Mountain Biking 2018

[Doug Briggs]

Just a side note to @Crank 's post. An often overlooked area to ride is the White Rim Trail which goes along the Colorado River to the confluence with the Green River then up the Green River. Along with roads on the mesa, you can ride around the Island in the Sky. At least I didn't know about it when I moved out here even though I knew about Moab. I've done it three times, each time was 4 days, 3 nights of self-supported camping. Soooo much fun.

White Rim Road

 

[Philpug]

Here is from my morning ride. All I can says is wow. I am worn out. IMHO, this was more fun than Downieville and a lot closer. @4ster @Brian Likes Pow, @Lucia or any other Tahoe folk, if you want to do this let me know. It is an easy shuttle.

 

[luliski]

Here is from my morning ride. All I can says is wow. I am worn out. IMHO, this was more fun than Downieville and a lot closer. @4ster @Brian Likes Pow, @Lucia or any other Tahoe folk, if you want to do this let me know. It is an easy shuttle.
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I'd like to try it sometime. What is the trail like?

 

[Philpug]

I'd like to try it sometime. What is the trail like?

@Tricia points out that it takes three times to appreciate a new trail. the first time to survive it, the second to remember it and the third to enjoy it. The toughest part for me was the amount on side hill trail there is, I find that to be very disconcerting, other that than that, it really isn't too technical. There are about hairpins that are really tight but can be delt with with an occasional touching down of a foot. Liek everything in Tahoe...a good rain would do wonders too.

 

[4ster]

Here is from my morning ride. All I can says is wow. I am worn out. IMHO, this was more fun than Downieville and a lot closer. @4ster @Brian Likes Pow, @Lucia or any other Tahoe folk, if you want to do this let me know. It is an easy shuttle.
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Is this the one that ends up on a trail called clear creek? I have been hearing about this ride, definitely would like to do it but it may have to wait till next summer as I am in Utah for the next month.

 

[Philpug]

Is this the one that ends up on a trail called clear creek? I have been hearing about this ride, definitely would like to do it but it may have to wait till next summer as I am in Utah for the next month.
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Yes, it is Clear Creek.

 

[AWilde]

Here is from my morning ride. All I can says is wow. I am worn out. IMHO, this was more fun than Downieville and a lot closer. @4ster @Brian Likes Pow, @Lucia or any other Tahoe folk, if you want to do this let me know. It is an easy shuttle.
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I've heard that the connection to the Rim Trail was finally made. You can make it a 30-ish mile descent with only climbing on the rim. Haven't tried, though. I'll join you for it sometime, Phil!

 

[4ster]

Yes, it is Clear Creek.

My friend road it both directions on Monday. She said 28 miles and is 2800 vertical.
I have no problem Shuttling

 

[luliski]

side hill trail there is, I find that to be very disconcerting

Like off-camber?

a good rain would do wonders too.

Yep, I had major dust baths two days in a row.

 

[luliski]

I rode a couple of days in the Tahoe area in the past few days. We were staying at Northstar, and I really wanted to ride out of there to the TRT and to the WoopdeDoop trail at Tahoe XC. I found a connector between Northstar and the Fibreboard Freeway (which connects to the Tahoe Rim trail) on Trailforks. But I am still dealing with a healing foot (Doc said it's ok to ride, but my foot is weak and sore). We also woke up dehydrated and not acclimated to the altitude, so we decided to drive to Tahoe XC to ride.

I forgot the map, so we explored some trails I hadn't ridden the first time I rode there. One of them was marked Ocelot, and it was uphill single-track that led to the FF. Parts of the trail were somewhat technical and I ended up walking much of it because I just didn't have the fortitude to deal with it. My boyfriend was disappointed that we were climbing it instead of descending it. I thought it would probably be a scary descent for me, but maybe next time. Ocelot ended at the Fibreboard Freeway so we took that to the Woopdedoo, a favorite trail.

The next day we rode one of my boyfriend's favorite Tahoe rides, Rawhide up to Paige Meadows. You can continue on to Alpine Meadows from Paige Meadows, and I would have loved to have done that; but again, I can only stomp with one foot, and the Rawhide trail climb is over a mile at an average of 7% grade. By the time we got to Paige Meadows I was beat. There are many trails in Paige Meadows, some loose and dusty, some with jagged babyheads, and the best was some really fun flowy singletrack that looped back to Rawhide.

On this trip I rode my own bike (Marin Hawk Hill) instead of the demo Stumpy I rode last time, so I was able to compare the bikes a little. One thing noticed is that my bike is just not a nimble as the Stumpjumper was. Another thing, which maybe I can fix, or at least make better: the fork on my HH is not smooth and supple-feeling at all. I think I'm going to take my bike in to see if it needs some service on the fork.

I also checked at the shop I demoed the SJ from and it is "sold." Maybe next year for me.

Here are two peeks of Lake Tahoe, the first from the top of the WoopdeDoop trail, and the second from along the Rawhide trail on the way to Paige Meadows.

 

[Philpug]

My friend road it both directions on Monday. She said 28 miles and is 2800 vertical.
I have no problem Shuttling

My friend who's house we ended up at on the map (up Jacks Valley Rd.), did the up and back a few weeks ago...yes I would prefer to shuttle too

 

[Tricia]

I rode a couple of days in the Tahoe area in the past few days. We were staying at Northstar, and I really wanted to ride out of there to the TRT and to the WoopdeDoop trail at Tahoe XC. I found a connector between Northstar and the Fibreboard Freeway (which connects to the Tahoe Rim trail) on Trailforks. But I am still dealing with a healing foot (Doc said it's ok to ride, but my foot is weak and sore). We also woke up dehydrated and not acclimated to the altitude, so we decided to drive to Tahoe XC to ride.

I forgot the map, so we explored some trails I hadn't ridden the first time I rode there. One of them was marked Ocelot, and it was uphill single-track that led to the FF. Parts of the trail were somewhat technical and I ended up walking much of it because I just didn't have the fortitude to deal with it. My boyfriend was disappointed that we were climbing it instead of descending it. I thought it would probably be a scary descent for me, but maybe next time. Ocelot ended at the Fibreboard Freeway so we took that to the Woopdedoo, a favorite trail.

The next day we rode one of my boyfriend's favorite Tahoe rides, Rawhide up to Paige Meadows. You can continue on to Alpine Meadows from Paige Meadows, and I would have loved to have done that; but again, I can only stomp with one foot, and the Rawhide trail climb is over a mile at an average of 7% grade. By the time we got to Paige Meadows I was beat. There are many trails in Paige Meadows, some loose and dusty, some with jagged babyheads, and the best was some really fun flowy singletrack that looped back to Rawhide.

On this trip I rode my own bike (Marin Hawk Hill) instead of the demo Stumpy I rode last time, so I was able to compare the bikes a little. One thing noticed is that my bike is just not a nimble as the Stumpjumper was. Another thing, which maybe I can fix, or at least make better: the fork on my HH is not smooth and supple-feeling at all. I think I'm going to take my bike in to see if it needs some service on the fork.

I also checked at the shop I demoed the SJ from and it is "sold." Maybe next year for me.

Here are two peeks of Lake Tahoe, the first from the top of the WoopdeDoop trail, and the second from along the Rawhide trail on the way to Paige Meadows.
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If you want a bike for comparison, many of the bikes at the shop where I work are able to be demo'ed and we're on sale 30% off.

 

[Brian Likes Pow]

Here is from my morning ride. All I can says is wow. I am worn out. IMHO, this was more fun than Downieville and a lot closer. @4ster @Brian Likes Pow, @Lucia or any other Tahoe folk, if you want to do this let me know. It is an easy shuttle.
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I've not done the complete top section as it wasn't finished last time I rode it but i can only imagine how fun it was.

Another thought for some more effort is parking at spooner, climbing up to the bench and dropping sierra canyon all the way down to genoa. I've always wanted to do that and after that initial grind from spooner the trt heading in that direction is pretty nice riding. It can be done from kingsbury as well although its a bit chunkier. Week after next Im game Monday or Tuesday although my company is getting decent on my old bike so maybe this coming Monday or Tuesday ill check it out

Someday that will connect to the ash to kings canyon trail...which in my opinion is some of the best stuff around...yeah Carson valley has some wicked fun stuff!

 

[Philpug]

I've not done the complete top section as it wasn't finished last time I rode it but i can only imagine how fun it was.

Another thought for some more effort is parking at spooner, climbing up to the bench and dropping sierra canyon all the way down to genoa. I've always wanted to do that and after that initial grind from spooner the trt heading in that direction is pretty nice riding. It can be done from kingsbury as well although its a bit chunkier. Week after next Im game Monday or Tuesday although my company is getting decent on my old bike so maybe this coming Monday or Tuesday ill check it out

Sounds like you have a lot of options. This was enough of a ride for me.

 

[luliski]

If you want a bike for comparison, many of the bikes at the shop where I work are able to be demo'ed and we're on sale 30% off.

What do they have? I can't REALLY afford another bike right now, but it would be good to demo a few, and maybe I'll somehow end up with a budget surplus. Or something won't get sold before I have enough $$ to buy.

 

[Tricia]

What do they have? I can't REALLY afford another bike right now, but it would be good to demo a few, and maybe I'll somehow end up with a budget surplus. Or something won't get sold before I have enough $$ to buy.

When you come back to Tahoe, stop by and we'll see what's there. We're selling a lot of bikes these days.

 

[luliski]

When you come back to Tahoe, stop by and we'll see what's there. We're selling a lot of bikes these days.

Ok, I'll try to do that. I still want to ride with you too, @Tricia! The days just never seem to work out.

 

[luliski]

@Brian Likes Pow, I always want to do big rides like that, but I'm out of shape and live at sea level.

 

[Tricia]

Ok, I'll try to do that. I still want to ride with you too, @Tricia! The days just never seem to work out.

Me too but our schedules don't seem to be syncing.

 

[4ster]

Another thought for some more effort is parking at spooner, climbing up to the bench and dropping sierra canyon all the way down to genoa. I've always wanted to do that and after that initial grind from spooner the trt heading in that direction is pretty nice riding. It can be done from kingsbury as well although its a bit chunkier.

We did this ride a few years ago (2013), we rode from the Kingsbury side. It was a looong downhill but the top 3/4 was not a lot of fun. Mostly scree & shale on steep, old fire road. The bottom was singletrack with better dirt. I was not in a hurry to do it again, although the trail may have been improved since then.

The vista was spectacular

but the rocks were loose

The bottom was more fun