Dan Thrift / Appeal News Service This file photo shows search-and-rescue personnel train at Lovers Leap, an area west of Lake Tahoe where their services are frequently needed.
Typically, two or three of the 45 zones in the expanse of Desolation Wilderness west of Lake Tahoe are booked for summer weekend camping.
For Labor Day weekend, more than half the zones are booked. That means, if 63,000 acres of pristine wilderness can even seem crowded, it will for what is considered the last weekend of summer.
It also means members of the El Dorado County search-and-rescue team might be busy. The team has already responded to more than 30 calls for service, coordinator Mike Sukau said Friday.
Annually the team responds to about 40 calls with the bulk coming in summer, Sukau said.
Those camping or even hiking the wilderness area are recommended to bring a map, sturdy hiking shoes, food and water, adequate clothing and, if possible, a Global Positioning System device. Also, tell someone where you're going and what time you expect to be back.
"You can't just walk into that environment without a plan," said fellow search-and-rescue coordinator Greg Almos.