[Horst Linked]

I'm flying in from Colorado and am thinking about riding it on the 4th of July. Since I haven't ridden this trail before, is this a good idea or bad? Will it be a zoo? Is it even worth it? This is the only time I'll have to ride it, and it's one of those epics that I feel I have to take a crack at.

Also, I'm not going to fly my bike (at United's prices), so does anybody have any advice about where to rent a (high end demo) bike between South Lake Tahoe and the trail head?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Alumni]

Your VERY likely to see quite a few riders on the 4th. However, if you get an early start...early like 5:00 or 6:00 you can avoid most of the casual traffic. light cracks at about 5:15 and is nice by 5:30. And for me a cool morning ride is worth it. We just did it last Saturday after climbing from Carson City. 35 mile and 4 hours of beautiful scenery. Take a look at their site you can rent a quality bike directly from the trail head.

http://www.theflumetrail.com/

 

[Horst Linked]

Mornings are best for me too. I've reserved a bike from them (unfortunately, not a Turner as I take a medium), but they open at 9 am which is kind of a bummer. I know they're at the trail head, so I think I'll try to pick it up at close on the 3rd and then ride early, dumping the bike off a the end of the ride. Hope they don't try to jam me for 2 days rental.

 

[Posturedoc]

I haven't ridden the Flume Train on a July 4, but I did ride it last year on a weekend and didn't get on the trail until after 10:00 a.m. While it wasn't an empty trail in front of me, it was hardly crowded. Maybe the weekend of the 4th is a different story entirely than a late August Sunday, but I'm not sure it's going to be the equivalent of an L.A. freeway from Spooner to the Flume by 9:00 a.m.

If you can't get the bike late on the 3rd, I would simply get there by 8:30 on the 4th and make sure I'm on of the first in line for my bike. You should be fine either way.

 

[KRob]

If you are able to get it at closing time on the 3rd, you should try and get a ride in that evening too. It stays light 'til 9:00. My pick would be the TRT from Kingsbury grade towards Spooner. If you have a shuttle go clear to Spooner (12.5 miles), if not go to the high point at the bench overlooking the lake and back. A much more fun ride imo. Definitely do the Flume for the views of the lake (the trail itself is nothing special).... but if you can get in a second ride the evening before.... do some TRT.

 

[Posturedoc]

I second Krob's suggestion. Additionally, you can add a section of the TRT onto the Flume ride by either riding up to it from Marlette Lake (before you hit the Flume Trail - it should be very clear on the map), it's a grunt of a climb, but it'll open up your lungs. You can also add the TRT in the other direction by adding it on after you get to the end of the TRT by climbing up Tunnel Creek Rd. and turning right. I prefer it in the first direction, but both are fun.

Enjoy!

 

[KRob]

I second Krob's suggestion. Additionally, you can add a section of the TRT onto the Flume ride by either riding up to it from Marlette Lake (before you hit the Flume Trail - it should be very clear on the map), it's a grunt of a climb, but it'll open up your lungs. You can also add the TRT in the other direction by adding it on after you get to the end of the TRT by climbing up Tunnel Creek Rd. and turning right. I prefer it in the first direction, but both are fun.

Enjoy!

Or better yet... take the shuttle to Mt. Rose Tahoe Meadows (It'll be open by then I assume) and ride down the TRT to the Tunnel creek connector then ride the Flume North to south... then on to Marlette lake and back over to Spooner Lake where you left you car.

Man, I gotta get back over there soon. All this talking of singletrack is making antsy.

 

[Posturedoc]

Shuttling that ride is for old folks and weenies, KRob. Grind out the big 33 mile loop from the Meadows and back and you can be proud of your fitness. That sounds so enticing, I'm tempted to do it tomorrow, but I have all sorts of landscaping work to do at my house that I've got to get done before next weekend, so it will have to wait another couple of weeks or so.

 

[KRob]

Shuttling that ride is for old folks and weenies, KRob.

True. What if you ride clear to Marlette lake on the TNT from Tahoe Meadows then do an out and back on the Flume from Marlettte, then ride back over the hill to Spooner Lake (25-30miles). Not good enough? Ok. Then just for kicks and giggles do an out and back on The TRT from Kingsbury to Spooner (25 more miles) in the same day. How's that? Could I feel better about my fitness then? (btw.... I'm still an old guy and a weenie.)

Grind out the big 33 mile loop from the Meadows and back and you can be proud of your fitness.

That does sound like a good ride. I was assuming that Horst Linked was an old folk and/or a weenie.

If not, then my apologies to you FSR guy. Definitely do the big loop PD described or my suggested 50 miler. Or search the mtbr arhives for descriptions of "The Punisher". That's the next big ride I want to do at Tahoe. Good stuff. I'm getting so anxious to get over to Tahoe.

 

[Alumni]

Fitness!

This was last Saturday. 35 miles.

From Carson, up Kings Canyon, Spooner to Marlette, Up the TRT to Marlette Peak. Back to Hobart Road. Down to Hobart, back on Ash Canyon and down to Carson.

 

[Posturedoc]

So many great rides up there and so many different ways to do them...if only life would spare me the time, I could fit a few more of 'em in.

I like the loop you describe, Alumni. I haven't ridden down Ash Canyon since I did it on my rigid Bridgestone MB2 about 20 years ago. That was a punishing descent. How is it these days? I understand that there is some single track running partway up Ash Canyon. Which it the nicer climb, Kings or Ash? Your answer will dictate the way I ride it at some unspecified time later this summer.

 

[Alumni]

Hey Doc,

Coming down Ash was not fun. It is extremely steep and hard packed making for a fast scary ride. Throw in trucks and motorcycles returning from fishing Hobart to Carson and things only get worse. Two of us experienced brake fade and we all had to make frequent stops to cool the bikes and rest the arms. Just starting back up to stay ahead of the vehicles. We loved the climb up Kings Canyon and will now do the loop again but use Lakeview as the return road and we can still hit the single track in Ash at the end. As for climbing Ash would be nearly impossible. Extremely steep and nothing to get tire grip on. Stick with Kings for the climb.

http://www.bikecarson.com/2008/06/24/kings-canyon-to-ash-canyon-loop/
http://mtbinccnv.blogspot.com/

You have heard correctly about single tracks in Ash Canyon. There is a beautiful creek trail below the fire road and several others above. Check out these two site for details.

We have been working hard and soon will have an endless source of rides right here on Carson West side.

 

[rodar y rodar]

Climb Ash Canyon? Not for THIS old folk weeinie. I dont much care for going down it but at least that falls into the realm of possibility for me. Up is K Robs territory, maybe. Whats the ride from Hobart to Lakeview like? Scuse the lack of apostrophes. Im on a funky keyboard and cant find the punctuation I want.

 

[Horst Linked]

Rode it...

So I rode the lariat, Spooner Lake to Flume Trail (N) and back to Spooner Lake using the TRT (S). Great trails! The forest road going to and from the "loop" part of the ride was pretty lame (too sandy and full of logging wood chips), but the Flume Trail and TRT kicked tail...lived up to the hype for sure.

One thing that I missed was my bike. I rented a Specialized FSR Expert test bike from Flume Trail bikes at the trail head...pretty sluggish ride to say the least. The didn't yet have their Ibis carbons built yet and only had an XS Turner for rent. But once I got on the Flume trail, I kind of forgot about the Homogenized I was riding.

Another thing I noticed is that the people on the trail were super friendly. Now maybe this was due to the fact that it was the 4th of July, but almost everybody, old riders, younger riders, were really friendly. I'm not used to this in Colorado since a lot of riders here are pseudo-hardcore d-bags riding custom bikes they have no business riding and hailing from Boulder (go ride Buffalo Creek on the weekend if you want to see what I'm talking about).

Regardless, this was a true epic and a trail I'll look forward to riding again when I can return to Tahoe.

 

[rodar y rodar]

Great! I`m glad you enjoyed it. Were you able to check out the views through the smoke?

 

[Horst Linked]

At first the visibility was poor and I couldn't see across the lake, but by the time I reached the end of the Flume segment, it had cleared a little. The good day was Saturday the 5th though.