Project Aloha - Adventure Dining Guide

This post comes from Guest Blogger Michelle Shea. Michelle lives in Lake Tahoe and is the host/creator of the outdoor series Adventure Dining Guide. She created Adventure Dining Guide because “food is the unrecognized hero of our journeys, and its about time backcountry meals get the recognition they deserve”. Learn more at adventurediningguide.com

Who: Laura Shea, Mike Stohlgren, Michelle Shea, and Shogun the dog.
What: Backpack to Lake Aloha and film an episode of Adventure Dining Guide
Where: Echo Lake to Lake Aloha, Desolation Wilderness
When: June 28-29 2015

My sister, Laura, is a college athlete with a busy schedule, which means she rarely gets the chance to spend time in the wilderness. When she came up to Tahoe to spend a few weeks with me this summer, I was very excited to strap a pack on her and lead her into Desolation Wilderness.

We got the permits, recruited Michael, and packed our bags for an overnight excursion to Lake Aloha via Echo Lake. The hike out was beautiful, and filled with picturesque views from every angle. We trekked through 90 degree heat, and enjoyed every spot of shade we passed on the trail. The dog was especially happy to find shade and demanded an abundant amount of water breaks.

At the top of the pass we opted for the extended route to Lake Of The Woods, which to our delight, was a pristine lake surrounded by a lush flower-filled forest. We stopped for a snack, enjoyed the views then continued trough Mosquito Pass to Lake Aloha. Upon reaching the lake we saw an array of people taking advantage of cliff jumping, bouldering, thru hiking, swimming, sun bathing, and camping. Michael packed in his skateboard, with hopes of finding a smooth granite rock, and when he saw the abundance of activity around the lake, he was inspired to begin his search for his backcountry skate spot.

Half way around Lake Aloha we found an ideal campsite, complete with an adjacent granite kitchen. Someone had spent a great deal of time arranging rocks to create tables and benches, which was the perfect set-up to film an episode of Adventure Dining Guide. After we set up camp we got out the GoPro, prepped the food, and Laura the Camerawoman filmed me making “Surf and Turf Sandwiches”. This tasty lunch consisted of pita bread, Romano cheese, bell pepper, tuna, and Tahoe Truckee Beef Jerky. After wrapping up filming we sat in our granite dining room and devoured our “Surf and Turf” lunch.

The rest of the day was spent exploring. Michael found a few rocks that were skate friendly, and Laura and I walked along the edge of the lake to enjoy the views. At the end of the day we watched the sun slip behind the mountains, and then quickly retreated to the tent to hide from the mosquitos. We ate dinner in the tent, and then fell fast asleep.
Laura had the perfect introduction to Tahoe’s backcountry, and she’s very excited to come back next summer and see what lies beyond Lake Aloha!

Watch the video below for the full adventure with Aloha Surf N Turf Sandwiches: