All-purpose Lake Tahoe thread

Do we need one of these? If ever, this would be the time...hot in SoCal, snow melted off the Tahoe Rim.


As mentioned previously, a handful of you have LT riding on your calendar. I'll be stoked to share what I've scouted last year and this summer. I'll be ready for whatever kind of trail ride you can conjure up – long, short, bikepack, easy, hard, P2P, shuttle, dirt/road loop...the possibilities are almost overwhelming. I don't ride park, but there is plenty of it here, and there are jump lines if one knows where to look.

My truck can hold three or four bikes and humans. Get your maps and checklists out; make a memorable plan. If you don't know enough about the area, I or one of the other LT vets here can probably help you plan. Ask away!

 

I'll be following this thread. Heading up to SLT in September for a couple of days with @mtbMike and @pdqmach26 . They are going for the week, but I can only get away for a long weekend(Sat-Tue). Can't wait. Have never ridden up there. Did a lot of backpacking in Desolation Wilderness as a kid since I grew up in Nor Cal, but moved down south before I started mountain biking.

 

Paul, excellent! You might have fun...


This is what I came up with for tomorrow, clockwise from the north:



That is pure ST from just below Martis Peak to Ponderosa Palisades. New dirt for me between Watson Lake and PP. There's even some trails along the roads going through Polaris. Guessing 34 miles of ST total. Please don't hold me to that time estimate...

 

Good stuff!

 

Hey @pperrelle, don't be volunteering me for any of those 44 mile rides at altitude.

 

Something like that went down today.

After a long while on ST, I opted out of a few miles of bonus ST, Sawmill Trail, and jumped on the dirt road into Ponderosa Palisades. (Dirt road route is what Google Maps used.) My GPS track whacked out for some reason, no accurate stats, but should be close to that Google Maps estimate.

Rolling into the Tahoe Rim Trail after a couple hours climbing.




It was hard to stop and snap pics – loads of ripping DH on the Martis Peak TRT section before you climb again. Intoxicating.








Big Chief is one hell of a mountain bike trail. If I'd had more oomph by that point I could have had more fun, but so it goes. Completely loaded with natural features to jump. Some crazy berm work. Super rocky, like flat ground sections can be taxing to negotiate. I lived despite breaking Safe Riding Practice rule number one. On-sighted all the problems despite a tame run overall.

The point-to-point ride I did earlier this week is probably a tougher ride. But this one took more out of me, maybe the heat, it's like 80 out there and I was not hammering liquid. So I was pretty stoked that Sawmill Road dumps right onto the road at a 7-11, where I still had nearly an hour of riding to go.

Though I skipped Sawmill Trail and Big Chief is obviously a premium experience with some skills, I'll give the sleeper award of this route to the Legacy Bike Path, which runs along the river from Truckee east. What a finish...



That's the path on the left bank.




Bit of an effort out there today, but who's complaining? Like I told one hiker who asked how I was doing: Every day above ground is a good one, but ones like today are a little more memorable. He slapped me a hi-five as he passed.

Now, about that cold beverage...

 

Yo

You’re livin’ the dream amigo!!!

 

Awesome! Have you checked out the new section of TRT by Stanford Rock yet?

I mentioned somewhere else you should check out Grouse ridge over near Emigrant Gap. It's not far from you being in Truckee and has amazing scenery and nice chunky riding. Lots of lakes.

 

Thanks, bud : )

But come on, Sar, anyone who has a sweet bike, time to ride it and time to report about it is living the dream. We all are blessed.



@evdog, thanks for the nudge...on the radar!

 

Geez!

 

Planning to be in Northstar Tuesday - Thursday, maybe more. As I said earlier, Vince wants to do the park exclusively. I get it, check it out one day , practice the next, shred the last day. Me, I'm leaving Wednesday open to explore something else hopefully. Looking for some easy pedaling with views. Northstar will beat me up enough. You've already giving me some ideas @mike plus there's always the Flume right around the corner. If the stars align, I'll give you a shout.

 

I've never been and Jennifer says I need to. Well my birthday is September 9th so I'm thinking September 7-10 would be a good time to go. I'd want to get at least one big can't miss ride and a couple of smallish ones.

 

Get on up here, Ed!!! You would eat this place up! That'll be a week after Rose2Toads, so I'll be able to tuff out something lengthy. But a rider must give the hi-elevation tech riding here its due...some of the stiffer trails may be best enjoyed in smaller doses... In any case, everything you could want is here. Jennifer, you know how to set that hook like a boss...good work!!!!!!


Today: Donner Lake Rim Trail

It's a few years old, network continuously expanding. So we park at the TH and I realize we are east of the parking I was shooting for. But lo, there is a road leading up to the DLRT east of Summit Lake. Up the steep price of entry we hammered...




Realizing that obstructions might come to bear...










Slow travel was okay in such a beautiful setting with my best bud.




Summit Lake:




A snow bridge we opted out of...




Water everywhere. Steripen on board, but the breeze and low humidity made it seem cool all ride long.




Good reason for building a trail through this area: A constant sensory feast, and great riding exploiting much natural terrain. Lots of optional rock lines, all pedal-able, some serious rock paver work in some spots. Reminds us of Raspberry Ridge in Buffalo Creek CO...lots of rock challenges up and down, both directions. If you like that stuff, this is heavenly...




You'll have to put up with the scenery, though...






We stopped at the Warren Lake turnoff and chatted with a hiker who had come down from that way. By his description of conditions, we would be able to get up to the ridge then be stopped by big snow drifts in the cirque as I theorized. Pass on that. We stayed low and hoped to push up to Castle Peak. Not too far up Castle Valley Rd the drifts got big enough to heavily impede bike travel, so we reversed course and enjoyed the fruits of our labor.

The Castle Valley and Summit Lake sections of the Donner Lake Rim Trail are masterfully crafted trails that are like tasty samples of Hole in the Ground trail. But without the commitment. More melt is needed, but Donner area is a Tahoe flavor that should be savored.

 

I’ll be there Sep 7-13 on the north side. Let’s ride!

 

Killer!!!!! Let’s do it – again!


vvv Yes, @UPSed! Now you have two guides.

 

That would be awesome!

 

Beautiful up here. We rode the Northshore bikepark all day as planned. Killer good time. Those jumps on livewire float you right across the tables. I especially have fun trying to navigate through the most chunk I think I’ve ever seen. May go exploring elsewhere tomorrow. LMK @mike if you’re available. Going to get a late start though.

 

You guys are killing it!! Had to push today’s ride out to tomorrow due to the appearance of paying work, so I’m out.

You guys driving out tomorrow or parking again? I’m driving to Carson Valley early for a 36 mi loop off the Rim. (Up Sierra Cyn, down Clear Creek.) You’re welcome to join. You can meet me there or pool with me.

 

No worries mike. I did some pedaling about but it was short. Vince convinced me to go back to the park.

 

Tahoe sucks!

 

Right on, milk the park!!!

If you get a wild hare, I'll be here @ 6am: https://goo.gl/maps/rEXxNUgXT715rJko6

Possible shuttle 8 mi up Jacks Valley Rd if you wanna skip the road part. Or knock it out as a warmup. It'll be warm at the finish but mostly no pedaling in the last 12 mi.

If not, have a good park sesh, say hi to the Slayer, and safe travels!

 

I'm heading up for a half day at Northstar on Friday, 8/7. Any ideas how much the afternoon lift tickets are? Can't seem to find any information except that it varies by location.

 

Just an FYI the vista chairlift is not running during the week days only zephyr so a lot of the technical runs are hard to get to. Other than that it was awesome 2 weeks ago.

 

Also if going to north * you might as well hit Downieville. Then go south another day and do mr toads. Anderson connection trail is great. And someone mentioned donner summit trails, they are magical.

 

Thinking you meant Armstrong Connector.

If not...I gotta ferret out this Anderson Connection!!!!!!!!!!!



A re-run, because it applies here....



Following the Truckee River between Truckee and Reno on the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway.

 

Met up with @mike last night and told him about my grand plan over some beers at Alibi - 06 Road, up Lower Big Chief, up Upper Big Chief, Tahoe Rim Trail to Brockway Summit, across 267 Hwy to Dry Lake and the singletrack there. Basically trying to just make a biggish loop from my in-laws’ house without driving anywhere. Well, it was a good thought! Me and my local riding buddy Peter went up Lower Big Chief. This is a doable trail going uphill, but most people just ride the fire road to the top and drop in. We wanted a challenge though! Some amazing views, riding, experience - pretty much what you always get here in the Tahoe area. Started riding up Upper Big Chief and about a mile or so into it decided that it was not exactly rideable in that direction without constant HAB, so we turned around and enjoyed the amazing downhill we had just earned! Did just under 22 miles, but man I grinning ear to ear and hooting and hollering through the berms, rock features, log ride... My little Giant Anthem 29er was just enough!

Had a blast and stoked I brought enough water this time to complete Big Chief this time!

 

Yes. Maybe i was thinking of Anderson truck trail in SD.

 

That is Beautifull!!!

 

IMTBTahoe Area update...

The visitations are lining up! One more hard-assed IMTBT rider now planning to show during the much-heralded early-Sept appearance of @Luis, @Mikie Robin Mcguire (s) and who knows who else in that pack (Brit Steve?)... On the heels of that, another wave of three of you guys is slated for mid-month. I'm not even counting you fence riders that know your best interest is in getting the F up here. (You know who you are!)

September is super ON! Rose to Toads (sold out) is 9/2. After that I'll be open to anything and everything my sporadic work "schedule" allows. (FYI, my work bubble has been very front-loaded; it's looking potentially lighter in Sept than I was initially led to believe.)


tldr: Get up here!