The Mission Mountain Wood Band will play a long-awaited return to Tahoe on Friday, Nov. 27 – the night after Thanksgiving. Booked into the Harrah’s-Tahoe South Shore Room, MMWB will once again charm the crowd with their inimitable blend of bluegrass, rock, country and whatever else the band may blend in that night.

In their old days of touring, the boys from Mission Mountain covered the country many times, traveling to over 300 gigs each year. In the decade they were originally together, the band opened for The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffet and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, to list just a few.

Mission Mountain Wood Band currently consists of four original band members, who met circa 1970 while at the University of Montana. Rob Quist is on guitar and banjo, Greg Reichenberg is the longtime drummer, Steve Riddle plays bass and Christian Johnson is the multi-instrument wiz – switching deftly and often from electric guitar, mandolin and fiddle. In 1987, the fifth original player – Terry Robinson – was killed in a plane crash with his then-current group, The Montana Band.

Lately, his place on stage-left has been filled by another Montanan, singer/songwriter, Tim Ryan. Of his current gig with MMWB, Ryan says, “Right now, people want to go to live shows. After a Mission Mountain concert, you’ll hear people say ‘That was a great evening, and you know what? Those guys entertained me.’ Many acts now, if they lost power – no video, no lights – it’d be over. Mission Mountain can handle any venue there is – they are master performers.”

Bruce Young

Ryan, who has penned songs for many top Nashville acts, has written four new tunes that Mission Mountain has been adding to their line-up. But, as Rob Quist points out, “Songs that will probably never leave our set list are Mountain Standard Time, Sweet Maria and Take a Whiff On Me.”

For a group who has always ‘considered the audience the sixth member of our band,’ check them out personally – the show is Nov. 27 at 7:30pm, Harrah’s South Shore Room. Tickets are $25. 800-786-8208

Gunmount Trail

Fast Facts

Mary Cook

Length: 5 miles out-and-back

Technical: Beginner

Highlights: Seneca Pond, Osgood Swamp

Time: 1-2 hours

Season: Spring – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Getting There

Mary Cook

Start your Gunmount adventure at the avalanche Gun Tower on the north side of Hwy 50, just a half mile west of Meyers past North Upper Truckee Road, before the highway turns south to climb Echo Summit.

Logging roads have cropped up throughout the Angora burn area, erasing the former Gunmount singletrack that clung below the Angora ridgeline. Try as you may, picking up the trailhead at the opposite end by the South Lake Tahoe High School sign on Vikings Road or similarly, across from Sawmill Pond, at the intersection of Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Sawmill Road, will not connect you with the described Gunmount trail that skirts the shores of Seneca Pond and leaks out at the avalanche Gun Tower.

The Basics

Mary Cook

Starting from the Gun Tower on Highway 50, two trails present themselves. Take the trail to the left to traverse northwest along the escarpment below Flagpole Peak. The trail to the right plunges into deep forest, eventually bordering Osgood swamp. Shortly after leaving Osgood, the only technical section of the right-hand trail appears as wood plank creek-crossing. My advice for novice riders: walk the plank!

Eventually, the right and left-hand trails merge onto a lone, pine needle-covered singletrack, meandering through at-first vivacious woods, which thin out into ebony, telephone-pole-like silhouettes – products of the Angora fire. In the midst of this bittersweet burn area, Seneca Pond, also called Hippy Pond, sits, like a glistening, untouched mirror in the scorched wreckage of a tragic fire. Seneca Pond marks the turn-around point of this short and flat, out-and-back route.

There are many spurs trails on Gunmount, and if you bailout on an eastward spur trail, you will eventually end up on North Upper Truckee Road, resulting in a shorter loop.

Sierra Tract

Fast Facts

Mary Cook

Length: Your choice, many short loops

Technical: Beginner

Highlights: Spur trails to Lake Tahoe Community College

Season: Spring – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Getting There

From Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe, turn onto Sierra Boulevard and follow it all the way to its end. At a T intersection, make a right onto Barbara Avenue and the entrance to the trail is located at the end of Barbara at the corner with Lodi Avenue.

The Basics

Mary Cook

Pedal through pine-shaded forest on dirt, planar trails, which put the flat in the phrase “paper flat.” Sierra Tract’s section of woods is bound by two meadows – an eastern square containing Trout Creek and a larger, western strip embracing South Lake Tahoe’s airport as well as the Upper Truckee River.

This maze of interconnecting trails can be confusing at first. When navigating the Sierra Tract spider web, try to keep a mental tally of the turns you took, so an out-and-back route, if not a loop, is always an option. Keep it simple. The humble act of exploring is your best bet to discovering longer and shorter loops in this novice mountain biking area.

Persisting on an eastward trail will eventually dump you out onto Black Bart Avenue, upon which you can link up with trails to Lake Tahoe Community College off of connecting Meadow Crest Drive.

Washoe Meadows Out-and-Back

Fast Facts

Mary Cook

Length: 5.2 miles out-and-back

Technical: Beginner

Time: 1 hour

Season: Summer – Fall

Tread: 50% single track, 25% dirt road, 25% gravel road

Getting There

From South Lake Tahoe, head south on Highway 50 towards Meyers. Turn right onto North Upper Truckee Road. Turn right at West San Bernardino Avenue, left on Cholula Street, and left on Chilicothe Street.

The ride begins at the end of Chilicothe Street at the gate to Washoe Meadows State Park.

The Basics

Mary Cook

Starting from the gate into Washoe Meadows State Park, head north on a gravel road which changes to packed dirt about halfway down.

The dirt road parallels the Upper Truckee River at the start. If gushing water or perhaps fishing captivates you, keep your eyes akimbo for several spur paths to the banks of the Upper Truckee.

Follow the road along a 90 degree curve in the middle of the meadow, ignoring the singletrack on the right. Veer right as the dirt road makes an acute-angle turn at a historic wooden building.

Turn left onto a doubletrack through the split-rail fence, while avoiding the dirt road to the right which leads to private property. Cross two raised boardwalks and two wooden bridges. Just past the second bridge, a fork in the trail presents itself. Veer right onto singletrack.

The singletrack roams through lush meadow, crosses Angora Creek, and all the while, offers a backdrop of towering Sierra Nevada peaks. The gate at the north end of the park, at the corner of Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Tahoe Mountain Road, designates your turn-around point for this out-and-back route.

Upper Truckee River Out-and-Back

Fast Facts

Mary Cook

Length: 4.6 mile out-and-back

Technical: Beginner

Time: 30-45 minutes

Season: Summer – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Getting There

From the intersection of Highway 50 and Highway 89, at South Lake Tahoe’s “Y,” head south for 2.8 miles on Highway 50 towards Meyers. Turn left onto Elks Club Road. Look for the trailhead just past the Elks Lodge on the left near a gate. On Sunday and occasional Saturdays, the Tahoe Flea Market is up and running next to the trailhead, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Basics

Mary Cook

From the gate, jump on the dual track peppered with woodchips which gives way to dirt. As a heads up, ignore side trails for the entirety of this ride. Continue on the dual track which fades into singletrack, just as it reaches the banks of the Upper Truckee River.

From here on out, the singletrack winds, dips, and levels through meadow and forest on a route parallel to the Upper Truckee River. Left-ward spurs will take you even closer to the river’s edge. Mid-journey, you will reach a hike-and-bike section up a steep slope, littered with tree roots.

Continue straight to the 2.3-mile-turn-around point where the trail meets pavement leading across the river to the airport.

Mary Cook

Length: 4.9 mile loop

Technical: Beginner

Highlights: Break for lunch at Fallen Leaf Lake’s shoreline

Time: 1 hour

Season: Spring – Fall

Tread: 70 % singletrack, 21% paved road, 9% paved bike path

Getting There

From South Lake Tahoe’s “Y” intersection, take Highway 89 towards Emerald Bay. Drive three miles north, through Camp Richardson Resort, and shortly after, turn left onto Fallen Leaf Lake Road, which is across from the entrance to the Tallac Historic Site. Continue for about 0.8 mile, pass the entrance to Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, and 0.25 miles ahead, after the road curves right, there are small parking areas on both sides of the road. The trailhead is located on the right-side (west side) of the road.

Overview of the 4.9 Miler

At the 0.2-mile mark the trail forks. Veer left onto a wider, gravely trail that skirts a large meadow, clasping Aspens whose autumn yellow hues are especially postcard picturesque in October.

Mary Cook

This trail rambles onward towards the crystal clear waters of Fallen Leaf Lake, located at the base of Mount Tallac. If you packed a swimsuit, take left-hand spur trails to the water’s edge for a quick dip. For shorter loops, take right-hand spurs back to Fallen Leaf Lake Campground.

Otherwise, continue leisurely counterclockwise on this mellow, shoreline singletrack, profiting from what locals consider some of the most beautiful scenery in South Lake Tahoe. Ride straight through the intersection of trails and cross a narrow spillway, where, in October, pedestrians might be parked for viewing rainbow-colored, spawning Kokanee salmon in the waters close to the outlet.

David Goldman

On the other side of the spillway, pedal to a T intersection and turn left for a short stint to yet another fork in the trail. A right-hand turn will steer you in the direction of Taylor Creek and Cathedral trail. Veer left, towards Fallen Leaf Lake, for the Sawmill Cove Loop.

After a short, rewarding climb, an inviting picnic table is visible on Sawmill Cove. This perfect lunch stop, offer views of Fallen Leaf Lake’s opposite shoreline, on which, just a short time ago, you were peacefully navigating by bike.

At the Sawmill Cove junction of trails, veer right onto a dirt road, pass an old foundation on the left, and swerve right around an isolated, log cabin onto a doubletrack which soon shrinks into singletrack. Turn right at another T intersection onto a wider trail and veer left at the fork, completing the Sawmill Cove Loop.

David Goldman

Continue straight onto Cathedral trail, which channels its way through dense pine and aspen, between Taylor Creek, another popular Kokanee salmon vista spot, and Cathedral Road. Follow the blue diamond markers for this winter cross-country ski route of the Taylor Creek Sno-Park to its bleed-out point onto Cathedral Road, close to the intersection of Highway 89.

Now it’s pavement all the way back to the car! Take the Camp Richardson Bike Path, which parallels Highway 89, for a quarter-mile, to the Fallen Leaf Lake Road turn-off on the right. Follow Fallen Leaf Lake Road up the trailhead to complete the 4.9-mile loop.

Award-Winning Documentary “FLOW”

Where: Lake Tahoe Community College’s Aspen Room
When: Thursday, November 12^th, 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

LTCC’s Geology Club and Library presents Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary, “Flow.” The film investigates one of the most significant environmental issues of the new millennium – The World Water Crisis. Salina exposes the increasing privatization of the world’s declining fresh water reserves through a series of interviews with scientists and activists, all the while, petitioning the lingering question “Can anyone truly own water?”

The Importance of Being Earnest

Lake Tahoe Community College

Where: Duke Theatre, Lake Tahoe Community College
When: Thursday – Saturday

• Nov 12 – 14 and Nov 19-21 at 8 p.m.

• Sunday, Nov 22 matinee at 2 p.m.

Cost: $7 general admission, $5 seniors, $4 LTCC student body cardholders

Take a seat in Lake Tahoe Community College’s Duke Theater for Oscar Wilde’s beloved classic romantic comedy, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” put on by LTCC’s Theatre Department. Laugh as Jack, a frequent runaway from his mundane country life, makes numerous visits to his new love Gwendolen in the city, under a fabricated brother façade, conveniently named Earnest. Meanwhile, Jack’s buddy Algernon is leather tramping around the country, also under the fictitious name Earnest, and becomes enamored with Jack’s ward, Cecily. Without a doubt, LTCC’s presentation of Wilde’s stealth-loaded plotline, witty dialogue and comical characters, will leave viewers red in the face from laughter.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Pray for Snow Party

Where: Murphy’s Irish Pub
When: Thursday, November 12^th

• 6 p.m. – Sierra-at-Tahoe and Double Whammy season pass holders only
• 7 p.m. – Doors open to the public
• 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. – Snow Calling Contests

Sierra-at-Tahoe gives back to their loyal season pass holders, sponsoring free appetizers and drinks at Murphy’s Irish Pub, starting at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m., doors open to the public and the waiting-for-winter bash begins with live DJ performances on the back deck along side an outdoor mini ramp where local skaters can do their thing.

The snow-call contest begins at 8 p.m. Sierria-at-Tahoe is calling all local singers, dancers, musicians, yodelers, rappers, poets and other talents to grace the floors of Murphy’s Irish Pub on November 12^th. Snow rituals are judged on volume, audience involvement, and creativity. The winner of the snow-call contest will receive a 2010 Sierra-at-Tahoe season pass! Other contests will follow, awarding gear from DC, Skull, Candy, Nikita, Vex, Opal, and Powderhouse.

Soroptimist International “An Evening of Food & Wine Tasting”

Where: Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Convention Center
When: Friday, November 13^th, 6 P.M. – 9:30 P.M.
Cost: $65
Must be 21 to attend

Take this opportunity to give back to the community! Voted “Best of Tahoe” year after year, the annual food and wine tasting event will feature tasty respite from 18 plus local restaurants as well as 32 wineries and breweries. In addition to toothsome wine and food pairings, a silent auction and raffle will take place.

Tickets can be purchased from a Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe member or through a mail-in fax ticket order form.

Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe has been a long-time philanthropist to women and children in the South Shore community, via educational scholarships, youth activity sponsorships, and donations to the Lake Tahoe Women’s Center.

Jose Feliciano

Where: Harrah’s South Shore Room
When: Saturday, November 14^th, 7:30 P.M.
Cost: $45

Witness illustrious guitar legend and eight-time-Grammy-winner Jose Feliciano in Harrah’s massive South Shore Room on November 14th. Internationally acclaimed as “the greatest living guitarist,” Feliciano was one of the first Latin musicians to break into the English music industry. Guitar Player Magazine tagged him with a “Best Pop Guitarist” title, adding him to their “Gallery of the Greats.”

Jose has showcased his talent all over the world, accompanying many top-notch symphonic orchestras, like the London Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Born blind in 1945, Jose breathes life into the modern music industry, demonstrating that bona fide talent is still rewarded.

The Fresh Ketch Pray For Snow Party

Where: The Fresh Ketch
When: Wednesday, November 18^th at 8 p.m.

A local tradition for over two decades, the annual Pray for Snow Party at The Fresh Ketch showcases entertainment, prizes, contests, and of course, praying. Abiding by the law of attraction, winter worshipers and party participants engage in the supported notion of group prayer, urging the Tahoe heavens to gloriously dump powder on its avid ski towns below.

Pints & Paddles Cruise Aboard the Tahoe Queen

Where: The Tahoe Queen, Ski Run Marina
When: Thursday, Nov 19^th 6:30 P.M. – 9:30 P.M.
Cost: $30, $5 off with local identification

Beginning boarding the Tahoe Queen this November 19th at 6 P.M., for a night of renowned Sierra Nevada brews and roots reggae with live local band Truckee Tribe. A complimentary first beer and a keepsake pint glass are included in the ticket price. Food is available for purchase onboard. Whether you opt to gawk at a high-altitude rendition of Van Gogh’s starry night on the top deck of the Queen, or sway to Truckee Tribe’s funky bluegrass, ska, and reggae beats on the bottom floor, a memorable evening awaits.

The Heavenly Ski & Snowboard Foundation Ski Swap

Where: Montbleu Convention Center
When: Friday & Saturday, November 20 and 21

• Friday: 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. – “Moonlight Madness Pre-Sale” $5 admission, kids under 12 free

• Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – free admission

Come support The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation, which aims to benefit young athletes interested in Alpine Ski Racing, competitive Freestyle, and Snowboard Programs. Beyond skiing and riding, The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation organization builds social skills among its young athletes, through friendly competition and team bonding.

The ski swap, which has become an annual staple of the South Shore, offers deals on new and used equipment, as well as clothing and accessories. Now is the time to gear up for the upcoming winter season!

Mission Mountain Wood Band

Bruce Young

Where: Harrah’s South Shore Room
When: Friday, November 27^th, 7:30 P.M.
Cost: $25

Nurse your ears this November with a masterpiece performance by five-piece Mission Mountain Wood Band, in cahoots since 1970. Hailing from Montana, Mission Mountain Wood Band plays every genre from bluegrass, to rock, to country – often fusing the three. In addition to an eclectic set list, Mission Mountain Wood Band has acquired an impressive show record, playing over 300 gigs each year, notably running as an opener for The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, and Jimmy Buffet.

Mary Cook

Length: 12 miles out-and-back

Technical: Beginner – Intermediate

Highlights: Commuter trail

Time: 1.5 – 3 hours

Season: Spring – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Getting There

If driving or biking up Ski Run Blvd, take a right onto Saddle Road and pick up the trailhead where Saddle Road dead-ends. Coming at it from the reverse direction, follow Oneidas Road, off Pioneer Trail near Meyers, to Fountain Place Road (FS 1201) and park at the last dirt pull-out before the road begins to ascend (bottom of Corral Trail). The trailhead at this end takes the form of a double-track dirt road called Powerline Road.

The Basics

This non-technical trail is a great training ride through spacious pine forests. Practice shifting up and down in your second ring on Powerline’s signature smooth rollers – sometimes steep, but often times mellow.

Mary Cook

The first stint of Powerline trail off Saddle Road forks immediately. The right-hand fork offers a quick climb up to an open, sandy apex, where one can gawk at an overwhelmingly picturesque backdrop of Desolation Wilderness peaks. The trail then descends for a short, yet steep, dusty spell and curves to the left to begin following the overhead power lines which parallel Pioneer Trail.

The left-hand fork travels away from Pioneer Trail, hugging bouldery knolls as the trail climbs higher up onto a pine-shaded mountainside. Both forks merge at the Al Tahoe turn-off.

The first bailout point, if starting from the Saddle Road trailhead, is at Al Tahoe Road. A marker indicating a right turn will place you on a sandy zigzagging path that dumps out onto Pioneer Trail at its intersection with Al Tahoe. Stay straight for more of that undulating singetrack, which beginning mountain bikers’ dream of.

The trail twists and turns, climbs and descends, through sagebrush, manzanita, storybook forests, and over Cold Creek’s wooden bridge to High Meadows Road. Turn right onto High Meadows Road for a paper flat gravely avenue to a left-hand turn onto Powerline’s continuing singletrack.

As a side note, one can embark on intersecting High Meadows Road or Cold Creek trail, in the eastern direction away from Pioneer Trail, for a punishing climb out-and-back to Star Lake.

Mary Cook

The singletrack widens into a dusty double-lane Powerline Road, caked with whoop-de-doos from dirt bikers. Powerline Road passes left-hand Cedar trailhead and Corral trailhead, eventually bleeding out into a dirt parking lot at the corner of Fountain Place Road.

Fortunately, Powerline trail is one of the best marked mountain biking trails in South Lake Tahoe. At every crossroads, there is a trail marker indicating the direction one needs to pedal to stay on Powerline trail.

Because of its parallel nature to Pioneer Trail, many locals use Powerline as a commuter path to-and-from work. South Lake Tahoe residents can hop on at Oneidas, High Meadows Road, Cold Creek trail, and Al Tahoe, to link up with Powerline trail.

Mary Cook

Pseudonym: Tahoe Mountain

Length: 1.0 mile (southern fork), 3.1 miles (northern fork)

Highlights: Incorporate Valley View into a loop around Tahoe Mountain

Technical: Intermediate – Advanced

Time: 1-3 hours

Season: Late Spring – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Valley View is a short n’sweet, unpopulated, somewhat cluttered downhill singetrack. Not a soul crossed my path while I visited this trail on a crisp, fall afternoon. Such low traffic might explain the trail’s scattered feel. Loose rocks, speckled twigs, pinecone debris, broken shards of bark, and intermittent, overgrown manzanita patches spice up an already challenging mountain biking path.

Mary Cook

Yet after observing one of the most picturesque sunsets over Mount Tallac from Tahoe Mountain’s summit, I raise the question – why don’t more mountain bikers flock to Valley View trail?

Ambitious local riders usually incorporate Valley View into a loop around Tahoe Mountain, piecing together a half-day journey, cross-country in nature.

I will describe the loop I tackled recently, incorporating explanations of alternative off-shoots when necessary.

My Loop – Getting There

Mary Cook

From South Lake Tahoe’s “Y” intersection take Highway 89 towards Emerald Bay. Drive through Camp Richardson Resort and shortly after, turn left onto Fallen Leaf Lake Road. Continue for about a mile, pass the entrance to Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, and after the road curves right, park on the left-hand side of the pavement, near the forest service green gate.

1.3 Miles of Rock Garden Trail

Mary Cook

Rock Garden trail, paralleling Fallen Leaf Lake Road, is famous for its early opening after snowmelt. Locals frequent Rock Garden in May to get a jump-start on the mountain biking season. Enter onto a forest service road at the green gate and take an immediate right onto this punchy, rock-littered trail, equipped with peripheral log stunts for the gutsy. With this approach, Rock Garden is a steady, at times technical, climb to its wrap-up at Tahoe Mountain Road. Watch for downhillers if utilizing this trail as I did – an alternative to gradually ascending, paved Fallen Leaf Lake Road.

1.2 Miles of Pavement

From Rock Garden trail, turn left onto Tahoe Mountain Road for a heart-pumping climb up to a stop sign. Continue straight onto Dundee Circle and follow this road to dead-end Tartan Way. Turn left, witness one of South Lake Tahoe’s log cabin mansions at the corner, and peddle to the lot’s end where Valley View trail commences.

3.1 Miles of Valley View Trail

The trail descends for a bit, traversing tight turns of loose dirt. Enjoy this short-lived downhill, for the singletrack then scales up Tahoe Mountain along a series of significantly graded switchbacks, amidst torched trees and spiny, smoked-out manzanita clusters, redolent of the Angora fire.

Mary Cook

Close to the beginning of the ascent, the trail will fork. Take bail-out southern fork (a right-hand turn) for a quick, 0.8 miles of steep, downhill singletrack to Lake Tahoe Boulevard, near Sawmill Pond. Turn left onto a wide, paper flat, parallel trail to Lake Tahoe Boulevard, which dumps out at the South Lake Tahoe High School sign, on the corner of Viking Road and Lake Tahoe Boulevard. Continue on Viking Road to 13^th Street, which intersects with the Pope-Baldwin Bike Path (sometimes christened the Camp Richardson Bike Path) just after its crossing with Highway 89. Turn left onto the bike path and follow its rolling course over bridges, through meadows, and past Camp Richardson Resort, to the Fallen Leaf Lake Road turn-off, where your parked car sits.

Mary Cook

Otherwise, continue churning up the northern fork of Valley View trail, to Tahoe Mountain’s summit at 7,249 feet elevation, while channeling a masochistic, feel-good sensation evident by lungs gasping for air and legs burning with lactic acid build-up. Near the pinnacle of this trail’s climb, its name comes into play – Valley View. While traversing along the ridgeline of Tahoe Mountain, enjoy vistas of lush valley embracing Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe, hemmed in by a western border of Mount Tallac and Desolation Wilderness peaks, as well as a southeastern rim of Heavenly Mountain Resort, Freel Peak, Monument Peak, and Genoa Peak.

For a brief section at a false summit, the trail morphs into a double-lane, dirt forest road. Look for double-track spur trail on the right to funnel you up to the true apex of the climb, marked by a flimsy wooden shack and ride-on, ride-off log stunt.

Mary Cook

Thereafter, Valley View’s padded singletrack finally embarks on a descent, weaving in and out of pencil-thin, charcoal trees and low-lying, unkempt, prickly, blue-green brush. The final section of downhill stretches on a seemingly endless straightaway, covered with consecutive, packed dirt kickers. Pre-load your suspension for a launching good time on this unexpectedly speedy slice of downhill.

Logging roads in the burn area have spoiled the system of connector trails and forest roads at the end of Valley View trail. My best advice is to stay on the singletrack that traverses east, or to the right. While it may cross dugout logging roads, the trail eventually unloads behind South Lake Tahoe High School’s football field.

Follow aforementioned directions to Camp Richardson’s Bike Path for the last leg of asphalt back to your parked car on Fallen Leaf Lake Road.

Mary Cook

• Pseudonyms: Dardanelles, Lake Valley Trail Loop
  
• Length: 5.3 miles with shuttle, 7.7 miles without shuttle
  
• Highlights: Extend this ride with short out ‘n’ back to Round Lake or Dardanelles Lake
  
• Technical: Advanced
  
• Time: 1-3 hours
  
• Season: Summer – Fall
  
• Tread: Singletrack

Mary Cook

I will preface this trail description by explaining that while Christmas Valley is a “downhill” singletrack – and a technical one at that – the first stint of it involves a seriously graded climb, and the downhill payoff is littered with so many rocks that one’s descending momentum is significantly dampened. Expect to power pedal throughout the entirety of this gradual downhill, weighting and un-weighting your front tire, as you precariously steer from side to side through uneven rock section after relentless, rutted rock section. It’s as if you were engaged in an enthralling game of bumper-bikes with a rock-splattered Jackson Pollock painting.

Getting There

From South Lake Tahoe, head south on Highway 50 to South Upper Truckee Road and turn left. Drive for about four miles and park at the south end beyond the bridge crossing over the Upper Truckee River, just before the switchbacks. Note Hawley Grade downhill lets out before the bridge on the right and Christmas Valley downhill leaks out shortly after the bridge on the same side.

Mary Cook

Either bike or drive a shuttle car up the twists and turns of South Upper Truckee pavement, crossing comely, creek-like falls at two points along the way. Traverse Highway 89 and continue on a buckling strip of asphalt up to Big Meadow Campground parking lot on the right. The Tahoe Rim Trailhead is located on the south end of the parking area. At 0.2 miles, the trail crosses Highway 89 and continues en route to Round Lake.

In lieu of trekking up more one-lane switchbacks, one can alternatively turn right onto Highway 89 from South Upper Truckee Road. With this option, enjoy a gradual straight-shot climb to the Tahoe Rim Trailhead, located about one mile up on the right, just before the yellow, “Share The Road” traffic sign.

2.2 Miles of Tahoe Rim Trail

Mary Cook

Following a rocky start, maneuvering up and over slick boulders, the eventual dirt trail clings to a pine and aspen border. Plateau at a clearing for one astounding view of a rustic country path through flaxen Big Meadow, complete with deep-green forest trim and saintly, snowy Carson Range peaks in the distance.

Mary Cook

After puttering through this quaint, flat, reprieve of a meadow, plunge back into pine for the most punishing leg of the climb. Pop your wheel up a couple of steep, earthy, wood-plank staircases, along with a few twiggy, wall-like spurts, and before you know it, you’re at the ridgeline, gazing at Little Round Top Peak from afar.

Next, quiver down switch-backing, loose dirt on a tousled hillside, linking zigzag corners with elongated straight-aways. The last zigzag turn comes at a crossroads. A wooden post assigns Round Lake trail to the left and the desired sharp right turn onto Christmas Valley downhill.

3.1 Miles of Christmas Valley Downhill

Pedal hard to milk every bit of speed on this needle-matted, initial part of Christmas Valley, which fringes a lively tributary of the Upper Truckee River. Thereafter, embark on a tortuous singletrack obstacle course of wobbly, jagged, tightly-knit granite. Fortunately, these rugged sections, with rocks ranging from one inch to twelve inches in stature, are interspersed with soft, loamy interludes.

Mary Cook

Dardanelles then dips into a bleak, fire-tormented area of coal-colored, brittle silhouettes, still a pine tree at their core. In August 2002, a two-person plane crashed at Elbert Lake and fierce fall winds spread the fire across nearby mountainside to this modern-day burn area, which sits on Christmas Valley’s sinuous curves.

After casting away the shadows of charred timber and ash, tackle familiar, gritty territory, characteristic of Christmas Valley downhill, all the way to the singletrack’s outlet onto South Upper Truckee Road.

]]> http://www.southlaketahoe.com/biking/christmas-valley-downhill/feed 2 http://www.southlaketahoe.com/biking/chinese-downhill http://www.southlaketahoe.com/biking/chinese-downhill#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:41:37 +0000 Mary Cook http://www.southlaketahoe.com/?p=3493 Fast Facts

Mary Cook

• Pseudonym: Kingsbury Stinger
  
• Length: 3.4 miles
  
• Highlights: Shuttleable downhill trail
  
• Technical: Intermediate-Advanced
  
• Time: 30 min – 2 hours
  
• Season: Spring – Fall
  
• Tread: Singletrack

Getting There

From Stateline, ascend Kingsbury Grade (Route 207) until you intersect with North Benjamin Drive. Turn left onto North Benjamin Drive and continue on pavement, as North Benjamin turns into Andria Drive and finally, Genoa Peak Road. At the road’s end, look for Castle Rock Trailhead on your left, marked by a green entrance gate, and shortly after on the same side, the Tahoe Rim Trailhead. Park here, and take either trailhead (although the Tahoe Rim Trail is shorter, only 0.6 miles compared to 1.4 miles of Castle Rock) to link up with Chinese Downhill.

Another option is to tackle the steeply graded continuation of Genoa Peak Road, a doubletrack jeep road, for less than half a mile. Look for a connector trailhead on your left and benefit from dropping immediately into downhill terrain for 0.2 miles to a three-way junction with the Tahoe Rim Trail and Chinese Downhill.

Mary Cook

0.6 Miles of Tahoe Rim Trail

This short section of the dusty Tahoe Rim Trail is mostly flat with moderate climbs and descents. Twist and turn your front wheel through tight granite rocks, which may get your sidewall in a pinch, until you reach a reprieve in technicality at the Tahoe Rim Trail’s junction with Chinese Downhill. Turn left for a much wider, smoother, and sandier singletrack.

Chinese Downhill

Chinese Downhill’s slang name originated some years back, when the trail dumped out at a Chinese restaurant close to the northeast corner of Route 50 and Kingsbury Grade. Since then, the Chinese restaurant shut down, while Thai and Mexican eateries took its place, but the name still holds.

Mary Cook

For 2.5 miles, dirt bike-friendly Chinese Downhill’s wide, covered-in-fine-dust singletrack meanders over descending mounds of whoop-de-doos through open forest. About 1.2 miles in, a sandy, arduous climb awaits and kudos to those hammerhead mountain bikers who can grind in the correct gear and shift their weight accordingly, without loosing tire traction, to steadily grunt up to the climb’s pinnacle.

Mary Cook

Thereafter, slip and slide your bike through some more – at sometimes very steep – sandy singletrack until you see an imminent meadow and a succession of log kickers at a fork in the trail. Take the less-traveled right split bordering a grassy, straw-colored meadow which bleeds out onto neighborhood Chimney Rock Road.

Follow the paved road down and to the right to connect back up with the trail. Crunch your tires over pine needles, dodge pinecones, and somehow manage to stay upright in the silt, for 0.9 miles, on this mellow bottom half of Chinese Downhill.

The trail navigates through connecting elementary school outdoor basketball courts, with a gnarly, launching kicker positioned just as the blacktop kisses dirt again. Cruise a narrow straightaway through yet another meadow, duck into more pines, and suffer one last rocky section, before emptying onto a parking lot opposite Thai Delight and Cilantro Mexican Cantina.

Mary Cook

While Chinese Downhill is notorious for its loose Tahoe sand, autumn rain has the restorative ability to transform sand into dirt. For a packed-down rendition of Chinese Downhill, ride this trail during or slightly after a downpour.

Length: 4.9 miles without shuttle, 2.9 miles with shuttle (Corral Trail), 6.8 miles without shuttle, 4.8 miles with shuttle (Sidewinder to Cedar Trail), Connector Trail adds on about 1.4 miles

Technical: Beginner (Cedar Trail), Intermediate (Sidewinder Trail), Intermediate to Advanced (Corral Trail and Connector Trail)

Time: 1-2 hours

Season: Spring – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Mary Cook

This highly-trafficked loop is reminiscent of a small-operation ski resort – there is something for all levels of downhill riders. One could easily spend the whole day shuttling this route, warming up on greens, careening down blues, and bombing blacks. Situated at a lower elevation than most South Lake Tahoe singletracks, Corral loop is one of the first mountain biking trails to open after snowmelt, creating a long riding season for this Meyers gem.

Initially a hard-packed trail in the springtime, Corral gets pounded to a fine dust by the end of Indian summer. Fortunately, during this 2009 fall season, El Nino rains have graciously swept over Corral Loop, transforming quicksand into dirt nostalgic of early season conditions– a circumstance which paints a Cheshire cat-like grin on the faces of local mountain bikers.

Getting There

From Meyers, take Highway 50 north and turn right onto Pioneer trail toward South Lake Tahoe. After 0.8 miles, turn right onto Oneidas Street. Oneidas ends at an opened Forest Road gate and turns into a rough, single-lane road, known as Fountain Place Road. Follow Fountain Place Road to the large dirt parking lot on the left, before the pavement curves right and starts its two-mile ascent to the Corral trailhead. In the parking lot, you will find a tailgate party of Corral enthusiasts (especially on the weekends), both mountain bikers and dirt bikers.

Mary Cook

From the parking area, shuttle or bike up a short, 2-mile stretch of Fountain Place Road. After passing through a cattle grade, Corral trailhead is located on your left. For ambitious riders yearning for more miles of technical singletrack, continue up an even steeper section of Fountain Place Road for 1.2 miles to its bitter end, where Armstrong Pass trail is located on the right-hand side and challenging Connector trail dumps off to the left.

Corral Trail

Mary Cook

About 100 feet onward from the designated Corral trailhead, there is a fork in the singletrack, tracing a more technical Corral trail to the left and intermediate-style Sidewinder trail to the right. Choose your destiny, knowing that with either decision, pure elation lies ahead.

Mary Cook

Corral immediately drops into sections of rock staircase, although in comparison with Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, these granite stair steppers are not nearly as long or as steep, excluding one 100-yard rock garden. Such rock-strewn jaunts are benignly interspersed with long dirt straight-aways. If you fancy log stunts, keep your eyes akimbo for some technical tightrope acts sidelining the entire 2-mile singletrack stint that is Corral trail.

After its last rocky portion, Corral trail merges with buddy Sidewinder trail right before a wooden bridge, crossing over a bubbling Trout Creek. Expect a short climb post-bridge to a marked fork, which indicates the continuation of Corral trail to the left and Cedar trail to the right.

Thereafter, Corral trail navigates its way through open forest on log-littered pathways and long straight sections of dirtbike-spawn whoop-de-doos. In the summer months, the last half-mile of Corral can get quite sandy, benefiting bikes with beefy tires.

Mary Cook

Recently, a team of local mountain bikers put some blood, sweat, and tears into the bottom of Corral trail, building an optional byway, coated with 10 and 15-foot kickers followed by sweet, soft dirt transitions.

Corral Trail empties out onto a dirt road, known as Powerline Road. Turn left and cruise for 0.9 miles along sandy, bonus whoope-de-doos, over a paved bridge crossing Trout Creek, and on a gravel road back to the Fountain Place parking lot.

Sidewinder Trail

Mary Cook

Sidewinder Trail is the right-hand split off from Corral trail, very close to the trailhead. Initially, Sidewinder ascends up and over small boulders, yet once the short semi-technical climb is over, the trail takes on a persona that lives up to Sidewinder’s name. Snake through 47 (yes, I counted them) smooth, berm-like bends, noting some beginner, ride-on, ride-off logs along the way.

Advanced riders, don’t miss out on the technical log stunt midway down the trail, which stretches for about 40 feet of colossal pipeline and cuts off a couple turns on Sidewinder’s 1.2 mile, serpentine singletrack.

Cedar Trail

Mary Cook

Right after Corral trail crosses a wooden bridge, the right-hand branch for Cedar trail presents itself. Downshift for Cedar’s initial soft climb and then pedal through 2.0 miles of rollers, peppered with whoop-de-doos and banked curves. The trail appears very smooth, albeit sandy, and its string of rolling hills prevents any mountain biker from reaching high velocities. In this fashion, Cedar trail owns up to its beginner status.

Mary Cook

Cedar trail fuses with Powerline Road, about 0.7 miles from the Corral trail junction. Turn left for a parking lot-bound, rolling section of double-lane dirt road. The abundance of whoop-de-doos on both climbs and descents, suggest that off-highway vehicles frequent this segment of Powerline trail.

Connector Trail

Connector trail both starts and ends with a more or less flat, shaded pathway lined with towering pines. Its midsection gives Connector its intermediate to advanced character. Switchbacking its way down a mountain, the middle half of Connector trail meanders along an open, boulder-caked cliffside. In the heat of summer, this exposed portion of the trail can acquire a sandy texture.

Mary Cook

Expert riders, observe that the trail splits for a short stint and merges again. Taking the upward fork will allow one to drop down a long, polished slab of granite back onto the main trail.

Connector trail, 1.4 miles in length, conveniently dumps out at the Corral trailhead, allowing long-distance mountain bikers to connect Armstrong Pass to Corral Loop.

Fast Facts

Mary Cook

Length: 9 miles without shuttle, 2.1 miles with shuttle

Technical: Advanced

Time: 1-2 hours

Season: Late Spring – Fall

Tread: Single-track

When considering mountain biking in Oregon, one conjures up images of lush loam, towering trees, and steep, speedy single-tracks. Yet, after whizzing down South Lake Tahoe’s Hawley Grade, I no longer find any reason to road trip to Oregon, for this breathtaking trail covers all the aforementioned bases!

Mary Cook

Hawley Grade, once a Pony Express route over Echo Summit, commences at the top of Echo Summit on Highway 50, just 4 miles southwest of Meyers, and plummets 960 feet in a short 2.1 miles of single-track, to South Upper Truckee Road in Christmas Valley. If traveling from South Lake Tahoe, the trailhead is located on the left-hand side of Highway 50, on unpaved, unsigned Echo Summit Road South, hardly before the true apex of Echo Summit, between the “5% Grade, 4 Miles” and “curved 35 mph” yellow traffic signs.

Mary Cook

Right out of the starting gates, Hawley Grade sprints to the front of the elite pack, offering highly technical down-hilling maneuvers. Envision harsh rock staircase, followed by zig-zag turn, followed by severe rock staircase, followed by zig-zag turn, followed by … well, you get the picture. Thankfully, this trail boasts some of the best dirt in Tahoe – none of that Tahoe sand which local mountain bikers share a love-hate relationship with.

Mary Cook

After about a quarter mile of technicality, peddle out of the switchbacks onto soft, pine needle-laden straight-aways. What makes these long, dirt stretches even more thrilling, besides an accumulated speed of 20 mph, is a slide-prone hillside setting. There truly is no margin for error when a cliffside presents itself inches away from the edge of your tire.

Mary Cook

Eventually, the trail’s pine canopy opens up, with a brief climb up to a bouldery vista point, marked by a lone, bare, Dr. Seuss-like tree. Take a breather while overlooking Christmas Valley, Twin Peaks, and distant Lake Tahoe, before continuing on to a quarter-mile tract encrusted with loose granite. The grand finale of this section requires a technical crossing over a rocky, has-been waterfall. Hawley Grade’s 200-foot falls over this spot are magnificent in the early springtime, just after snowmelt.

The once again pine-shaded trail returns to its signature soft dirt, cliffside, straight-aways. Within half a mile, near the end of this short, steep single-track, the trail narrows onto a creek bed. Find the smoothest line and hopscotch from water-polished rock to glossy rock.

Mary Cook

Soon, these rigid rocks transform into loose, creek bed run-off pebbles, which wash out onto a wider dirt-packed trail, lined by small cabins amidst a meadow.

Hawley Grade dumps out onto South Upper Truckee Road near a quaint field engulfing the Upper Truckee River. A shuttle car should be parked here, next to the Hawley Grade trailhead, before the bridge.

Be aware, Hawley Grade is a popular hiking trail, especially among South Upper Truckee Road residents, so watch for uphill hikers.

Mary Cook

Many gung-ho bikers do Hawley Grade as a loop, starting at the road-closure gate on unsigned Old Meyers Grade, the first right off South Upper Truckee Road. Climb 1.8 miles to Highway 50, cross Highway 50, and continue your ascent on nearby Echo Summit Road. After three switchback turns, behold Echo Summit Lodge and take the next left onto unsigned Echo Summit Road North.

Mary Cook

Neglecting spur driveways to vacation cabins, stay straight to the top of the climb at 2.5 miles. Descend half a mile more to Echo Summit Road North’s junction with Highway 50, next to a Caltrans Maintenance Station. Turn left on Highway 50 and make your first right onto unsigned, dirt Echo Summit Road South, just before a curved 35 mph sign. Hawley Grade’s trailhead marker is 30 feet ahead on the left.

At the bottom of Hawley Grade, turn left onto South Upper Truckee Road to relish 3.5 miles of smooth pavement back to the car – quite the change from Hawley’s challenging stone staircases and rock gardens.

Mary Cook