Sean Allan
Well this Sat. was my 2nd try at riding all but a few miles of the legal sections of the Tahoe Rim Trail unsupported. I was determined to get this thing done for two reasons, one was a personal deal, just looking to challenge myself. The other was to hopefully provide a GPS track that others could follow and potentially challenge themselves, a self supported time trial of sorts. Well I achieved the first goal, but the GPS ran out of battery at Armstrong Pass leaving the last 17 miles and hour of riding time unsubstantiated. I started the day out at William Kent campground in Sunnyside and wound up to the TRT at Stanford Rocks, down to Tahoe City, up to Brockway Summit, down to Kings Beach, up HWY 433 to the top of Mount Rose Hwy, up and over Marlette Peak, down to Spooner Lake, up and over Spooner Summit to Kingsbury Grade, over to Heavenly Ski Resort and all the way to the top of Mr. Toads Wild Ride, down Toads to finish the day off. Here is the Motion Based Page for the ride:http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/3491834 Much thanks goes out to Roger_ for setting a blistering pace from Spooner Lake to the end of the ride, it was great to have him out there with me and he got to see those last couple of sections that alluded him the last go around, probably would not have made it without his help. Also thanks to my VERY understanding wife who was waiting at the bottom of Toads with chips and beer for us and the all important portable shower
All in all a great day, I rode 103 miles of singletrack without a whole lot of problems. Got myself pretty dehydrated early on which haunted me all day, made it uncomfortable at times but I managed to pull through it, although it was not pretty in a couple of places. I've ridden all over the West and I have to say that the Rim trail is probably the toughest but most beautiful pieces of trail I've ever seen, we are indeed lucky to have such a gem so close. If you are not already, you should think about joining the TRT association, give 'em a little money to help out with the trail. The total info on the bike computer was 116 miles with a little 2 mile detour due to a wrong turn towards the bottom of Toads( Yes I had to climb back UP out of some subdivision after I realized I was in the wrong place), 12 hours and 58 minutes on the bike, about 15 hours out on the trail. The GPS says 17, 600' of climbing without the added final 17 miles from the bottom of Armstrong Pass, my guess would be around 18,500 for a total on the ride. Made it down Mr Toads in complete daylight and finished up around 8:00 pm So there you go Folks, it's out there, quit talking about post ride burritos and your favorite beer and go out there and beat the crap out of my time, the carrot has been dangled
Pics, Sunrise over the lake from Stanford Rocks Amazingly bad self portrait after suffering up the Mount Rose Hwy Roger, with the only mechanical of the day and a soft place to sit! Roger at the end! A little love for the machine that got me there!
