They stopped for the night in the Desolation Wilderness, an inaptly named, frankly gorgeous area along the Tahoe Rim Trail. They pitched their tents near Aloha Lake in the shadow of Pyramid Peak.

What better spot for a Hawaiian beach party?

David and Valerie Powdrell had the shindig all planned out but kept it hush-hush. The couple wanted to surprise the rest of the group participating last July in the Tahoe Rim Trail Association's annual Thru Hike – a two-week, 165-mile trek encircling Lake Tahoe – with a dash of the festive.

So the Powdrells squirreled away provisions with the "trail angels" whom organizers used to deliver supplies to the hikers every couple of days. They purposely set up camp just out of sight of the other hikers, then sent out the word: Party at our tent, 7-ish.

"We walked around the corner," recalled volunteer hike coordinator Ellen Goldsmith, "and we couldn't believe our eyes. It was just hilarious."

There were the Powdrells, David in a Hawaiian shirt, Valerie in a sarong. They handed out plastic cocktail glasses with swizzle sticks sporting pink flamingos. They uncorked a bottle of rum, set out a spread of pineapple and other fresh fruit, and indulged.

The blisters and burning quadriceps from days of climbs and descents, the freeze-dried food and the early wake-up calls – all were forgotten amid the camaraderie.

Completing the Tahoe Rim Trail is not something one tries on a whim, no place for dilettantes. But who says the circuit around the ridgeline and the lake has to be grim and arduous? Maybe John Muir never had a pu-pu platter or wore a Hawaiian shirt in Desolation Wilderness, but such indulgences don't make the hike any less real.

Above all, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association wants to make the experience enjoyable for nature lovers who might otherwise find traversing the entire trail intimidating.

Organizers divide hikers into manageable groups of 12, each with three experienced leaders. They take their time, breaking the trail's traditional segments into smaller, lower-mileage days. They also literally lighten the load by using trail angels (experienced volunteers) to meet hikers at specified locations and deliver food, fuel and water. These angelic souls also have been known to supply beer and pizza on occasion.

For an experienced hiker like Valerie Powdrell, accustomed to roughing it, the Thru Hike was a treat almost akin to a luxury hotel stay, complete with valet. "People are bringing you stuff right and left," she said. "In my experience in backpacking, it was pretty fancy. I loved it. Yes, you can do it on your own, but you won't get all the amenities."

But this ain't no trip to the day spa, folks.

Hikers put in a lot of work.

And, it should be noted, they are paying for all that extra attention. The 15-day odyssey costs $1,750, but most of the money goes to fund the nonprofit and help with education programs and trail maintenance, according to Emily Williams, director of trail use.

Williams said the Thru Hike appeals to a wide range of outdoors lovers. "We've had people in their 20s and 70s. We've had people who've climbed the highest peaks in the world, like Everest. And then we have people doing their first backpacking experience."

It's fair to say most tend to be the latter, seeking what Williams calls "the bucket list experience."

The trail's appeal is as high as the mountains. It circumnavigates the Tahoe Basin and gives hikers views of a bevy of ranges and such natural diversity as forests, granite cliffs and volcanic rock valleys.

"The view is never the same, and it never gets old – and in fact, I learn new things every year I go out on the trail," said hike leader Goldsmith, 62, who participated in the inaugural Thru Hike 10 years ago. "For some people, it's really a life-changing experience."

It was for David Powdrell, 55. An avid surfer and kayaker, he suffered a stroke in 2004 and underwent brain surgery but was determined to complete the trek because "it's been on my list."

He calls it an unforgettable experience, but he has a warning to those considering the Thru Hike. "It's harder than both my wife and I expected," said Powdrell, who lives in Carpinteria, near Santa Barbara. "It's not an easy task. My second day, I was thinking, holy mackerel, did we bite off more than we could chew? It's not like a day hike. It's a bunch of work for a lot of days. You do need to train for it."

The Powdrells trained by loading their backpacks and doing progressively longer day hikes around Santa Barbara. Getting used to climbs and the Tahoe altitude is key.

"People underestimate how long it takes to acclimate," Williams said. "The highest spot on the trail is 10,000 feet, which is high for a lot of people who come from sea level. I encourage them to get here four days before the trip begins and start hiking.

"Carrying a 30-pound pack in 80-degree temperatures and hiking 15 miles a day at altitude is not an easy feat if you're out of shape."

Some less experienced hikers have had to cut short the trek for the most common of reasons: blisters. But in most cases, the hike leaders and trail angels can tend to blisters and get hikers back on their feet.

In time, Williams said, even inexperienced backpackers thrive. One of the toughest stretches is from Big Meadow to Kingsbury Grade – 23.2 miles with an elevation gain of 4,500 feet and a drop of 4,700 feet.

"By the time our Thru Hikers get to that stage of the trail, they've already been out 10 days and they are really fit," Williams said. "It's always amazing how your body adapts to backpacking once you've been out there a few days."

Michael Groff was 59 in summer 2008 when he signed up. He had done some overnight camping and was an avid bicyclist. He still felt challenged.

"I'm really glad I did it," Groff said. "It was challenging, physically and mentally. You've got to be self- sufficient in terms of putting up the tent and taking it down, and walking and feeding yourself.

The trail angels are great, he said, "but you're still responsible for doing the hike, getting your butt up in the morning when everyone else is ready to go."

Groff had extra motivation to finish the route. He had planned to propose to his girlfriend, Chris, when they reached Showers Lake. "I made the mistake of telling everybody on the hike," he said, laughing. "Now I was under pressure. They were coming up with different ways to do it.

"We played this game at Showers Lake that night, each (hiker) talking about how important someone else in the group was to them. That set it up for me."

He got down on one knee, presented Chris with a ring made of vine and a green stone, crafted by some female campers, and made his pitch.

"Chris was looking at me like, what are you doing?" Groff said.

She said yes.

"After hiking all day and having a glass of wine, what else could she say?"

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