Solitude Canyon~Diamond Peak
Lake Tahoe, Nevada

     The 8,450-foot peak is situated above the shore of Incline Village. The resort has 6 chair lifts, 30 runs, open glades and tree skiing in 655-acres of terrain. It has a vertical drop of 1,840 feet. The mountain was purchased by the owners, who operated a ski resort at Mount Rose in the 60's. They wanted a region that would have premium snow conditions, so they bought the land in 1985. In November of 1987, Diamond Peak Ski Resort opened for business. The name is deceiving, since there are no peaks with this name at the region. The view of the lake is "priceless as a diamond", hence the name Diamond Peak.

     Directly below the peak is Solitude Canyon. Stock footage of the cast was filmed on location in June of 1961, while they were filming segments of "Gabrielle" and "Land Grab" at nearby locales. They returned to Solitude Canyon in June of 1962 to film the outdoor segments for "The Quest". Stock footage of the cast and stunt doubles was filmed after the shoot was completed. In June of 1965, a few chase segments were filmed of the cast and guest stars on horseback for "The Lonely Runner". They were cut in with the other film sites to make the storyline complete.

     The last time filming would take place at Solitude Canyon would be in September 1967, while filming some segments for "Desperate Passage" at the creek with Michael Landon and Bob Miles doing the knife fight and some other shots, all cut in with other nearby locales for the final cut. As usual, the cast would do ride-throughs and creek-crossings at the canyon, a seasonal chore when filming outdoors for 'Bonanza'.

     Diamond Peak is featured on 'Bonanza' during its fourth season when the cast, guest stars, and crew traveled to film outdoor portions of "The Quest" and other location footage in the summer of 1962. The actual film site which was a logging flume that Bill Anderson's construction crew helped build for the episode, which was located on a large clearing that overlooked Lake Tahoe and Crystal Bay, curtained off by tall pines and timbered mountain peaks. Unfortunately many decades after "The Quest" was filmed there, in the 1970's urban development was established on this arm of the peak.

     Anyone can drive up Tirol Drive to the top and see the same view as Little Joe did in "The Quest", but things have certainly changed. Overlooking beautiful Crystal Bay at the summit to the north, and looking south, you can also see the east shore of the lake, with Sand Harbor visible, and also the peninsulas of Secret Harbor and Skunk Harbor some 15 miles to the southeast.

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DIRECTIONS: From Incline Village, travel on Lake Tahoe Boulevard, SR 28, and proceed past the Ponderosa Ranch park, and when you come to Country Club Drive, make a right turn onto Country Club. As you wind by the Incline Village golf course, you will slow down long enough to make a right turn on First Green Drive. Stay on this street until it merges into Ski Way Drive, and the road will end at the Diamond Peak ski lodge and you are there.

DIRECTIONS (from Reno): Going along the 395 corridor out of Reno by some 20 miles, you turn right onto the Mount Rose Highway and drive over the summit, all the way down to Incline Village. Make a left on Lake Tahoe Boulevard, SR 28, and follow it until you see Country Club Drive, and make a left turn onto Country Club. Winding alongside the Incline Village golf course, you will slow long enough to make a right turn on First Green Drive, which merges into Ski Way Drive, which ends at the ski lodge below Diamond Peak, and you are there.