Finding Joy on the TPT
Hopefully, you have followed Sandy and Lauren’s journey in the June and July 2025 TPT newsletters. This is a continuation of their trail experience hiking the TPT twice!
In 2025, their entire walk was new territory for them. They also knew that if they were going to complete their goal of hiking the completed sections of the TPT, they were going to hike more miles and longer sections. But they were committed and saw some of the most lovely and undiscovered sections of the TPT.
The Mustang and USA section follows the Nature Conservancy Land. It’s pretty amazing to see the restoration along the lower Truckee. You hike through stands of cottonwood trees, ponds, right along the Truckee, and by Derby Dam. Here is a link to learn more about this section that takes you to USA Parkway:
Their journey at the Pyramid Lake Paiute Land has a lesson for anyone exploring that area. They touched base every time they hiked at Pyramid Lake, with the staff at the Sutcliff Ranger Station. They were able to get information that made planning easier. They helped Sandy and Lauren with distances, parking, and the purchase of their daily permit. They were extremely helpful and provided them with the necessary details to successfully complete their journey. Sandy and Lauren also touched base when they were finished each time and shared their experience with them. Wearing orange vests kept them visible since it is remote land, not visible from the roads. Here is a useful link to the Sutcliff Ranger Station for the rules and regulations:
In 2025, they completed the trail, twice over and hiked 64.34 (71.04) miles in 11(12) sections.
Each section has its own beauty and variation. The eastern sections could be sandy and exposed, making it very hot in the summer. Fall and Spring can be the best seasons to explore that area. The canyon offers a unique experience, yet it is also close to I-80 in certain areas. Highway 89 is a wide shoulder of a fairly busy road but still a beautiful stretch by the Truckee, especially if you are waving at the cars! Some sections were much busier than others. Surfaces varied and elevation also. But that is what makes it exciting to be on.
To Sandy and Lauren, the Reservation and the experiences there were amazing. Lauren thought the bridges were awe-inspiring. Sandy was amazed at the views of the Truckee up above so you could see the meandering pattern. This is especially evident in the Pyramid Lake section.
What is their advice for others considering hiking the entire TPT? Be flexible and curious. Plan ahead for where, when, and how long your hikes will be. Alert others where you are going. Find a friend! Make a commitment. As the women said, they always felt safe on the trail. Worse section though, going on Glenshire to reach Hirschdale or the Legacy Trail trailhead. It’s steep and the road has no shoulder, so be careful! We also agree with them and would love to see a trail bypass the road. It’s on our bucket list!
Below is a link to the notes that Sandy kept, using her Garmin along with a blog on their journey. Tracking made it possible to stay on course and track their miles. They only got lost once and separated. Not bad for over 200 miles of hiking. I am sure they are sharing this so that others can use it as their guide. Sandy and Lauren wanted to pass on the message that people need to realize that with planning, they can hike the entire TPT. It may take more than 3 years or less but the fact that you committed and accomplished your journey, the feeling is incredible when you are done!
Well done, Sandy and Lauren. Thank you for sharing. BTW, Sandy was one of the photographers who placed in our photo competition in the Fall. That is when she started sharing her and Laurens’ journey. So grateful for the opportunity to meet with both of them. I hope that it inspires others to begin planning their hikes on the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail or any other long-distance trail.
TAHOE PYRAMID TRAIL
Lauren and Sandy’s Journey
from 6/18/22 -5/30/25
(Distances are out back from where we parked)
2022
1. 4.00 miles June 18, 2022 Hirschdale toward Floriston, in pursuit of the boardwalk
2. 5.84 June 24, 2022 Floriston toward Hirschdale, we found the boardwalk!
3. 4.86 July 1, 2022 Floriston to Farad
4. 5.99 July 24, 2022 Farad to Fleish Dam and Bridge
5. 7.53 August 5, 2022 Fleish Dam toward Quilicy Ranch Road to the gate
6. 5.58 August 12, 2022 Crystal Peak Park, Verdi to End of Quilicy Ranch Road up the hill to the Gate
7. 5.06 August 26, 2022 Hirschdale Road to 1.5 miles from Legacy trail Parking
8. 7.29 September 2, 2022 Parked at Legacy Trail Parking Lot, walked 1.5 miles east and back to parking lot, then 2 miles west Toward Truckee Regional Park.
Had to go east of Reno to hike because the smoke from Forest Fires was so terrible
9. 5.73 October 5, 2022 Second half of Legacy Trail, from Truckee Regional
Toward Glenshire and back.
10. 4.71 October 14, 2022 Truckee Regional Park through Truckee to Hwy.89
11. 6.43 November 4, 2022 Intersection of Hwy 89, up 89 towards Tahoe City
Its snowing!
12. 6.25 November 18, 2022 Continuing walk up 89 to 1 mile down from turnoff To Palisades, Very Snowy
13. 4.43 December 2, 2022 Stuck in Traffic/got off highway near stop sign
and Underpass. Parked on frontage road
walked Mogul To roundabout at Summit
14. 4.22 December19, 2022 Closed gap between Crystal Peak Park and
Mogul
(Summit Roundabout)
15. 4.73 December 16, 2022 Mogul (stop sign at underpass) to Mayberry
Park
16. 5.94 December 30, 2022 Mayberry Park to Crissie Caughlin Park. It
poured
And we got soaked!
2023
17. 5.91 January 6, 2023 Crissie Caughlin Park to City Center (notice the
50.5
Marker from Tahoe City)
18. 6.37 January 13, 2023 Reno City Center to Rock Park, Sparks
19. 7.02 January 20, 2023 Rock Park to Greg Stree
January 29, SPRAINED ANKLE on the ice
20. 2.04 March 24, 2023 Greg Street to End.
May 29, 2023, BROKEN ELBOW
Fall 2023 TRAVELING
We didn’t stop walking. We just stopped walking on the trail. If the truth be known, we
both were a little apprehensive about walking East. So, it was entirely possible that we
were procrastinating taking that next step into the unknown.
2024
The New Year brought new resolve to get going!
21. 3.05 January 1, 2024 Mustang East toward Patrick to what we thought was ½ way. (can’t count re-walked later)
January 5, 2024 Patrick West toward Mustang. We ran out of time and (4.48 mi.) Didn’t make it to our turn around point. We knew that we were going to have to re-walk one of the last two segments to make it to the turnaround point and keep our walk legitimate. And we procrastinated on that too.
When the weather turned sunny and warm, we returned to Hwy. 89 to finish the trail into Tahoe City.
22. 2.39 May 3, 2024 Turnoff to Palisades down 89 1 mile to turnaround &back
23. 3.21 June 7, 2024 Turnoff to Palisades up to River Ranch and back
24. 3.93 June 21, 2024 River Ranch toward Tahoe City to Snow Removal
sign
25. 4.04 July 5, 2024 Tahoe City down 89 to Snow Removal Sign and Back!
WE FINISHED THAT END (or Beginning) OF THE TRAIL!!!
July-December, we continued to walk but not on the TPT. The Procrastination
continues…
2025
With new resolve (again), a year after leaving the un-walked gap between Mustang and
Patrick we started out again. We knew it was going to be a longer walk. And it was.
26. 7.26 January 17, 2025 Re-walked Patrick toward Mustang and found the
real
Turnaround. Good thing I took a
picture, because
New arrow signs were installed. We
had to compare
Shape of the sagebrush & slant of the
adjoining path.
27. 5.16 January 24, 2025 Patrick toward USA Parkway
28. 5.0 February 7, 2025 USA Parkway toward Patrick
29. 6.74 February 28, 2025 Edge of Wadsworth toward Numana Hatchery
Couldn’t count: March 7, 2025 Walking from Fish Hatchery toward Wadsworth,
wrong turn, went off trail. 6.73mi.
30. 7.53 March 14, 2025 Tried again, Fish Hatchery toward Wadsworth.
Woohoo! Did it correctly this time. It was spitting rain and snow.
31. 9.16 March 21, 2025 Numana Fish Hatchery ½ way to Nixon at Marble
Ridge
32. 3.4 March 28, 2025 In Wadsworth from Nixon School to edge of
Wadsworth
And back.
33. 2.76 April 25. 2025 Cottonwood toward Hatchery to turnaround. We got permission from the Tribal rangers to park 2 miles south of the Nixon Store to avoid an incoming storm and another 9 mile walk. But, when we got to the turnaround point we were quite surprised that it was such a short distance that day.
34. 4.09 May 9, 2025 Nixon Store to where we parked on Cottonwood.
35. 6.32 May 16, 2025 Nixon Store ½ way to Lake Pyramid
36. 6.92 May 30, 2025 Highway 447 to ½ way toward the Nixon Store.
WE FINISHED THE TAHOE PYRAMID TRAIL!!!!!
2 times