Steve's Mountain Bike Page
Turlock, California

Tahoe Rim Trail and Flume Trail, Lake Tahoe, Nevada

August 20, 2004

People assume that just because I have a mountain bike website that I am a good rider. Such was the case with Jim from Georgia, who bugged me for two months to take him on a Tahoe ride. I did everything I could to dissuade him, telling him I was old, crippled, slow, and I didn't drink beer. But he persisted. Since I was going to ride there anyway I finally relented and invited him along. Although he is a more skilled and fitter rider than I he seemed to enjoy the trip. 

The weather called for isolated thunderstorms and it started raining a few miles outside of  Tahoe on the drive in Thursday afternoon. It was at that point that I realized I forgot to bring a windbreaker. After I met Jim at the Motel 6 we looked for someplace to buy some sort of emergency raingear. Fortunately, we found a great bike store nearby, Sports Ltd., near the Raley's at the intersection of Hwys. 50 and 89. Don't be fooled by the small and simple exterior, they sell high end bikes and very good accessories, including clothing.

We did the Tahoe Rim Trail from Mt. Rose, Redhouse Flume, up Sunflower Hill, up the Rim Trail overlooking Marlette Lake and down the switchbacks, and then down the Flume Trail to Spooner Lake, for 30.4 miles. After doing at least 50 switchbacks at Mammoth Mountain last week I am getting better at them and I am finally enjoying going down that section of the Rim Trail. The weather was supposed to be rainy but the storms stayed behind us the whole day.

After two years on this route I have finally mastered most of the drop-offs, except for a few of the gnarly downhill switchbacks. Jim led me up and over more obstacles than ever. We went up Sunflower Hill a bit faster than I've done before. However, that seemed to sap my energy because I had to stop a few times on the climb up the Rim Trail to the Marlette Lake overlook. We stopped quite a bit to take photos so it took a bit longer than usual. But I suspect our riding time was as fast as ever. The weather was spectacular, we had a great time, and it was obvious that Jim was not disappointed. Here is the trail map.

Click on an image to enlarge it.

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Jim above
Lake Tahoe		 Rim Trail Flume Trail Me Redhouse
Flume
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Taking
a break		 Rim Trail Rain 
behind us		 Rim Trail Marlette Lake
Lake Tahoe
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Rim Trail Rim Trail Rim Trail Rim Trail Jim out
of the sky
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Rim Trail Flume Trail Flume Trail Flume Trail
1,500 ft. down		 Flume Trail
 

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