On the drive up, we kept looking at some gullies on several Tahoe peaks (reportedly sometimes forming ice climbs), trying to find that elusive ice smear. It seems like looking for ice in California is similar to a cat trying to catch its own tail: just when you think you've got it, it goes away. I mistook white granite for ice several times and we laughed about it.

We were planning to ski Maggies peak, descent on the north side and look for some mixed gullies on its north. We brought a rack of rock gear in addition to screws, so we figured even if it's very thin we'll still go check it out. When we arrived in the parking lot, we discovered the snow was crap: it was basically like in May - frozen icy crust. So there was no point in skiing Maggies - we kept driving to the next parking lot, and since we didn't need skis, we just hiked in through the shortest path. Once we got there, there was not an inch of ice to be seen through the binoculars we brought. Oh well.

So we kept going to Eagle Lake proper, and there are supposed to be some reliable (but short and easy) ice climbs there. Unfortunately, even those weren't formed! Instead there was an inch or less of ice coating some granite slabs. We climbed some of that stuff and got a little scared, toproped the main flow, and drytooled some fancy crack that looked impossible. Despite our crampons and picks needing some sharpening, we felt satisfied and left for home as it got dark.

And now let's see how long has to pass before we forget about our experience and try to catch our tail again...

	Hiking through the forest	Tall roadside trees	This bridge was so icy, it has probably claimed some lives

	Lake Tahoe		This tree looked like it was about to crush someone

		We were hoping to find some mixed gullies here, but there was no ice at all!	Mixed gullies: fail!

		Eagle Lake	Karen searching for ice

	These folks were ice fishing on the lake: the only people we saw all day	Stomping around	Thin ice and fat rock

	At least the views are good!	Tedious approach in fierce winds	Karen is laughing how I shot 30 frames in the last 10 seconds (and rightfully so)

	But I am laughing at how he's calling this ICE! All I see is rock, with a lick of ice...	And off he goes...	Sanity prevailed shortly after this was taken :)

	Belay spot in the gully under a chockstone	Looking down at the crux move over the chockstone with Karen barely seen	All the ice we found in the gully, more or less...