which created a beautiful day trip destination for the many hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail.

As we excitedly set-up camp, Maureen inflated her trusty pink doughnut.

After the long walk in the sun, Heidi was definitely ready for a nap! A sure sign we were having a KAVU day!

more naps!

Sleeping might be Heidi’s second favorite activity behind playing with other dogs.

Perhaps it’s because she is still a growing puppy which, is kind of scary since she already weighs 65 lbs! She manages to find the most comfortable object in any space she is in and lays on it.

In this case my sleeping bag and pillow.

After dinner, we feasted on astronaut ice cream which I had saved since last years epic KAVU Christmas Party.

Good thing it never expires!

It was fun to see Heidi in her natural environment.....

...the Wild!

I think she looks like a giant coyote from afar.

As the sun started to set, it was time to break out the cameras and have fun snapping pics of the natural beauty we were surrounded by.

goodbye sun

It’s almost as if Heidi enjoyed watching the sun pass beneath the horizon as much as we did.

We stayed up for only an hour or so after sunset before settling into a peaceful sleep. The only noise we heard all night was the sound of the wind blowing across the water and branches moving in the trees. I counted 9 shooting stars.

When our alarms went off at 5am, we crawled out of our tent into the crisp morning air to watch the sunrise. Heidi is an early riser at home and had no trouble quickly finding a stick to chew on while we entertained ourselves by trying to walk around still enclosed in our sleeping bags.

After breakfast, we packed up camp and started the 8 mile walk back to the truck. Part of the trail is known for being tough on dog paws, but Heidi didn’t seem to mind and happily walked between me Maureen and I.

A few hours later, we were safely back at the truck and ready for the long drive back to Salt Lake City. It’s always a special feeling when you plan a trip, long in advance, and everything works out just as you imagined.

As for Heidi, it’s hard to know for certain what a dog is thinking. But from that cute dog smile that was on her face the entire ride home, I like to think she had a great time as well.

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Jump-4-Joy

Levi Hynson

Footnotes

Neil is not just a badass athlete and overall amazing human being but, has a heart that's even bigger than you would think could fit in his 6'5" frame! KAVU to the core!~

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FootNotes

Neil is not just a badass athlete and overall amazing human being but, has a heart that's even bigger than you would think could fit in his 6'5" frame! KAVU to the core!~

Havasupai 2025

Lake Aloha or bust

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