Hope Valley Sno-Park
Camp Review:
My review would be the same as when I stayed here last summer.
The difference is that there were no portable toilets. Still, the vault bathrooms were clean.
I arrived around 8pm, and the lot was very quiet.
What I Learned:
Google weather forecasted 8F as the low, but when I started the car, I found out that the temperature was actually -8F (it dropped to -10F on my drive over to Tahoe). It explained why it was so cold during the night!
I was so happy that the engine turned (albeit slowly) on ignition, even though I didn’t have access to an engine block heater.
When it’s below freezing, it’s a pain to setup the camper. The struts are kind of frozen in place, so I have to push super hard to get the camper to pop open.
What Happened?
The closest sno-park to Lake Tahoe that I could park overnight was Hope Valley, so I stayed one night. I arrived around 8pm, and went to sleep around 11pm. I didn’t sleep particularly well, and got up at 5:45am. It took me a few minutes to turn on the propane heater, and build up the courage to cast my blanket aside and put on my layers.
I cooked myself breakfast (and packed lunch), brushed my teeth, then packed up camp. It only took 15 minutes to pack everything up, but when I was done, my toes and fingers were numb. I was very glad that my truck had seat and steering wheel heating options.