At first June and I began by exploring the wooded area of Homewood Ski Resort, adjacent to the Chamber's Landing property. After looking at a map, we saw the 'road' shown from A to B. Not seen in the image but on a Google map, the road continues beyond B and down to Highway 89 on the other side of the Homewood canyon. We drove around Homewood looking for that road, only to learn that it is a fire road, driveable only by Homewood employees patrolling their property.

In the map, the cabin is located in the subdivision at the lower-right corner showing Pine St. One evening, we took a walk up the hill and then ventured out into the woods. That was in the corner of the subdivision closest to the A.

In July 2011, the wooded area adjacent to Chambers was flooded with water flowing everywhere. At the time we thought this was normal. However, July 2012 was not nearly as wet.

In July 2011, we walked to Quail Lake from the cabin. It was actually a pretty quick and easy walk about 45 mins up.  The low-lying area in the middle of the picture is the part of the fire road that is closest to Quail lake. However, the fire road, and the areas above, is not easily accessible from this easy walk to Quail lake. We would learn there is another short-cut from the cabin to the fire road.

The most prominent feature is a very steep and exposed rock known as Quail face. It can be seen from the Lake Tahoe for many miles. From this vantage, you can not see the huge mountain that is Ellis Peak beyond the top of the face. The area in the foreground is the spillway. We tried a small trail down the hill adjacent to the spillway. It was so heavily wooded that we gave up after 20 yds or so. We lingered long enough see three guys come up the trail. So we took it and found that it dumps out a bit closer to the cabin.

In July 2016, we were on a hike here with Keli and Stevie. I walked on my own around the right of the lake and found myself on the other side. Then I did something very stupid. Learn more.

In the above map, A continues to the McKinney-Rubicon trail in the canyon to the south. June and I discovered this area when looking for a place to snow-shoe. It is also a very nice, but relatively short, road bike ride. June and I explored the fire road in August 2011, but only got as far as this area above Quail face. This is from July 2012. From the cabin, it takes a LONG time to get to this point above Quail Lake.

In July 2012, Bruce and I rode bikes over the top of Quail, to Lake Louise and down the other side of Homewood. We came across these two hearty souls, Sandy (69), and Missy (60) who were jogging up to Lake Louise, actually 'bush-whacking" up the Glades ski run.

I will remember this and in Aug 2017, June and I walked up and saw that this is a possible short cut to Lake Louise and Ellis.The Glades is accessible from just before Quail Lake.

I had already been talking about Ellis Peak. Missy told us of a friend who continued through the brush, up to this peak (Ellis?) behind Lake Louise. So Bruce convinced me that there is no time like the present. We hid the bikes in some bushes and headed up.

After reviewing this on the map, and noticing the higher mountain behind this peak, and actually hiking up to Ellis Peak from another direction, I now realize that this is NOT Ellis Peak.

And, after more looking at maps, there is a trail from the left of this pic, around the fake peak to the real Ellis Peak. Next time, a hike to Ellis Peak from the cabin.

An hour later, and VERY tired from bushwhacking straight up, we arrived at the fake Ellis Peak. Lake Louise in the foreground.

From the parking lot at the top of Barker Pass, the trail goes up a pretty steep hill through a forested area. The first half mile or so is tough. Close to the top of the hill, the trees break and you get this great view of the rest of the hill (right in pic) and Ellis Peak, 3 miles away on to the East (left in pic).

The walk continues up, across the ridge, down a steep hill, then up the right side of the hill in the distance, which gets pretty steep at times.

At about the same location as the previous pic, looking West, Hell Hole Reservoir.

June taking in the sights along the ridge (on the right).

Tahoe city from Ellis Peak. Eagle rock in the lower-right corner.

Same view of Lake Louise but from the REAL Ellis Peak. Just to the right of the lake (in the pic) is the fake Ellis peak.

Us at the top of Ellis Peak. Twin Peaks, across Blackwood canyon, in the distance just to right of us in the pic.

In Sept. 2015, Jim Kerr and I did this same walk, (see the pics) and then walked back to the cabin from here. The missing trail head up from Lake Louise is just south of the lake. It is also a fire road, but you really have to be looking for it. I'm sure I can find the road, but the trail up the mountain is not as obvious. I will be curious to see if I can find it. Someday, the goal will be up and back to Ellis Peak from the cabin. I calculated it once to be about 10 miles with elevation gain of 2500 ft.