Between Kingsbury Grade South and Big Meadow, the trail follows the spine of the Carson Range from sun-drenched meadows to cool pine forests and windswept mountain passes. Starting at Kingsbury Grade the trail climbs through a dense forest of large red firs and white pines, majestic survivors of the Comstock logging era. Further south, open ridges and rocky outcrops showcase breathtaking views of the Carson Valley. Hemlock-ringed Star Lake offers inviting campsites and a nice fishing spot for brown trout. This secluded lake nestles at the feet of three of the highest mountain peaks in the Tahoe Basin, Freel Peak, Jobs Sister and Jobs Peak. The more rugged central portion of the segment weaves through monumental old growth junipers and across granite passes with stunning vistas of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. From here the TRT descends gently south to the Big Meadow trailhead through forests and past small meadows dotted with flowers in the spring and summer and outlined with the golden shimmer of aspen leaves in the fall. Two mi before the end one can take a 0.6 mi shortcut to Grass Lake, an alternate trailhead.
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