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Lake Tahoe, The Lake, is the jewel of the Sierra Nevada's. At 6,226 feet above sea level Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. It is 12 miles wide, and 22 miles long. The Lake has a surface area of 191.6 square miles. The average depth of The Lake is 989 feet, while its deepest point is 1,645 feet. This is the third deepest lake in North America. Lake Tahoe contains about 40 trillion gallons of water. To put that number in perspective, that amount of water would cover the state of California in 14 inches of water.

LAKE TAHOE, CA

Dave
2004-02-21 14:15:23

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Lake Tahoe covers the "V" of the eastern California border. Part of The Lake is in the state of Nevada. The Lake is 98 miles northeast of Sacramento and 58 miles southwest of Reno. Tahoe is about 200 miles from San Francisco, about 480 miles from Los Angeles, and about 580 miles from San Diego.

The sun shines at Lake Tahoe about 67 percent of the year or 252 days. In the winter there are heavy periods of snowfall, but the rest of the year is relatively dry. There is little or no humidity in this alpine environment, especially in the summer months. The weather can change quite dramatically at The Lake even in summer. I was there one year towards the end of June and one night the lake level received 3 inches of snow. Another year in July I experienced a short but dramatic hail and lightning storm. This storm left hail all over the ground and the lightning caused a small fire when it struck a tree nearby our cabin. Be prepared for any type of climate. Layers of clothing are suggested for the winter months and shorts and T-shirts for the warmer summer days. Jackets and sweaters are necessary for summer nights.

John C. Fremont was the first explorer to see Lake Tahoe. He "discovered" it in 1844. For many centuries before Fremont came the Lake Tahoe Basin was a summer home for bands of Washoe Indians. Lake Tahoe had spiritual meaning for these Indians and they held sacred ceremonies along the shore line.

Tahoe got its name when explorers tried to interpret the Washoe word, "Da-ow-a-ga" which meant edge of the lake. The name Tahoe became official in 1945. Before then The Lake went by names such as Bonpland (named after a French botanist), Mountain Lake, and Bigler Lake (Named after California's third governor).

The discovery of the Comstock silver lode in Nevada caused many of the trees to be removed for lumber. The logs were pulled to The Lake's ...