Tom Mangan on Two-Heel Drive posted a great overview on the famed California loop trail.
I’m looking at perhaps a week on the trail finishing Sept. 20th, 2008.
The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 165-mile (266 km) long-distance hiking trail which forms a loop around Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada and Carson ranges of California and Nevada in the United States. The trail ranges in elevation from 6,240 feet (1,900 m) at the outlet of Lake Tahoe to 10,338 feet (3,151 m) at Relay Peak in Nevada. About 50 miles (80 km) of trail above the lake’s west shore are also part of the much longer Pacific Crest Trail. …
The main hiking season is usually from July through September, though lingering snow patches may sometimes be found into August of high snow years. The trail is open year-round, but is not marked for winter use. The climate is typical of the Sierras, with severe storms during the winter and almost no precipitation falling in the summer.
… Hikers must obtain permits before entering the very popular Desolation Wilderness area southwest of the lake.
Tom recommended this guidebook.
Wilderness Press The Tahoe Rim Trail: A Complete Guide for Hikers, Mountain Bikers, and Equestrians
I’ll pick it up to plan my itinerary.
besthike.com 
What a great hike this will be!
We have wanted to visit there for some time… Maybe next season.
Have fun Rick!
DSD
(Just a thought Rick, might you be interested in carrying a few Summit Stones to place out there in a cairn? That might be some fun karma… Email me above if you would enjoy sharing that experience)