Sierra Sampler 2011

Monday, Sept. 26 -- Blue Lakes Road ride -- 65 miles

We got route recommendations from a bike shop near the Nevada-California state line and set out from Zephyr Cove on a variation of the
South Tahoe/Blue Lakes ride.

Blue Lakes Road

The peak on the right is called the Nipple.

After going out-and-back 5 miles each way on Blue Lakes Road, we returned on Highway 88 to Picketts Junction at Highway 89 and took the "old road" back up Luther Pass. These views are looking back (west/southwest?) from the beginning of the old road.

The old road was a narrow track of crumbling asphalt, with vegetation encroaching and grass growing up in the middle. The track got narrower, and more and more overgrown. It was steeper than the highway, but it was a shortcut with no cars. We emerged onto Highway 89 at the top of Luther Pass.

We made use of the hot tub,
but not the putting green.


We lingered at Zephyr Cove the next morning before driving to the airport in Reno.	M.S. Dixie II and Woodwind II

We pedaled over Luther Pass on Highway 89
in the same direction we had gone Sept. 20,
from South Lake Tahoe into Hope Valley.
A short stretch of Highway 88 took us
to Blue Lakes Road, which leads south
into Faith Valley and then Charity Valley.

We didn't have time to get all the way
to the lakes themselves.
That is, Hope and Faith made for a full day;
Charity will have to wait for another visit.

Blue Lakes Road is the red line on this map;
we got to #5, which was 5 miles in.

(Isn't this a cool view? It's from a Flickr set by dph525, not from our group, but the set also contains maps and elevation profiles of other places we biked on this trip.)

Back roads kept us off Highway 89
on the Luther Pass descent
back to South Lake Tahoe, too.

Back in Nevada, after the cluster of casinos at the state line, we found a more tranquil spot.

One last climb, up to the house.

I think the house is on this hill, seen from a pier in Zephyr Cove the next day.

Some views of the lake from the porch. The paddlewheel boat is the M.S. Dixie II.