TreknMike

Wow, what a great mountain bike ride and perfect weather too – about 58F.  The “Hole in the Ground” trail is roughly 17 miles long (click on the map above provided by MountainBikeBill.com).  This was my first technical bike ride this year.  I could feel the fall weather and thought I’d better go for a ride before winter.  The trail was a little technical for me in sections – I’m a hiker/mountaineer and only picked up the bike to cross-train.

The climbing portion went well.  Only two uphill switchbacks gave me grief – practice, practice, practice.  I did get more dinged up on this one ride, falling twice, then all my backpacking and mountaineering trips combined.  At one location, the trail cuts through 2 narrow trees and I happened to misjudge the width of my handlebars, which hit one tree and sent me into the other.  And the “stairs” near the end of the ride was a ride.  On the last “step,” a mile from the car, I took a header.  This was weird.  I remember stopping, looking down at the obstacle, then all I recall is hitting my shoulder, chin and head on the hard ground.  Normally, my cerebellum functions perfectly and I have my arms extended to break a fall.  Not sure what happened here.  I wear my little raspberry scabs on my chin and knee (first one in 30+ years) proudly.  The helmet worked great.

It was a fun ride and look forward to the next one.

Handy and I hiked from Grouse Ridge in the Tahoe Sierra, near I-80 and Rte 20, to Glacier Lake. Then we cut north for a little cross country to Five Lakes Basin and then west to pick up Sand Ridge Trail. It was a beautiful Fall day; should’ve brought the camera. I started out a little sluggish, but really picked it up on the way out. Terry would’ve been proud. As usually, if I hiked roughly 12 miles, Handy hiked at least 24! Then she had the strength to sit up in the passenger seat on the way home and watch the world go by. She loves to travel.

Loch Leven Lakes seems to be the place to go if I’m short on time.  Handy and I buzzed up to the upper lake for a short day hike.  Temp was 34F.  Handy enjoyed swimming.  It’s fun to watch the icicles melt from the hair on her stomach.  There was just a trace of snow at 6800 feet.

Beta:

Loch Leven Lakes Trail near Big Bend (I-80)
Beginning Elevation: 5,680 Feet (1770.6 Meters)
Ending Elevation: 6,800 Feet (2119.7 Meters)
Length to upper lake, one-way: 5 Miles (8.33 Kilometers)
USGS Maps: Cisco Grove & Soda Springs
Elevation Gain: 1,120 Feet (349.1 Meters)