Steve's Mountain Bike Page
Turlock, California

Tahoe Rim Trail and Flume Trail, Lake Tahoe, Nevada

August 28, 2005

Today I did my 30 miler ride above Lake Tahoe (Tahoe Rim Trail from Mt. Rose, down Redhouse Flume, up Sunflower Hill to Marlette Lake overlook, north on the TRT down the switchbacks, and down to Spooner Lake via The Flume Trail). I started out with Tim (UncleMTB), Kip and Brian (Liebelt1). However, on the initial climb Brian learned what slow really means and he set off on his own. It was just as well since I had planned on taking it slow and getting some good photos. It was a perfect day, clear blue skies and about 75 degrees. 

On the way up the TRT from Mt. Rose there is a nice rock drop I've always wanted to try. However, since it is only about one mile into a 30 mile point to point ride I've always been afraid to do it in case I hurt myself or broke my bike. But I set my camera up for 5 fps, gave it to Tim and I went for it. I chickened out the first time but I made it on the second. It was so easy I did it several more times to make sure he got a good photo. That was such a confidence booster that I tried a lot of things I'd never done before on the rest of the ride.

However, not too far into the ride Tim discovered his ribs were seriously hurt from his belly flop last week at Downieville so he left Kip and I nine miles into the ride at Tunnel Creek Road. Kip and I continued on and we had a great ride. Even the grind up Sunflower Hill didn't seem as bad as usual. However, the sun seemed to conspire against us the whole day because it always seemed to be right in the camera. But fortunately, after Tim left I switched to raw mode and that gave me a bit more latitude to play with. Unfortunately, however, Lake Tahoe is so vast it is difficult to really capture much of it, even with a wide angle lens. Here is a map of the trails.

Click on an image to enlarge it

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1st attempt 2nd attempt 2nd attempt Made it He went
up it		 Tougher than
it looks
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Kip makes
it		 TRT Kip & Tim
on TRT		 Stairs
on TRT		 Recovered and
made it		 Stairs
on TRT
img_1940.jpg (100302 bytes) img_1936.jpg (126738 bytes) img_1942.jpg (96727 bytes) img_1947.jpg (122370 bytes) img_1959.jpg (166129 bytes) img_1963.jpg (213410 bytes)
Stairs
on TRT		 Stairs
on TRT		 Stairs
on TRT		 Stairs
on TRT		 Kip on
TRT		 Me on
TRT
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Kip on
TRT		 TRT
switchback		 Kip, TRT
switchback		 Me on
TRT		 Kip on
TRT		 Kip on
TRT
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Me on
Flume Trail		 On the
Flume Trail		 Kip on
Flume Trail		 Marlette Lake
Lake Tahoe		 Me, TRT
switchback		 Kip on
Flume Trail
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On the
Flume Trail		 On the
Flume Trail		 On the
Flume Trail		 Kip on
Flume Trail		 On the
Flume Trail		 1600 ft. down
Flume Trail