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Lake
Tahoe Mountain Biking
Mountain
Bike Trails and Reviews
North
Lake Tahoe > Spooner Lake State Park > The Flume
Trail
Here's
the picture featured in all the brochures! Good
Climbs. Better Downhills. Great Views of Lake
Tahoe.
Start
at Spooner Lake Nevada State Park near the intersection
of Highway 50 and Highway 28. The route starts
as a double-track meandering north thhrough aspen
groves, then steepens and ascends to Marlette Lake,
along the
Spooner Lake Cross-Country Ski
Area
Canyon Trail route. At Marlette Lake,
go left along the lake. At the end of the lake,
which is a dam, you will follow narrow single-track
where the grading for a now non-existent wooden
flume etched into the side of the steep slope.
With the shore of Lake Tahoe 1,000 feet below,
a tumble over the edge could be unhealthy. Several
miles from Marlette Lake the trail forks. Go left
and descend into Incline Village, where you loop
back to your car via Highway 28, or simply take
a carpool back. Technical: Yes, Climbing: Lots
Of It
HighSierra.com
Hot Trail Tip: Make a night of it! Start and end
your day at the Spooner Lake
State Park
wilderness
cabins
for overnight stays!
Flume
Trail Bicycle Rentals & Tours
The
Flume Trail Web Site
Spooner Lake Outdoor Company
Owned and operated under Special Use Permit
from the Nevada State Parks
by Max Jones and Patti McMullan
Call: (775) 749-5349
Email: spoonerlake@pyramid.net
The
following information is from Winter Mountain
Biking Guide reprinted courtesy of Tahoe
Mountain News,
a community newspaper for Lake Tahoe's South
Shore. For more trail guides visit
our Lake Tahoe Bookstore.
Fat
Tire Meca Awaits Mountain Bikers
by Taylor Flynn
© Summer 1999 Tahoe Mountain News & Tahoe Mountain Visitor Reprinted
with Permission. (Updated: January 2003)
With
famouns trails like Mr. Toads Wild Ride and The
Flume, Lake Tahoe is renowned for great mountain
biking. The following guide will lead you to these
and other well-known mountain bike trails on and
around Lake Tahoe. Starting with easier rides and
progressing to more difficult ones, this guide
is designed to provide something for everyone.
Route directions are given as suggestions only,
and many trails have several route variations.
South
Lake Tahoe > South
Lake Tahoe City Bike Path
This
paved bike path is a real asset to the town of
South Lake Tahoe. Located away from the busy roads
along scenic meadows and quiet neighborhoods, thhe
mostly flat path is ideal for commuting whether
headed to work or to the beaches. The bike path
goes from Timber Cove Lodge in mid-town and connects
to the Forest Service Bike Path, which continues
several miles along side of Emerald Bay Road. Technical:
Not, Climbing: None
South
Lake Tahoe > Fallen
Leaf Road
Though
this is a paved road complete with vehicle traffic,
you'll be glad you're on a mountain bike on this
extremely narrow and potholed two-laner. Fallen
Leaf Road leads through shaded evergreen forests,
along lush green meadows and eventually flanks
the southeastern shoreline of Fallen Leaf Lake.
If you've never seen this pristine alpine lake
nestled at the foot of 9,725' Mt. Tallac, this
ride is a must-do. With just a couple gradual hill
climbson this 4-mile ride (8 miles round trip)
you get a lot of scenery for your effort. An extra
1/4 mile effort beyond Fallen Leaf Lodge will lead
you to the Glen Alpine Falls.
How
To Get There: From South Lake Tahoe, head north
on Highway 89 about one mile past Camp Richardson
Lodge. Fallen Leaf Road is on the left, and it
can be easy to miss. Park your car in the turnout
here, or access Fallen Leaf Road from the Forest
Service Bike Path (on the Lake Tahoe side of Highway
89). Technical: Not, Climbing: Hardly Any
South
Lake Tahoe > Bob's
Nevada Beach Loop
Though
much of the terrain around Kingsbury Grade (on
the way up to Heavenly Valley Ski Area) in Nevada
is very steep, Bob Daly at Shoreline Sports has
found a 6 1/2 mile loop that's just right for the
whole family - and begins at his shop.
How
To Get There: From the Stateline casinos,
drive east to Kingsbury Grade, turn right, and
follow
it up to Shoreline Sports on the right. Get a map
from Bob, if you like, and maybe even a new bike.
(Happy, Bob?)
The
Ride: Go across the street and follow the paved
bike path that begins just behind Kahle Park. It
will lead you into the forest and a series of small
ravines 3 miles to Elks Point Road. Turn left and
head through the signal down to Nevada Beach. Now,
cruise the beach path back to Shoreline Sports.
Technical: Not, Climbing: Very Little
South
Lake Tahoe > Angora
Lakes
This
is a good, steep hill climb with a pot of gold
at the top - crystal clear alpine lakes surrounded
by scenic cliffs, free lock-up for bikes and a
resort store that serves great lemonade.
The
Ride: Ride Fallen Leaf Road 1 1/2 miles from Highway
89 and turn left onto Tahoe Mountain Road, then
right on Angora Ridge Road after a 1/3 mile climb.
The partially paved road will climb steeply for
1 1/2 miles to a fire lookout station with great
views of Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake. The road
then descends to a parking lot. Take the trailhead
to Angora Lake, another 1/8 mile up, some 5 miles
from Highway 89. Technical: Very Little, Climbing:
A Lot
South
Lake Tahoe > Powerline
Trail
The
powerline Trail does not climb much above Lake
level. This, however, does not mean it is flat.
On a parallel oroute with Pioneer Trail (road),
Powerline is comprised of a 7-mile series of short
ascents and descents as it traverses several ravines
and creeks, including Trout Creek, Cold Creek and
Heavenly Valley Creek. The ravines (and climbs)
are tremendous fun, and generally steeper at the
base of Heavely Ski Resort.
The
Ride: Start from either Oneidas Street or Garbage
Dump Road (at the end of Elks Club Road on Pioneer
Trail), head east along the double-track, which
is the service road for a large set of power lines
and also doubles as a designated off-highway vehicle
(OHV) route. The OHV road ends at Cold Creek, and
a single track trail ascends behind the Montgomery
Estates neighborhood and continues to Ski Run Boulevard
near the California base-side of the Heavenly Valley
Ski Area. Technical: Some Technical Fun, Climbing:
Short Climbs
South
Lake Tahoe > Corral
Loop - Tin Shack
The
Cooral Loop is a favorite for mountain bike riders
and trail runners, too. One advantage of this forested
loop is a paved uphill and a dirt, single-track
downhill. It always seems like a good deal of off-road
downhill in comparison to the smooth, hard-surfaced
climb. The off-road descent is fast with a few
technical sections.
The
Ride: Take Oneidas Street off Pioneer Trail (road)
and follow the paved but little-traveled road several
miles up a steep 2-mile climb. Fifty yards past
the bridge at Trout Creek, turn left into a turnout
trail (you will see the trail marker). The single-track
leads up one little climb and then descends through
some sand and rock, technical sections before opening
into some twisting, fast turns. The trail ends
at Powerline Trail, so you can eigher turn right
onto the Powerline or veer left back to Oneidas.
Technical: Some Technical Fun, Climbing: Yes
South
Lake Tahoe > Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Here's
the ride you've been looking for! Named after
the Disneyland roller-coaster, Toads is notorious
for its fast downhill through banked turns and
thick forest. Once an obscure, nearly forgotten
OHV trail named Saxon Creek Trail, Toads is undoubtedly
Tahoe Shouth Shore's most famous mountain bike
trail due to a magazine write-up early in the
start of the sport (which has wrecked sections
of the trail due to overuse).
The
Ride: Start from the Bid Meadow Trailhead (parking
and restrooms) off Luther Pass Grade on Highway
89. Ride the Tahoe Rim Trail east 3 miles up gorgeous,
technically-challenging single track to tucker
Flat. Turn left at the Saxon Creek trail marker
and prepare to heat up your brakes. For approximately
4 1/2 miles, it's almost all downhill, technical
through some early sections and pulverized by overuse
in others, but there are still super-fast and fun
twisties as you reach the bottom. Views of mountain
wildflowers can be gorgeous, as well, due to many
streams and meadows along the route. Technical:
Yes, Climbing: Depends on which direction you go!
HighSierra .com Hot Trail Tip: You can
get back to your car by riding back up the hill.
Or, better yet ride the trail all the way to Oneidas
Street, then take a left to Pioneer Trail (road)
to Highway 50, where you will go left and down
to the Meyers bicycle path alongside of Highway
50 going south to South Upper Truckee Road, left
there through Christmas Valley and up the old Luther
Pass Road to Luther Pass Rd. again, and your car.
Get a street map and Forest Service map to find
this great route, which rides best when started
from the bridge at the end of South Upper Truckee
Rd. at the end of Christmas Valley.) Technical:
Lots Of It, Climbing: Lots Of It.
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