Kelly and Lee
Just a reminder that Muscle Powered is down at the 3rd Street Farmers Market every Saturday morning from 9AM – 1PM. Ride down for some fresh, local produce. Shop while we watch your bike! It’s a fun way to support local growers and bicycling in Carson City.
I’ll be working the Bicycle Valet this Saturday the 29th, so come by and say hello. Or even better yet, work the valet with me!
New Bike Rack
Looking for a place to ride with the kids? One of the best family riding spots up at the Lake is along the south shore. There are many destinations, events, and starting points, so it’s easy to customize the ride for a different experience each time.
Exploring Taylor Creek
One of the best things about this area, is that you can have a lot of fun but not spend a lot of money. Near the Camp Richardson area are free beaches, nature hikes, historical sites, ice cream, and other fun things to do. All accessible by bike paths!
Beach along Taylor Creek
My favorite place to park with kids is just before you get to Camp Richardson on highway 89. There is a dirt pullout on the lake side of the road, and the bike path is just beyond the bushes. There is almost always parking here, and you don’t have to get into the traffic jams of the Camp Richardson area. Parking area centered on the map HERE.
Great ride for kids!
Following the bike path towards Emerald Bay allows you access to Pope Beach, Kiva Beach, and Baldwin Beach. My favorite beach is west most portion of Kiva Beach where Taylor creek flows into Lake Tahoe. There is a narrow strip of beach here, and the kids can play both in the creek and in Lake Tahoe. It’s not usually crowded here either.
Young Singlespeeder
Another side trip along the bike path is the Tallac House Historical Site. There are many historical buildings to view here, and many times there are special events going on. This is also a good spot to refill water bottles or use the restroom.
The mouth of Taylor Creek
The Taylor Creek Visitor Center also makes a good destination, especially in the fall when the Kokanee salmon are spawning. You can ride to the visitor center, lock your bike, and hike the trails. The nature trail to the Stream Profile Chamber is a must see. The profile chamber gives you an underwater view of the trout and salmon that swim Taylor Creek.
Kiva Beach
On the other side of highway 89, Fallen Leaf Lake is just a short ride away. Additional exploring can be had on the trails along the north shore of this neighboring lake.
Looking towards Baldwin Beach from Kiva Beach
The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition is your best bet for cycling information in the Lake Tahoe area. They have great maps and other helpful online information.
For riders looking for more mileage, you can park at the casinos on the Nevada side, and make your way over to Camp Richardson along bike paths and bike routes.
And finally, keep an eye on the ice cream shop at Camp Richardson. If the line isn’t too long, ride across the street and get a cool treat. They serve giant scoops for hungry explorers.
As the rain was coming down Sunday morning, the emails began. “What do you think?” “Probably going to need some rain gear.” “It’s a DRY rain…”. After some hemming and hawing and a few wardrobe changes, we were headed east to the outskirts of Carson City.
Bottom of Six Mile Canyon
Once out on the road, the rain seemed to subside. The air moving across our clothes dried it faster than the rain could get us wet, and soon the rain stopped altogether.
When we began our ascent up Highway 50 out of Carson City, it was apparent that this was Brent’s hill. He rides this hill most days to work, and his legs knew it well. Scott R and I chased.
Six Mile Canyon
When we topped out at Moundhouse, we geared up for the descent to Dayton. All the way through Moundhouse we averaged a speed of 30 mph. The wind was at our backs, and we were flying. It got even faster when we hit the last steep hill into Dayton. It took all of 60 seconds to get through the “downtown” Dayton area, and then we were out in the suburbs of Lyon County.
Fresh asphalt makes me smile
The turnoff to Six Mile Canyon seemed pretty close on the map, but it wasn’t until around the 17 mile mark that we got to the next leg of our journey. Our brisk pace was broken as we turned northwest into the wind and up the hill into the canyon.
Ugly Weed, Pretty Flowers
Right at the Storey County line, the houses stopped, and it became desolate. We took a pit stop at a bridge over a dry wash. It looks like the wash is dry except for times of heavy precipitation. Probably not a place to be during a flash flood. We would also learn later that it appears this gully is the final leg of the Virginia City Sewer System.
Taking pictures so I can rest
The road pitched up after the bridge, and as we got further out, the road actually got better! In fact, we had freshly paved asphalt for much of our climb. It was heavenly and made the climb go along nicely. If it had been a sunny day, there would have been plenty of shade available under the frequent cottonwoods. I saw a few new species of plants I hadn’t seen before, including one that had amazingly beautiful flowers! It’s amazing what you find in the desert sometimes.
Bring your own water
As we continued to climb, we started to spread out. We could hear the train whistle of the V&T railroad, and it sounded really close! But of course we’d round the bend and there would be more climbing. The sounds traveled far down the canyon.
Not far now!
Finally we saw the buildings and hillside V of Virginia City! And then it got really steep. Down in the granny gear, I rode my skinny tired bike like my single speed mountain bike. Standing up and yanking on the bars got me up to the top of the climb where Brent and Scott had already been for awhile. C Street, the main drag of Virginia City, was a very nice place to be at that moment. Beer and nachos were not far off now.
The final hill. Ugh!
Happy to be at the TOP.
Cruising Town
Riding through Virginia City on a bicycle makes you feel like a bad ass, even if you’re all decked out in Lycra. You know that other people know that you just climbed a big hill to get there. There’s no easy way into the little mountain city. We rode through town like a three man parade, hogging up the whole lane, and taking in all the sights and sounds. We pedaled to the south end of town for some hard earned beer and victuals at the Cafe del Rio. As we took off our gear, we could look down Six Mile Canyon and appreciate the climb we had just done.
Looking down Six Mile Canyon
Brent gives Scott “The Talk”
Hooray for Beer and Nachos at the Cafe del Rio!
After a big plate of nachos, a couple baskets of chips, and a few beers at Virginia City’s finest restaurant, we felt refreshed. We went out to the bikes to gear up, hoping that everything had dried while we were resting. Most of it was still pretty soggy, but we reluctantly put it back on and saddled up.
Miles of Twisty Downhill!
Just as we were exiting town we veered off to the left to get on to the Virginia City truck route. This route is designed for trucks, with an even grade and long sweeping turns. Perfect for bombing on a road bike! Scott yelled, “It’s on like Donkey Kong!”, and he and Brent pedaled off like mad men down the grade. Not having the courage to follow, I’d meet up with them again down at the bottom. There was a slight headwind as we descended, and it was just enough parachute effect that we barely had to touch the brakes for the next several miles. The turns were just perfect for leaning over and practicing high speed cornering. I remember yelling out a big Whoo Hoo! as I exited one corner.
Bitchin’ Camaro
At the bottom of the hill, the excitement was over, and it was time to slog along into the wind. The hills weren’t too steep, but the legs felt heavy from so much resting. We rejoined Highway 50, and got a chance to look around at all the interesting things along this stretch of road. My favorite artifact was the lifted-4×4-primered-Camaro, that someone was willing to part with for only $3,500. This car has been for sale for quite some time now, so perhaps people think the price is just too good to be true. Not having the cash between us to purchase the vehicle from the Road Warrior movie set, we made the final journey into Carson City, battling the wind the whole way. Once back home, we celebrated our 42 mile ride with more beer of course!
A few more pictures of the ride can be found on Flickr HERE.
I’m going to warn you up front. With the exception of this sentence, this post does not contain any information about bikes or even discuss anything to do with bicycles; however, it does contain a healthy dose of dirt, mountains, and sweet singletrack. Hike Carson? Continue reading if you’re interested…
Mount Rose – On the way to the trailhead
I recently read Jack Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums, and I’ve been in the mood for mountain climbing ever since. I climbed Mount Rose a few times in my youth, so I decided to make it my first big peak of the year. Something familiar and not terribly hard. I was also excited to try out the new trailhead and trail that cut 2 miles off the out-and-back to the peak.
Mount Rose Welcome Plaza – Elevation 8,900
My friend James and I took Tuesday off and headed up to the Mount Rose Summit Trailhead bright and early. The trailhead is located at a nice new facility at the summit of the Mount Rose Highway, Highway 431. In addition to plenty of parking, there are clean bathrooms and many signs posted with information on the area.
Nice Trailhead Facilities
Mount Rose as seen from the Trailhead
Being the tallest point in Washoe County, and one of the tallest peaks in the Carson Range, it’s easy to see Mount Rose from many locations. Due to the popularity of the Mount Rose Ski Resort, Slide Mountain is often mistaken for Mount Rose. Mount rose is just to the north of Slide Mountain though, and is actually 1,000 feet taller. I could see the peak at several points during my drive to the trailhead. It kept getting closer, but still loomed above me.
Hike Statistics
Trail Map
At 9:30 AM, we loaded up our gear, and made our way over to the trail directly to the southwest of the Welcome Center. The trail heads up to the west for a bit, giving you fantastic views of the Mount Rose Meadows and Lake Tahoe.
Mount Rose Meadows
It’s not long before you start heading north into the trees below the east face of Tamarack Peak. This new section of trail gently follows the contour. There is plenty of shade, and it’s a fast walk over to the meadow below Mount Rose. Near the end of this section is a nice waterfall at the beginning of the meadow, and it would be a good destination for those looking for a shorter hike.
About Halfway
At the north end of the meadow, the new trail joins the old trail (that goes around the west side of Tamarack Peak). This is about the halfway point, and the easy part of the hike is behind you. There is nowhere to go from here but up!
The second half is steep!
Exclusive Club
The second half of the trail begins by climbing straight up the canyon between Mount Rose and Mount Houghton. It’s steep all the way to the saddle, and can be slippery at times. Luckily this section is only about a mile and there is a great place to rest up on the saddle. It looks like a great place to camp up there too, provided you had enough water.
Resting at the Saddle
The trail leaves the saddle and heads east along a narrow ridge towards Mount Rose. Beautiful views can be had to the north and south. To the north you can see the reservoirs along the Interstate 80 corridor, and to the south you can see the Carson Range and Lake Tahoe.
James looking stoic
It was at about this time that James and I started catching up to many hikers that had started out before us, including many card carrying members of the AARP hiking with a ski pole in each hand. In fact, we were pretty surprised at all the people we saw out enjoying the trail that day. Due to the high elevation at this point, we stopped to talk to as many people as we could and took many pictures. I don’t think we went more than 50 steps at a time.
Above Timberline
Once we got above Timberline, we seemed to get a second wind. I think we were excited because we were so close to the top. The trail was pretty steep in places, and the 360 views of the planet below let us know that we were really high up.
Almost There!
We made the summit at 12:30, just in time for lunch. There were several people at the very top, so we hiked over to the south a bit to get better views of Washoe Valley. The wind can howl up on the peak, and there are rock shelters scattered around for people to huddle in. There was almost no wind that day though, so we just sat near one on the shelters and unpacked some food.
Summit!
The skies were a bit smoky, but we could still see a long ways. We could even make out the pyramid shape of Mount Lassen over 100 miles to the north! The Mount Rose Ski area was 1,000 feet below us. Lake Tahoe 4,451 feet below us. Donner Lake and Truckee, CA were visible off to the west. Less visible due to the haze was the Great Basin off to the east.
4,451 feet above Lake Tahoe
Looking out towards the Great Basin
Donner Lake and Truckee, CA in the background
Mount Rose Ski Area 1,000 feet below (actually on Slide Mountain)
Descending (Mount Lassen in the far off distance)
After thoroughly enjoying a simple lunch and taking in the views, it was time to descend. I felt some blisters forming on my feet, and wondered how the descent would be. Thankfully, my knees didn’t hurt as bad as I thought they would on the way down. There seemed to be enough flat spots to give them a break.
Long way down!
Nearing Timberline
We made good time getting down to the meadow, and passed several more people on their way up to the summit. I was glad to be going down at this point, and was glad I was not them! Early starts are best in my opinion.
Back to the easy half!
Corn Lilies in the Meadow
We decided to stop at the waterfall and take a final rest before hiking back to the trailhead. Going barefoot in the creek sounded like a splendid idea, but the water was so cold that we could only wade for a few seconds before the pain was unbearable! We just sat and enjoyed the sound of the waterfall instead.
Taking a final break at the waterfall
Once back in Reno, we stopped at Starbucks for a pick-me-up. Two grimy dudes in the midst of clean and well groomed folks, I wondered if we looked homeless. A couple of bums. We enjoyed coffee and donuts, and discussed our next adventure. Which mountain would we climb next?
More pictures on Flickr HERE.
What to bring:
Tuesday, August 19
This week’s Bikes & Brews (ride?) will take place at the Firkin & Fox.
Happy hour ends at 6pm ($2-3 draughts) so get there a.s.a.p. Around 5ish.
What is that thing Potter is wearing?
One of the things I’d like to do before I die is to explore the entire length of the Tahoe Rim Trail. The entire trail is 165 miles long, so it will probably take me a few years. Thankfully, there are many sections open to mountain biking.
Trailhead Map
Recently my family explored the portion of the Tahoe Rim Trail from Big Meadow (near Luther Pass on HWY 89) to Round Lake. Along the way I took mental notes of how this section would be to ride. Although this section of the Tahoe Rim Trail is only open to bikes for 5 miles from the Big Meadows trailhead to where it meets the Pacific Crest Trail, there are a couple side adventures to be had for additional mileage. The Scott’s Lake Trail heads off to the east from Big Meadow, and the Dardanelles Lake Trail heads off to the west further up the trail.
How much time to you have?
From the the Big Meadow trailhead, there is a steep climb up several steps from the highway up to the elevation of Big Meadow. It’s not very long, so it wouldn’t be too big a deal pushing your bike up this section. Once up above the rock steps, the trail is very smooth.
Steps leading up from the Big Meadow Trailhead
There is another way to access this trail system from Highway 88. A dirt road switchbacks up from Highway 88 to Scott’s Lake. You can drive all the way up to Scott’s Lake, and even camp there if you have the time. Local rider Marcus, having explored this area thoroughly, had this to say about the riding on this section of the TRT:
The most fun place to start is Scott’s Lake, you get to skip the rocky 1st quarter mile from the Big Meadows trailhead. Dardanelles is the most fun trail to ride to because it has some well made creek crossings. The trail from Scott’s Lake to Big Meadow is totally rolling and fun. The trail to Dardanelles has a couple of small hike sections, but for some reason I find Dardanelles much more appealing than Round Lake. The drop to Christmas valley is brutal. It can be fun if you are really good, are having a great day, and you are like 20 years old.
Big Meadow
Once you hit Big Meadow, the trail is smooth and flat. It almost gives the illusion that it’ll be easy going from here on out. After leaving Big Meadow though, the trail pitches up fairly steep. It’s still very smooth, but you will be using your granny gear. There is plenty of shade, and the trail climbs up along pretty meadows. There is a lot of slow moving water around, so bring your mosquito repellent!
Meadow Life
Big, Old Growth Trees
The remains of ancient volcanic activity
The Dardanelles rising 1,000 feet above Round Lake
Once you reach the saddle, you begin to enter a different zone as you leave the drier portion of the Carson Range behind. Small lakes are abundant. Signs of ancient volcanic activity become visible. Amazingly tall fir trees that escaped the lumber companies loom above you.
Taking a dip in Round Lake
A long switchback takes you down the other side of the saddle. As you descend into the next valley, you are reminded that you’ll eventually have to come back up this steep section of trail! Near the bottom, the trail to Dardanelles Lake peels off to the east (also the Christmas Valley Trail). We continued climbing up through interesting rock formations on the way to Round Lake. Giant boulders made of smaller rocks and petrified mud are scattered around the trail, and glimpses of the giant cliffs called the Dardanelles are visible through the trees.
Smooth singletrack
Round Lake made a relaxing place to have lunch, and it was extraordinary to look up at the cliffs above us. Round Lake was a bit greener than other lakes I’ve been to though, so there may be better destinations in the area if you’re looking for a swim.
The return trip through Big Meadow
To summarize…this section of the Tahoe Rim Trail doesn’t have the length and gentler grades of some of the other sections I’ve ridden (Mt. Rose Meadows to Marlette Lake comes to mind…), but it is definitely worth exploring if you don’t mind a few tough climbs and the occasional bike portage. There is plenty of mileage and scenery to be had if you incorporate a few out-and-backs. Marcus’s camping option at Scott’s Lake sounds wonderful…anyone?
While the Bike Carson staff is busy crafting more high quality posts, here are a couple of cool videos to whet your whistle.
Performance – MC Spandex
This first video was making the rounds yesterday on sites like Cyclelicious. Here’s MC Spandex explaining Performance to the hipsters. The pump girls are hysterical!
Brett “Maddog” Banasiewicz one hour edit
We haven’t had a good BMX video up for awhile. Thanks to Matt in the UK for the tip!
And finally, a picture of Sandie and Lauren riding the Flume Trail is the picture of the day over on BikeRumor.com. Good times!