Now I know what people mean when they call a view "breathtaking," a word I always dismissed as an eye-rolling exaggeration from those with limited descriptive powers.

But there I stood at Lake Aloha, six miles into our latest Great Trek on the famed Tahoe Rim Trail, looking out over the expanse of sheered white granite and boulders forged through geologic epochs, and I was – wait for it – breathless.

Maybe part of it was the altitude. We Sacramento Valley-ites aren't used to being 8,500 feet up. Maybe part was the exertion of a challenging yet readily accessible stretch of trail, starting at Echo Lakes, that can test one's balance with some tricky granite slabs.

Truly, though, I gasped more out of wonder than fatigue at the sight of Lake Aloha, which would make you stop in your tracks even if it weren't the turnaround point on the 12.5-mile, out-and-back course we had plotted through the Desolation Wilderness.

My immediate, albeit unoriginal, thought: This is a lunar landscape, bleached white and so nearly denuded of vegetation as to be otherworldly. But then your eye goes to the glinting, shimmering water, made an even more vivid blue by its offset against the monochromatic terrain.

Concentrate hard enough, and all evidence of modern civilization – the crowd of hikers, runners and equestrians along this popular trail – recedes. You can begin to imagine the glacial forces that left behind these topographically rich moraines, dotted with the occasional brave pine staking a claim.

So, yes, be sure to stop and linger at Lake Aloha – and continue deeper into the Desolation Wilderness if you have the time and the fitness for a much longer day hike. But you'll need this respite to collect yourself for the return trip on the rocky, single-track path. You'll be headed mostly downhill on the way back to Echo Lakes, which is more challenging due to some footing reminiscent of a Tilt-a-Whirl and a few steep fall-offs to avoid.

Even hardy trail runners will want to take it slow and steady on parts of the path, timing their footfalls to land on sturdy slabs, not jutting scree. Heedless hubris can buy you some quality time with your orthopedic doc and chiropractor. That's why I'm writing this with an ice bag strapped to my left knee. (For more on avoiding my trail-running mistake, see Page D7.)

Besides, taking it easy on this trail lets you better soak up the sights that make this a must-do trek: gnarled trees and jutting boulders, the aforementioned granite piles, the grassy and wildflower-rich Haypress Meadows, the gloriously wooded sections of the Desolation Wilderness shaded by firs and white pines, culminating in the – there I go again – breathtaking lunar landscape of Lake Aloha and environs that seemingly stretch forever.

Timing might be everything

Be advised that this trail is best attempted from July through early October, providing our mild weather holds. Even in early August, I saw some stubborn snow patches clinging to the higher peaks along the trail, nothing to freak you out but enough to remind you of the altitude.

Expect the rim trail to be busy most summer and fall days. This stretch is not open to mountain bikers, but dogs and horses are allowed – and are a common sight.

All hikers are required to fill out a day pass if they want to venture into the Desolation Wilderness. There's a box at the trailhead at the lower Echo Lake dam, where forms are available.

After filling out basic information, such as the number in your party and your destination, you tear the ticket at the perforation, put it in a slot in the box and keep the top of the tag to show it to rangers who patrol the area. Once that's done, you have two options to start: by foot or by boat.

Those wanting to cut off the rock-strewn first 2.5 miles can opt to take a water taxi to the upper dock, which drops you off near the Desolation Wilderness sign. But it'll cost you $10 per person, each way.

It's far better for your wallet and your health – provided you have the sense not to twist your ankle as I did – to take on the full 12.5 miles.

The good news is the trail has few steep ascents. Steady uphills, yes. Rocky switchbacks, sure. But it's just a slight uphill on the way to Lake Aloha, making the return trip less aerobically taxing, if more technically challenging, for trail runner and hiker alike.

I saw all ages and skill levels on the trail, from preteens to older adults with trekking poles. (I briefly entertained the idea of knocking down one said senior and stealing his poles after tweaking my knee, but quickly thought better of it.)

Another great thing about this part of the Tahoe Rim Trail: diversity of terrain. Just when I was beginning to find the exposed scree tedious, along came a section of packed dirt, slightly cushioned by fallen pine needles, as a welcome change. Since much of the Desolation Wilderness section of the trek is directly exposed to the sun (be sure to slather on the sunscreen), the shade of the firs greets you like a cool breeze.

About the aforementioned scree: It's doable. Even in the rockiest areas, I could discern a path either from the telltale waffle footprints of hiking boots or the, ahem, remnants of the horses that came before me.

Four-legged trail users

Encountering horses on single-track trails always makes me nervous – they are so, well, large, and they snort and flip their manes so menacingly – but I had a much more civilized meeting on this day than I did two months ago during our Great Trek on the Olmstead Loop in Cool.

This time, I turned a corner and saw two riders towing five pack animals going in my direction. I stopped abruptly. A woman looked back and asked, "Would you like to pass?"

I nodded.

"No problem," she added. "Just don't go directly behind the mule."

Mule? Which one's the mule? You mean the one with the funny ears, the one I'm walking directly behind?

I stepped off the path into the brush, and the mule started scuffing the dirt with its rear hooves. Once clear of the beasts, I picked up my pace again. I encountered the mule team on the way back, this time facing it, and I stepped off and let it pass without incident. The mules seemed more docile on the return.

It was only later when I realized that as the only trail runner out there on this morning, I might seem as menacing to the trekkers as the pack animals were to me. People were nothing but accommodating as I trudged by and grunted, "On your left." I did catch a few amused looks from hikers who may have been questioning my sanity for running, but the only comment came from an elderly woman who saw me bounding over the granite slabs and called out: "That must hurt your feet."

Actually, no. A good pair of trail running shoes prevents that. (Hikers, too, might want to consider sturdy boots or at least sneakers with cushioning and ample tread.)

But the woman's comment could be considered prescient. It was less than a mile later that I rolled my ankle on the scree and hurt my knee.

Gingerly, I finished and headed straight to the boat dock at Lower Echo Lake. I took off my shirt and shoes, and eased into the lake for an impromptu ice bath – and believe me, even in August, the water was icy.

Ice baths are among those weird things runners do to promote muscle recovery after a hard workout, but usually we do it in the privacy of our bathtubs. I sat in the lake for 10 minutes till I couldn't feel my legs anymore. A laconic fisherman looked over at one point and said, "Cold, huh?"

I couldn't answer. I only nodded. You could say I was breathless.

TAHOE RIM TRAIL – ECHO LAKES TO LAKE ALOHA

Trail length: 12.5 miles out and back

Elevation: 7,225 to 8,540 feet

Best time of year: July through early October

Directions to the trailhead: From Sacramento, take Highway 50 and look for a sign for Echo Lake and Berkeley Camp. Turn left off Highway 50 on Johnson Pass Road. Travel a half-mile and turn left at Echo Lakes Road. Follow one mile to the trailhead parking area on the south shore of Lower Echo Lake.

RUNNING/HIKING ROUTE

• Starting at the Lower Echo Lake trailhead, follow the Tahoe Rim Trail 2.5 miles to the Upper Echo Lake water taxi trail.

• Stay on the TRT up rocky terrain away from the lakes.

• After seven-tenths of a mile you will reach the Desolation Wilderness boundary sign.

• Over the next 2.9 miles, you will come upon several side trails. Stay on TRT through open granite areas and shaded woods.

• Turn around at Lake Aloha and follow the signs back to Echo Lakes.

WANT A SHORTER ROUTE?

From July to the end of the Labor Day weekend, a water taxi is available from the Lower Echo Lake trailhead to take you to the Upper Echo Lake pier. That cuts 2.5 miles off the trek each way. Cost per person: $10, one way.

OR A LONGER ROUTE?

There are numerous offshoots from the main trail. David Cotter, race director of the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 and 50 Mile race, recommends a 13-mile run that continues on the main trail past Lake Aloha, past Heather and Susie lakes, and concludes on the Glen Alpine trail near Fallen Leaf Lake.

"Of course, you'd have to do some shuttling to get back (to Echo Lakes), but it's definitely worth your while," he said. Then again, if you're hard-core, you can run back and make it a 26-mile jaunt.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Difficulty level: moderate (hiking) to strenuous (running)

Water and toilets: Both at Echo Lakes trailhead

Store: At the same trailhead

Dogs: Allowed

Parking fee: None

Poison oak? No

Will there be blood? A good chance if you run the trail.

Probability of getting lost: Slim. Keep following the markers for the Tahoe Rim Trail, adorned with a blue and white triangle

Make a day of it: There are picnic spots available both at Echo Lakes and Lake Aloha. You'd have to lug your provisions to Aloha, but it's worth it.

– Sam McManis

smcmanis@sacbee.com

CALL TO READERS

How would you describe Lake Aloha?

Lake Aloha, a highlight of the Tahoe Rim Trail, is renowned for its ethereal splendor. Its lunar landscape has been characterized as "indescribable." But that's just what we want you, our readers, to try doing. Send us two sentences of your prose, as lyrical as you like, describing Lake Aloha, to smcmanis @sacbee.com. We'll print the best responses in a future Outbound story.

SEND US YOUR IDEAS

Great Treks and its companion, Great Rides, are monthly features that invite readers to enjoy the region's outdoors by bicycle and on foot. Have a suggestion for a route or another kind of great outdoors experience? Send an e-mail to fitness@sacbee.com

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Call The Bee's Sam McManis, (916) 321-1145.

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