Hey SierraNevada,
I don't know if I mentioned before, I grew up in Tahoe (south shore). The winds reminded me of the kind we would get when a big storm front was blowing in. When I was a kid we would all get excited when it got windy like that as it meant that we might have a snow day the next day.
The hike wouldn't have been as special without the wind howling through the trees.
