Amazing Mountain Biking Conditions in Tahoe…

Rain and snow followed by warm sunny weather has made for amazing mountain biking conditions in Tahoe.  Some snow and mud remain in places, but overall, the dirt is as good it gets.  Both Saturday and Sunday were legitimate “powder days” and I’m sure it is only getting better.  If you have the time, go out and get it before winter really shows up.  The clock is ticking.

The Bright Side…

Current economic news is very negative.  Unemployment is high and moving higher.  Weak consumer finances and confidence have translated to reduced consumer spending.  Each phenomenon reinforces the other, which means things are going to get worse.  So what is the bright side?  Here are a couple thoughts.

The few people that have been living within their means and saving are now in a position to buy assets at reduced prices.  This is true for real estate and stocks.  It is also true for consumer goods because a lot of products will go on sale early this year. 

Also, the government will likely be forced to take a central role in stimulating the economy.  If it does this by sponsoring research and development into new technologies for solving our energy and environmental challenges, new engines of economic growth could be discovered.  The near future looks tough, but hopefully the distant future will be better for it.  

Also, money is not everything.  The mountain biking conditions in Tahoe this weekend should be amazing.  I will be out there focusing on another positive, tacky dirt.

Mountain Biking in the Lakes Basin…Graeagle to Elwell and Back

Last Sunday, I finally completed a ride in the Lakes Basin that I had been wanting to do all year.  I ended up going solo, which was cool.  Generally, I prefer partners in the mountains, but sometimes being alone is nice.  4 hours of quiet can be hard to come by these days. 

I started the ride at the market in Graeagle and rode up the Gold Lake Highway about 6 miles to the Bear Lake trail head.  From there I rode along Bear Lake and above the south shore and east shores of Long Lake towards Mt. Elwell.  Eventually, I went over the top of Elwell and descended north back towards Graeagle on the Mt. Elwell Trail and Smith Creak Trail. 

This was an amazing ride.  The decent from Elwell to town is about 3500 vertical feet and the riding is generally very good – some steep and rocky terrain, but lots of fun, smooth single track too.  All in all, this was one of my best rides of the year.

For a map of the trails in the Lakes Basin, click this link. http://www.sierratrails.org/web/pages/events.html

  

  

Grouse Ridge to Spaulding Lake…Quite a Ride

The weekend before last I was lucky enough to do another ride in the Grouse Ridge area.  This time we did a shuttle ride from the Grouse Ridge Lookout (Elev. 7,707) down to the Spaulding Lake Trail, ending at the parking area just below the Emerald Pools trail head.  The riding was amazing.  It ranged from technical and rocky, to playful and rocky, to rolling and smooth.  As you descend from the upper elevations the change in vegitation is great to watch too. Views include the Sierra Buttes, Old Man Mountain, The Black Buttes, Spalding Lake and the most scenic outhouse I had ever seen.  Seriously, just look at the pictures. 

If you want to do this ride, check out the map linked below. 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/documents/rec/grousemap.pdf

     

   

“Hole in the Ground” is still in great shape…

The ever popular and always fun “Hole in the Ground” trail on Donner Summit is still in great shape.  On Saturday morning I rode it with a couple of friends and was impressed by how well it is holding up.  Anyone looking to avoid the August dust and ride an amazing trail should check it out.  The photo above is Arne Backstrom riding one of many, many great granite features. 

Grouse Ridge Mountain Biking…

Last Sunday I went with a friend, Jason Abraham, to ride in the Grouse Lakes area off Highway 20 near Nevada City.  Neither of us had ever been in this area, so the ride was definitely an adventure.  Our route took us from Carr Lake to the Round Lake Trail and then to the Grouse Ridge Trail.  We followed the Grouse Ridge Trail north and then looped back around heading south past Penner Lake along the Crooked Lake Trail. (Not listed on linked map.)  

The riding was varied, technical and for the most part totally enjoyable.  Some sections of the Crooked Lake Trail were amazing, with terrain that could be described as part Hole in the Ground, part Lakes Basin.  There were a lot of down trees on the Grouse Ridge Trail and a significant hike-a-bike section heading to Penner Lake,  but otherwise the riding was great. 

Another big positive for this area is that you can cliff-jump and swim at Emerald Pools after riding. 

Here’s a map of the area.  http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/documents/rec/grousemap.pdf

Photos from the Buttes

Heading Towards Mt. Elwell

Arne Above Long Lake

Rocky, Fun Riding in the Sierra Buttes

Rocky aptly describes the current state of markets financial (mostly down), mortgage (rates mostly up) and real estate (prices down, sales up or down depending on location).  

It is also a good description of mountain biking in the sierra buttes / lakes basin.  This last Sunday, I went with 3 friends (Jeremy, Emily, and Arne) to ride a loop near Mt. Elwell, a prominent peak above Long Lake.  None of us had experience riding in this specific area, but we figured that we could piece something together. 

We did and it made for quite a day.  The riding was amazingly scenic and often amazingly challenging.  We made a few wrong turns, which contributed to riding that was more difficult (and sometimes worse) than necessary, but we still had a great time and will be back for more…with prior knowledge, which should be helpful. 

Anyone interested in riding in this zone should check out the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship website and the maps to their “epics.”  Here’s a link.  http://www.sierratrails.org/web/pages/events.html