Summary 
| Difficulty | 2 Beginner-intermediate |
| Length | 0.4 mile round trip |
| Starting Elevation |
8650 feet |
| Cumulative Elevation Change |
+200, -200 round trip |
| Navigation | Map and compass |
| Time | Short |
| Season | December through April |
| Snowmobiles Use | Not permitted [Please report illegal use of snowmobiles in this area.] |
| USGS Topo | 7.5' series, Mount Rose |
| Start | Highway 431, 0.8 mile north (east) of Mount Rose Summit. There is a large, paved turnout on the east side of the road. |
Description
Tamarack Lake is nestled in a small bowl and gives the feeling that you are in a much more remote location. However, sounds from the highway are a reminder of where you are.
Upon reaching the lake you can explore the bowl or practice your downhill techniques on the surrounding slopes. Certainly you will want to bring a lunch to eat while absorbing the beauty of the area.
Rating this tour is difficult and you should take care in deciding whether your skills meet the demands.
The extreme shortness of the tour says it should be rated beginner.
There are no good landmarks to follow so a map and compass are necessary for navigation thus making it intermediate in difficulty. But the "target size" of the lake and the bowl are large for such a short tour and only general bearings are necessary to find them so one might consider it beginner-intermediate in navigational difficulty.
The steepness, if it were long, would require that it be rated intermediate, but it is short so it is beginner-intermediate from the standpoint of steepness.
In short, if you have someone in your group that can take care of the navigation and everyone in your group is capable of zig-zagging down from the lake, then you are qualified for this tour.
In fact, this is a fantastic tour for children provided that they can get down from the lake while still having fun. Tow a sled to the lake. The bowl offers good hills for sledding, and combining sledding with the skiing is sure to be a big hit with the young ones.
One last word of advice when planning a tour to Tamarack Lake. Don't leave it to the end of the day. The surrounding ridges put the lake and bowl in shadows earlier than other places in the Tahoe Meadows area.
Mileage Log
Numbers in parentheses
correspond to mileage points on map
Waypoint 1 to 2
Miles: 0.0 - 0.1
Elevation change: +100 feet
Carefully cross to the trailhead (1) located on the west side of the highway and then ski southwest for 0.1 mile until you reach a clearing (2).
Waypoint 2 to 3
Miles: 0.1 - 0.2
Elevation change: +100 feet
Turn south (left) and ascend for 0.1 mile until your each Tamarack Lake (3).
Return to trailhead
Miles: 0.2 - 0.4
Elevation change: -200 feet
Retrace the route for 0.2 mile back to the trailhead (1).
