Hike Details:
- Elevation - 8,714 ft.
- Location - near Kings Beach, CA, turn East off of Hwy. 267 onto Martis Peak Road (unmarked), which is about half a mile north of Brockway Summit
- Mileage - 7 miles
- Hiking time - about 2 1/2 hours
- Route - map and information below
- Weather - sunny, warm day here in the valley and just as nice up in the mountains, a light breeze at the top that cooled us off in the shade, but we were pretty warm coming down by about noon
I was able to create this map using caltopo.com. It has some pretty cool features and made a great map for us to follow.
Because we had a shorter time frame, we drove about a mile up the road to connect with the Tahoe Rim Trail, so that shaved the round-trip mileage down by a couple of miles. From there the trail was easy to find and well maintained the whole way.
Gina and I had a great time catching up as we power-hiked -- she let me try her hiking poles but I think I need a little more practice to not feel so uncoordinated.
Every once in awhile on the way up, we got glimpses of Lake Tahoe, but it wasn't until we got closer to the top that it came into full view.
But even without the view, the trail is beautiful as you pass through numerous meadows of fragrant mule's ear wildflowers.
The summit and lookout at Martis Peak aren't visible until you're almost literally right on top of them.
Somehow I didn't get a closer picture of the outside of the lookout, but I was obviously impressed by the fact that there was a bathroom at the top. Best view from an outhouse ever!
And the view from the lookout was pretty spectacular!
I loved the inside walls that were marked with all the surrounding peaks and landmarks. So helpful! 
No reservations required for the best table with the best view!
Words and pictures don't really do justice to the beauty of this area, but it reminded me of a verse in the hymn, "How Great Thou Art". Every time I go out hiking, whether it's on a mountain top or along a river or even just at my neighborhood park trail, I feel so incredibly grateful for this beautiful world that God has created for us to appreciate and enjoy, so I hope this little video of the rest of the pictures conveys some of that feeling...