AACC Weekend Rides August-September 2006

Sunday, August 6, 2006. Luther Pass and Blue Lakes Road. Here is a South Tahoe favorite that we haven’t done in a long time. Meet at the bottom of Old Meyers Grade on South Upper Truckee Road and be ready to roll at 09:00. We’ll ride up old Luther pass road, then the new highway to Luther Pass, descend to Pickett’s Junction, and ride up Blue Lakes Road to the end of the pavement. On the return we’ll take old Luther on the south side of the pass. It’s about 55 miles round trip with a fair bit of climbing, but nothing terribly steep. We’re at high elevation, so the temperature should be agreeable, and the views are superb.

Sunday, August 13, 2006. Can you believe it’s back? And by popular demand no less!

Sonora Pass. Both sides! Meet at Sonora Junction on US 395 between Walker and Bridgeport at 09:00. There is a place to park across the highway at the CalTrans maintenance station. We’ll cruise across Pickel Meadow, pass by the USMC Mountain Warfare Training Center, then hit the ramp and climb to the top of the pass. We’ll then descend down the West Side of the pass to Dardenelle, where we can get food and drink for the ride back. The route is only fifty miles, the scenery is gorgeous, but there is a lot of very steep climbing. Think Pacific Grade and Quincy-La Porte Road. Bring your lowest gears and all your leg and lungpower. This ride was Jennie’s idea.

Friday, August 18, 2006. The weekend begins after work on Friday, doesn’t it? So, let’s take a scenic mountain bike ride to kick off the weekend. Meet at the snow play parking at Spooner near the US50/SR28 intersection and be ready to roll out at 6:00 PM. We’ll ride up North Canyon and on to Marlette Lake and the Flume Trail as far as daylight allows. If you have a headlight, bring it. This ride is mostly non-technical on smooth compacted dirt, though there is one long climb. The view of Lake Tahoe at sunset is hard to beat.

Saturday August 26, 2006 Markleeville to Lake Alpine and Return. Can’t beat this one for terrain, scenery, and access. No wonder it’s the most popular AACC weekend ride. Meet in the parking lot at the county building in Markleeville, and be ready to roll at 09:00. Bring some cash to buy lunch or snacks at the Lake Alpine store.

Saturday September 9, 2006. High Sierra Fall Century Mammoth, CA. This is a beautiful century ride along the eastern Sierra and the Mono Lake – Crowley Lake shores. There is a fair bit of climbing, but none of it terribly steep, and if you are taking in the views you won’t even notice the hills. You can get the information at http://www.fallcentury.org/ A hot tip is to stay over Saturday night and hike or mountain bike on Sunday. On the way down or back, stop at the Mono County Park at the north end of the lake and take the boardwalk down to the lakeshore. The bird life is fascinating particularly in early morning or late evening.

Sunday, September 17, 2006. Hole in the Ground. Here is a fun mountain bike outing for those who like technical riding. While not a particularly long ride, there’s plenty of tricky terrain to satisfy. There’s is a nice view of Castle Peak and the Sierra Buttes and some scenic lakes too. Meet in the parking lot at the Boreal Ridge ski area on Donner Summit and be ready to roll at 10:00.