Tahoe Rim Trail Annual Thru-Hike 2013
Registration Update:
August 3rd - 17th, 2013 - Registration Full
September 7th - 21st, 2013 - Registration Full
Please contact Tom at (775) 298-0285 or tomr@tahoerimtrail.org to be placed on our wait list.
The Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) is proud to announce its 12th Annual Thru Hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail. Two groups will circle the 165+ mile rim of the Tahoe Basin on one of the most unique multi-use trails in the world. This event offers participants an experience of a lifetime, the opportunity to meet new hiking friends, and lasting memories of traveling through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Northern Sierra Nevada and Carson Range.
The Price
The program fee for 2013 will be $1450. Funds raised from the Annual Thru Hike are used to support the organization so that it may carry out its mission: to maintain and enhance the Tahoe Rim Trail system, practice and inspire stewardship and promote access to the beauty of the Lake Tahoe Region. This program fee provides participants with the following:
• TRTA membership at the Trail Caretaker level
• Binder with pre-hike preparation materials
• Custom training plan (by personal trainer and boot camp instructor, Wade Souza)
• Tim Hauserman’s Guide to the Tahoe Rim Trail
• Tahoe Rim Trail Map (by Tom Harrison)
• Experienced and knowledgeable guides
• Breakfast and dinner each day of the hike (lunches and snacks are your responsibility)
• Program coordination of the Thru Hike
• Trail Angels
• Food during resupply/Trail Angel stops
• Program transportation (from office to the trailhead and back)
• Permits for wilderness travel
• Cook stove fuel
• Back-up gear
• Free rental of TRTA gear
• Bear canisters
• Special surprises along the way
• Post-hike celebration with awards
The Deposit
Th TRTA Annual Thru Hike requires a non-refundable deposit of $350.00 for each particpant. This deposit reserves your space on the hike. We apply your deposit to the trip price when we confirm your reservation. Your enrollment will be complete upon receipt of the completed application forms, which will be emailed to you once you register and pay your $450 deposit. Please return your application forms within 30 days of receiving the forms.
The Payment Contract
Everyone who registers for this trip will receive a Payment Contract. Please be sure to read the contract carefully and then sign it. Full payment of your trip fee is due no later than May 1, 2013. You will receive the FULL registration packet upon final payment. This packet will include much of the important information in the list above which will help you prepare for this expedition.
The Participants
The TRTA invites participants with prior backpacking experience to register for this event. This 15-day journey is strenuous and not for beginning backpackers and hikers. The demands of hiking a full day with a backpack cannot be underestimated. It is critical that participants are well-prepared for this expedition through proper training, nutrition and self-care.
The Program
This is an example of a day in the life of a TRT Thru Hiker:
6:00am – 6:30am: Wake up (often while it’s still dark, at temperatures of 32 - 45° F)
6:30am – 7:30am: Quickly pack up tent and belongings and eat breakfast of oatmeal/granola
7:30am – mid-afternoon: Full day of hiking with a 25-30lb pack, often on uneven terrain, while consistently traveling at over 8,500’ in elevation. Much of the Tahoe Rim Trail is up and down and requires physical and mental strength and endurance and the ability to hike 2 – 2 ½ miles/hr all day while carrying a pack.
There will be multiple packs-on and packs-off breaks throughout the day. Breakfast and dinner consists of dehydrated backpacker meals which are part of the program fees. Lunch and snacks are your responsibility.
And then this schedule is repeated for 14 days in a row….
The Tahoe Rim Trail now circles more than 165 miles around the rim of the Tahoe Basin. The highest point on the TRT is Relay Peak at 10,338’. There will be other significant climbs over 9,000’. Hiking distances will range between 7 and 15 miles per day. The trail ranges from moderate to strenuous, and our elevation profile shows a total gain/loss of 24,400’ over the entire hike. Everyone should be stronger towards the end of the hike.
This information is not meant to scare you away from participating in this incredible journey. It is just meant to provide you with a realistic example of what you will experience during the Thru Hike. We do not want to mislead participants into signing up for an experience that they are not prepared for. We will help you fully prepare for this experience, but we ask that you please consider the level of commitment it takes to complete the Thru Hike before registering for this event.
The Guides/Coaches
Your guides, who will also serve as your pre-hike coaches, consist of our highly experienced and dedicated volunteer TRTA guides and/or TRTA staff. They are certified in CPR, Wilderness First Aid, and trained by the TRTA and/or other agencies. They love to hike and share their backcountry and trail knowledge with others. These volunteers and staff dedicate two weeks of their lives to this expedition. Our volunteers are not paid for guiding the Thru Hike, so please show them some love every day of the hike. We have deep respect for our volunteer guides and want this to be an amazing experience for them too!
Once you are fully registered for the Thru Hike, you will be assigned to a coach/guide who will follow up with you during your pre-hike training and preparation. They will be available to give you advice on gear, packing and anything else that you might have questions about. Their combined knowledge and skills equals decades of backpacking and hiking experience.
Trail Angels
Trail Angels are incredibly special people. They are volunteers who are taking the time to support you on this journey. Please treat them well, because they work hard to make sure that you have everything you need at Trail Angel stops every 2 - 3 days during the thru hike. They are out there cheering you on and are your number one fans.
The Trail Angels will be providing some incredible spreads of food throughout your journey that will include fresh fruits, veggies, proteins and sometimes some extra special treats. At the Trail Angel stops your guides will communicate to you how many backpacker meals you should grab and for what meals (breakfast and dinner). This will also be an opportunity for you to resupply the snacks and lunches that you are storing in your duffel bags. It is critical that you pack enough food in your duffels and that you seriously consider the food you might crave out on the trail. The Trail Angels and TRTA staff will only purchase items you might have forgotten that are critical to your health and safety out on the trail. You are responsible for packing the snacks and foods you will want to eat once the hike begins.
The Equipment
We invite all participants to select their own backpacking equipment for the Thru Hike. Gear recommendations will be provided to you by your assigned coach and by the Program Director for the Thru Hike. You also have the ability to rent gear from several places including REI or from the TRTA. More information related to equipment, gear and what to pack will be sent to you in your final registration packet.
Leave No Trace
We take Leave No Trace very seriously at the TRTA. If you are unaware of the Leave No Trace Principles, please visit http://www.lnt.org
The seven principles of Leave No Trace were created by the Leave No Trace Center for Wilderness Ethics to help you and the other trail users that you will meet on the TRT to have a more positive experience. We have high standards and expectations for our groups. We expect you to be well prepared for this journey and to follow these principles:
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Please remember that you represent the TRTA as members of this hike, and we want the other trail users you meet on the TRT to be equally excited about what you are trying to accomplish on the trail.
The Tahoe Backcountry and Wilderness
The TRT should be considered a harsh mountain environment and a threat to the healthy and fit. To approach the backcountry any other way is foolish. Preparedness is our key to success. We intend to stick together as a team, rely on good equipment, not exceed the abilities of our reasonably weakest link, and always exercise good judgment.
For more information or to be places on the 2013 Interest List, please contact Tom Rodriguez at 775-298-0285 or email him at tomr@tahoerimtrail.org
Page updated: 1/7/13