Lake Tahoe Photoshoot with RoadBike Magazine

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Jeff Moser

Back on July 14th, I had the opportunity to guide a cycling photoshoot of Lake Tahoe for German magazine, RoadBike (http://www.roadbike.de/). They were in the area to explore and take photos for a story on Lake Tahoe as a bicycle travel destination. When the Nevada Commission on Tourism presented me with the idea of being the guide for this, I wasn’t sure what to say. Although I do love road bikes, I don’t have the time to ride them as much as I’d like with all the mountain biking I do. I don’t have much in the way of roadie looking clothes, and I don’t shave my legs either. I mulled it over. I’ve led many a friend up into the surrounding mountains, and all have returned alive and mostly undamaged. I like to take photos, I love bicycles, and I’ve lived in the area my whole life, so I figured why not me? I decided to take the job.

The Germans were smaller than I had imagined

I arrived up at the Mont Bleu Hotel Casino at Stateline on what was shaping up to be a fine morning. I was supposed to call upon my arrival, so I got my phone out and punched in that long international number. “I’m sorry, but you’re not allowed to dial this number from this line.” Great! Prompt German efficiency was about to meet lackadaisical Carson City bumpkin. I rode around the parking lot for a bit, hoping I’d catch someone’s eye, but then thankfully my phone rang, and they were just around the corner in front of the casino.

Björn Hänssler takes the higher ground

When I pulled around front, I found writer for the magazine Felix Krakow, and freelance photographer Björn Hänssler waiting patiently for me. Thankfully they were distracted by one of the many large bike sculptures erected for the Lake Tahoe Tour of California stage (that almost happened). As Felix was climbing up onto the giant bike for some silly photos, the nervousness melted away, and I knew it was going to be a fun day. And in addition to me being the guide for the day, I was to appear in almost all of the photos.

Felix Krakow says he’s OK with Emerald Bay

After we made our introductions, I was surprised to hear how well these two Germans spoke English. They spoke better English than many Americans I hear on a daily basis. I think I was expecting to hear thick accents as well, something similar to what you might hear in an Indiana Jones movie. The accents were very subtle though. Someone from Alabama or New England would have been more noticeable. I heard plenty of German throughout the day though, and usually when Björn wanted Felix to know exactly how he wanted the next shot to go. Things just sound more authoritative in German.

Björn gets some photos of the latest Specialized wheels

The east side of the Lake was still mostly in the morning shadows, so we loaded up the van, and headed around the south side of the lake to Emerald Bay. We didn’t ride from place to place, but we did get a fair deal of riding in at each location. We spent a lot of time riding up the climbs and and bombing down the corners around Emerald Bay, each time Björn having us try something different.

I feel that I take some pretty decent photos, but I wouldn’t go as far as to title myself a photographer. Björn was a pro. He had some really good ideas, and was not a bit afraid to get into a good position to shoot, no matter how dangerous it was. “Maybe I could climb that tree…”, he’d say, and many a cliff was scaled to get a good position above the bikes that included panoramic scenes of Lake Tahoe. Sitting on the shoulder as giant RVs skimmed me was far less scary than watching him climb the loose rocky shale to dig his heels in on a precipice above the road. Sometimes I couldn’t even watch.

Mount Rose Summit

After getting great shots at Emerald Bay, we drove north to the area around Kaspian Campground, just south of Tahoe City. The road and bike path come very close to the road here, and in the case of the bike path, just inches. Before hitting the bike path, we spent some time on a private dock. Björn wanted some shots of Felix and I relaxing and taking a break from our grueling trek around the lake, including soaking our tired bare feet in the water. A guy had just got done telling us that the water was 10 degrees cooler than it normally is this time of year due to the extended snow. The water was freezing! Felix and I were just about in tears by the time Björn was done taking all his shots. I have a new respect for models now. It’s not as easy as you may think.

A touching moment

Next we got several shots on the bike path where it brushes the shore of the lake. Björn had Felix and I racing up the path, and each time we were supposed to get closer together and further to the right. I was sure we were going to lock bars and go flying over the rock embankment, but we finally got it right!

It was approaching noon, and it was time to take a break. We were starving, but more importantly, the light wasn’t ideal for photography. This was funny to me, because high noon is when I take most of my cycling pictures. Not by choice really, but it’s when I usually get a break to ride. We drove through Tahoe City, and Felix finally picked Rosie’s Cafe. His bike senses must have been tingling, because inside we found the restaurant decorated with all sorts of old bikes! We had a good lunch, but were actually still at work. Björn wanted to get photos of us enjoying some Sierra NV Pale Ale and eating large portions of American fare.

Sorry folks, park’s closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya.

After lunch, the sun was in the right position again, and the next stop was the Mount Rose Summit for some mountain shots. As we rode back and forth across the summit for photos, I wondered if passersby thought I was heroic for scaling the 8,900 foot high mountain pass on my bicycle. In reality though, I still had a full water bottle, and not a drop of sweat on my brow. Our little secret. We hit a couple more spots for photos on the way down. Björn drove the van, while Felix and I got to descend on our bikes. There was a bit of a headwind, but we still managed speeds close to 40 mph for a fun descent.

Late afternoon shimmering water

The Germans were interested in visiting the Ponderosa Ranch, the movie set from the old TV series Bonanza. This surprised me, because the show officially ended in 1973, and the ranch has been closed as a tourist destination for so long that I almost forgot about it. The show must have really made a world-wide impact! We hiked down to the entrance, but were stopped when we got to the end of the parking lot. Cameras, double rows of fencing, and spiked gates surrounded the mock town. Whatever is left in there, they don’t want you looking at it. We moved on to the Sand Harbor area instead for the next series of photographs. This was the most dangerous spot for photos, since the traffic is fairly fast, and the road is twisty which prevented the motorists from seeing us until the very last second. This area will be a lot nicer when the Stateline to Stateline off-highway bikeway is completed sometime in the future.

Björn and Felix reviewing the Cave Rock photos

We finished off our photoshoot with some pictures at Cave Rock. Thankfully Björn was not insistent that Felix and I ride the tunnels. We instead rode on the south side of the massive rock, using it as a backdrop. We finally loaded the van one last time and returned to the Mont Bleu where we parted ways. The Germans had a long day ahead of them on Friday, first driving to San Francisco, then flying non-stop back to Hamburg.

In the end I think we got some great photos for the magazine that will really show off our beautiful area and encourage international cycling tourism. The article will be in the magazine later this year, or possibly as late as next year. It was also great to meet these two guys, and it’s my hope they come out again soon for some more riding. Maybe even a mountain bike tour of Lake Tahoe!

Getting the Kids Outdoors

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Jeff Moser

When I was a kid, we spent a good deal of our summer outside, coming home only to eat and sleep. Our BMX bikes were our ticket to freedom, allowing us to get all around town and out into the hills for some play and adventure. These days though, not as many kids are doing this. Many of our childhood play places have been developed. Traffic isn’t as safe. The houses have air conditioning. Video games, Internet, iPods, and other electronics keep our kids (and to be fair, many adults too…) enthralled and entertained. Too many excuses. Too many distractions.

Young Mountain Bikers

I want to make sure I instill the love of the outdoors in my son, the same way it was done to me when I was young. And although I’ve tried hard to make this happen, I still see all that other stuff taking hold of his attention. With my son’s recently acquired full-sized 26″ wheeled mountain bike though, the outdoors now have more than a fighting chance to keep him interested.

Summer vacation is in full swing now, and we’re finally getting some nice weather. My son and his buddy joined us for a lunch ride today, and we climbed up into Vicee Canyon for some singletrack. I was on the lookout for snakes or some other creature, something the boys might find exciting. Near the top of the climb, we spotted a large bird circling above us. Too big to be a hawk? Too far away to tell… A short time later, the bird had caught something, and was beginning its meal on a log. The prey looked too big to be a large mouse…

The bird was way too proud of its catch to take flight and leave it behind, and it allowed us to creep in for a really close look. Definitely not a hawk, and definitely not a mouse. It was a Golden Eagle, and it had a rabbit the size of a cat in its talons! Fur that was stuck to its beak blew in the light breeze, and its steady raptor eyes warned us that it would fight for its lunch. We crept up within 12 feet of the eagle to snap a photo, then retreated to let it do its thing.

Golden Eagle with a freshly caught rabbit

This turned out to be an exciting distraction from the workout of the climb, and then it was time for some downhill! We reached the turnoff to a nice long singletrack that follows the rim down along Vicee Canyon. We descended down smooth, fast, swooping trail, and marveled at the creek far down below us in the canyon. Perhaps not unlike what the eagle experiences during its hunt. We had one wipe-out in a sandy corner that got some laughs, and at the bottom, there was much excited talk and instant replay of the descent. We had just had a lot of fun outside. An adventure even. Take THAT, Nintendo.

Winter Riding at Iron Mountain

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Jeff Moser

We’ve had a few weeks of unseasonably warm weather, and the dirt has been drying out nicely. This is the time of year we like to ride the high desert east of Carson City. There is plenty of sun on the east side of the Flowery Mountain Range, making the Iron Mountain Trail one of the best bets for getting your singletrack fix this time of year. Here’s a look at the adventures we’ve had.

Getting Started

The Iron Mountain area is located between Dayton and Stagecoach on the north side of Highway 50, and is easily accessible on Neigh Road on the west, and Iron Mountain Blvd. on the east. The hard part though is finding the actual singletrack. I’ve been out there a few times, and I’m still thankful to have a guide along that really knows the trails well. I’m not certain I could find all sections of trail without help. If you’re not able to join us on one of these group rides, there are still plenty of jeep roads to go out and explore that would not be disappointing.

The Cliffs

Which way now?

A great turnout of riders!

The first weekend we went out, the ground was still pretty moist. You could really feel the rolling resistance as the tires pushed through the wet gravelly sand. Trails on the northern slopes were still pretty muddy, so much so that we occasionally had to push the bikes. Thankfully almost all of the trail is in the sun, so these incidents were few.

Jeff R

Jeff F leading the way

The following weekend, the trails were in much better shape. The trail was packed down, and there was very little mud that gave riders problems. For some reason though, I was much more tired at the end. I’m guessing that we just rode a lot faster and took fewer breaks.

Ashley on the final ascent

Bench Overlook

The best thing about the rides though was the great turnout we had. Mountain biking is fun, but is much better when shared with others. It was great to see old buddies, meet some new friends, and get newer riders out on some different terrain. We had as many as 15 riders at one time, and it was such a cool sight to see so many bikes descending the switchbacks. A mini caravan of brightly colored nomads.

In Potter’s Eye

Clockwise from upper left: Jeff, Jeff, Jeff, and Jeff

Susan and Janice

For riders not familiar with the Iron Mountain terrain, they were presented with an all-new challenge. Although there are some steep sections along the route, the grinds never last too long. The biggest challenge of the trail is just trying to stay on it. Whereas the trails in Ash Canyon are open and flowing, the Iron Mountain trail is narrow and constantly changing direction. The rocks aren’t too big, but there are many, and require constant maneuvering to get around. A few riders mentioned that they could not take their eyes off the trail for a second, and that if they did, they found themselves out in the bushes.

Brad, Melissa, and Cullen

Mark descending

Janice

With the exception of a few scratches and bruises, all riders survived the adventures. The slippery mud on some of the descents caused a few moments where tires were at a higher elevation than the helmets. In one particular instance, it took a couple of us to lift one rider out of the bushes and get this person at an angle where they could unclip from their pedals! And one rider pedaled with an unknown flat for a few miles, giving me my only shot of passing her the entire day.

Jeff M

Cortney riding with a yet undiscovered flat tire

Having a such stretch of nice weather in January was fantastic. Especially after such a cold and snowy December. As a year round cyclist, I consider December and January to be the toughest months of the year, and to sneak through the month this easily almost seems like cheating. It’s February now, and the days are noticeably longer. The snow will still fall down here in the valley, but it won’t hang around long. The mental hurdle of winter has been crossed, and we’re looking down the trail to springtime!

Flat Tire Repair

Additional Resources:

If you are going out alone, the GPS map on our Trails Page may help you find the singletrack. The Trails and Rides page is HERE.

The complete photoset of these rides can be found on Flickr HERE.

Additional photos for this story were provided courtesy of Ashley Dale.

Christmas Day Road Ride

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Jeff Moser

On Christmas Day the weather warmed up and was the perfect day to get out for a winter road ride. We left the neighborhood early afternoon, made our way across town, and headed for the climb up Combs Canyon. After a week of just commuting to and from work, I was ready to get out on the open road and put some miles in.

Sandie and Brent Ruybalid, Scott Russel in the background – Franktown Road

The Combs Canyon climb, a mile long hill with a medium grade, was a good reminder of where my winter legs were at. At the beginning of the climb, I was telling myself to take it easy on the climb, save some energy for the return trip, and keep from huffing in too much cold air. Something in your mind snaps though when you see your riding buddies start to inch forward ahead of you. I started my sprint way too early, my mind cashing checks my body couldn’t cash.

My lungs were burning at the end of the climb, but still we kept racing to the top. I was hurting, but figured my buddies were too, and who wants to lose the bragging rights? It was wonderful to finish off the climb and get in a few miles of downhill to Washoe Valley. It took several miles for me to stop coughing from all the cold air I sucked in!

Franktown Road above Washoe Valley

We cruised along effortlessly at 20mph, heading north into Washoe Valley along old HWY 395 with a slight tail wind. Not having been on the road bike in weeks, I was really stoked on the freedom of the speed and wide open country! We decided to do the Franktown Road loop clockwise, and thanks to the warm temperatures, encountered no ice in the shade of the numerous pine trees.

Old Highway 395

When it was time to head back to Carson City, we had to pedal into a slight headwind most of the way home. The speedy pace was slowed down to 13 mph at times, and my legs were regretting the sprint up Combs Canyon. But as tired as we were going back over Lakeview, somehow another race over the summit was agreed upon. I don’t remember how exactly, but I suppose someone was called a sissy. We finished off the ride with a fast descent back down the canyon, and then warmed our chilled bones with hot soup and a hot tub back at Brent and Sandie’s. A great end to a fun ride!

Christmas Ride from Brent Ruybalid on Vimeo.

We’ll finish off this story with some great video footage of the ride that Brent put together…Enjoy!

Foggy Morning Commute

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Jeff Moser

On December 23rd we awoke to a thick covering of freezing fog, or Pogonip as it is called around here. Visibility in all directions was severely limited, and the roads were slick. While these conditions proved to be hazardous for motorists, it was one of the best bicycle commutes of the year for me!

Lone Mountain Cemetery

I knew there would be some good photo opportunities along the route, but couldn’t decide where to go. The new bike lanes on Roop Street? Downtown Carson City? And then I remembered the Lone Mountain Cemetery, just up ahead along my route. It might not be the season for a display of misty cemetery photos, but you have to take photographic opportunities as they arise.

The grave of Abe Curry

I was not disappointed as I rolled past the cemetery gates. I pedaled along the narrow roads, listened to the frozen sand crunch under my tires, and headed over to the old section of the graveyard. I love the crooked gates, old brick mausoleums, and leaning headstones in this area. I even visited Abe Curry’s grave…Abe was one of the founding fathers of Carson City.

Good Morning, Mausoleum!

As I wandered the cemetery grounds, I noticed my jacket looked dirty as if I had brushed up against something. Closer examination revealed that I was becoming covered in ice crystals! The air was damp and thick and reminded me of being in a room with a humidifier running at full steam. My beard was getting heavy with moisture and ice.

Cemetery Fog

I left the stillness and solitude of the cemetery, and merged into the hustle and bustle along the new bike lanes of Roop Street. I’m really liking them! Even though it adds a little distance to my commute, the simplicity of the straight shot is relaxing and seems to get me downtown quickly. My previous route took me through dangerous parking lots, and required darting across highways.

I haven’t hit the trails in about a week, so bicycle commuting has pretty much been my only riding. It was a treat to have such a cool ride to work on the same old roads!

Week in Review

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Jeff Moser

It’s been a great week biking here in Carson City! We’ve had fantastic and interesting conditions up on the trails, and brand new bike lanes have opened up along a vital urban corridor. Here’s a look at what was happening this week.

Cortney Bloomer and Ashley Dale on the Creek Trail

The week started off with mild weather, and enough snow had melted to allow us to ride the Creek Trail. The November storms had left the trail frozen for weeks, so it was a real treat to get to ride this fantastic trail again. I had almost forgotten how fun it was, but all the grins from the riders were a good reminder!

Rainy commute home on the Ute

On Tuesday, epic riding conditions disappeared into clouds and buckets of rain. I rode my fendered Kona Ute, but I’m not sure that bought me anything. My borrowed Goretex pants soaked through in the first mile to work, and water was running into my boots. I was thankful for the dry shoes, socks, and underwear I had stashed in my desk at work! I really need to figure out rain protection for my lower half. The way home that night was much better though, with a light drizzle and energizing tail wind. It was one of those commutes that I was sorry when the ride was over.

Cortney Bloomer on the Deer Run Trail

Rain turned to snow in the mountains Tuesday night, and we awoke to ideal riding conditions once again. We didn’t have moist sand like on Monday, but we had snow that was perfect for riding in. It was cold and powdery, with plenty of traction for climbing and descending! Once up on the upper trails, we were completely in the snow, but we were able to keep going. Our tires were slipping around here and there, but for the most part, you could really keep your speed.

Scott Russel on the Four Day Trail

Scott Jeffries on the Evidence Trail

Cortney Bloomer – Peace, Snow, and Singletrack

Scott Russel on the Evidence Trail

Scott and Cortney on the Evidence Trail

If you’ve never bombed down a hill in the snow, let me tell you…it’s fantastic! The snow deadens most of the sounds you usually hear, leaving only the wind in the trees above and the crunch of the tires on the ground. Very peaceful and serene.

Snowy Descent back to Carson City

Way back in the Fall of 2009, Muscle Powered approached the Carson City Regional Transportation Commission about including bicycle lanes in the plan to widen Roop Street. Roop Street is a vital cycling corridor, as it is the only road other than HWY 395 that crosses Carson City without interruption, nearly all the way from county line to county line. Thanks to support from the cycling community, the RTC was persuaded to have the contractor revise the plans!

Donna Inversin at the Roop Street Opening Ceremony

On December 16th, over a year later, the ribbon was cut, the cones removed, and Roop Street was open once again for business. There is now plenty of room for cars, bikes, and pedestrians, and Muscle Powered’s relationship with the city has never been better! A big thanks goes out to all who were involved in this project, it was a big win for cyclists!

Members from Muscle Powered attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and were the first cyclists to officially ride the new bike lanes on Roop Street. This included Donna Inversin, who after retiring, finally decided it was time to learn how to ride a bike! Great job, Donna! I’m proud of you!

More news on the Roop Street ceremony can be found over on CarsonNow.org.

Morning Commute – Self Portrait

A winter storm greeted us Friday morning. I knew weather was on its way, but was really surprised to see how much snow was already accumulating. I decided on the 29″ wheeled Karate Monkey for the day’s snow riding, hoping that I wouldn’t encounter too much ice. It’s still snowing as I write this, and more snow is forecasted for the next several days. What cycling adventures lie ahead are anyone’s guess…

Bike Carson Photos of the Week

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Jeff Moser

…and we’re back! It was a busy couple weeks of good riding without a lot of time for writing. Let’s get caught up now with a mix of reader submitted photography and some of my own pictures and stories.

Levi @ District CX championships in Reno by Kary Grabow

First we have some CX championships racing action in Reno from Kary Grabow.

Paul Bass at the Bicycle Authority

Here’s a photo from the Bicycle Authority taken by Dan Turner, Paul Bass and his new 2011 Kona Cowan frame. Who’s Paul Bass you say? He’s a Kona Bikes pro rider, and is the guy that did a back flip over Ash Canyon road. Here’s a video of that stunt HERE.

Last race of the 2010 Season from Dan Turner

Here’s a photo of the Bicycle Authority BMX team at the last Carson race of the 2010 season.

Furly Night Commuter by Antoine Pethers

Here’s a photo from Antoine Pethers in New Zealand, riding his fur covered Surly, or “Furly” as he calls it. Antoine says, “Riding home from work on the East Coast Bay’s ‘Share with Care’ bike path. It’s nice to be physically separated from the drunks at this hour of the night. Getting warm in Auckland, shorts and a t-shirt at 10.30pm.”

More great photos and writing can be found on Antoine’s blog, Bike Friendly North Shore.

Frozen singletrack along the V&T Trail

Winter storms left the foothills covered in snow for days. Cold temperatures made the trails packed and frozen though, and we actually got some good riding in. It was definitely slow going and challenging, but the changing conditions really keep the same old trails interesting!

Robin Sharp riding the slushy snow above Lakeview.

Ashley Dale dropping down to the V&T

After our cold spell, the temperature warmed up at the noon hour, and the snow became butter cream frosting. Instead of riding on top of it, we were sliding through it, fighting to stay upright. There was walking and crashing involved at times which caused mixed emotions from the riders. Some grumbled, some laughed. I don’t think anyone cried. But in the end, it’s still nice to get out. Winter can be tough!

Rainbow Monkey

Last week the snow left the flats and southern facing slopes, leaving the trails in epic conditions. Hard packed sand with very little rolling resistance and tons of traction. Hero Dirt. One day we even had a rainbow to ride under.

Tom on the Four Day Trail

Although the Creek Trail is still under the snow at the bottom of the canyon, all the other trails were open in Ash Canyon including the higher elevation Evidence Trail. Clearing the switchbacks on this trail has never been easier!

Jingle Bell Run

Last weekend, my friend Brent and I had the opportunity to be ride leaders for the 5K Jingle Bell Run. I stayed up front with the leader to make sure people knew the course, and Brent floated around and helped with problem traffic areas. The runners were all decked out in Santa hats and jingle bells. What a good time!

I ain’t got no brakes!

We’ll finish with this video. Scott Russel demonstrates why disc brakes are a better idea on a snow bike!

These pictures were selected from the Bike Carson Flickr Pool. Instructions for adding your photos to the pool can be found HERE.

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Bicycle News, Culture, and Lifestyle in Carson City, Nevada

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