[dusty_millrat]

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Hi all. Heading down to Lake Tahoe for 2 or 3 days around Labor Day. Just looking for advice mainly for day rides in the area and maybe a few suggested tips, quips and places for chips. Thanks. Don't tell my boss I'm on this forum at work...okay?

 

[bbach]

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Oh you will enjoy riding in that area. Just cruise around the lake. South Lake Tahoe is my main hangout when I'm there. My wife likes to walk the shops and we enjoy renting a pontoon and cruising the lake. Head over to Dayton, about 45 minutes, and take a ride up 6 mile canyon road. If you like curvy swervy's you will enjoy that cruise as well. It's pretty cool approaching Reno from that direction. There are some awesome houses built into those hills. Somebody on this forum lives right there in Dayton. I should remember but his handle is slipping my mind right now.

PS, there is some good eating along the strip there in South Lake Tahoe. Just pull over and pick a spot when the sign looks inviting.

 

[Dusty Boots]

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I'll be interested in the replies as well, as I'll be camping at Emerald BaySP at Lake Tahoe,on/around Sept 5/6, en route to the NASSIR II event in Montrose.



Dusty

 

[bbach]

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Dusty Boots wrote:

I'll be interested in the replies as well, as I'll be camping at Emerald BaySP at Lake Tahoe,on/around Sept 5/6, en route to the NASSIR II event in Montrose.



Dusty

I've spent time in Emerald Bay. Coldest damn water I've made myself swim in for a long time. Great time there and beautiful as well.

 

[dusty_millrat]

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Hey Dusty. Looks like we'll just miss you. I expect to be in Tahoe from Sept 1 and leave real early Friday morning the 4th. Enjoy your stay.



Don

 

[Dusty Boots]

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dusty_millrat wrote:

Hey Dusty. Looks like we'll just miss you. I expect to be in Tahoe from Sept 1 and leave real early Friday morning the 4th. Enjoy your stay.



Don

LOL - I'll be leaving Penticton on the 1st and won't roll in to my new 'residence' in Ontario, until the end of Sept/early Oct.

I'll be heading down the Oregon coast to Coos Bay, then heading inland to Crater Lake, then Lassen Volcanic NP and then on to Lake Tahoe. We might just pass each other. :waving:



Dusty

 

[dusty_millrat]

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Dusty Boots wrote:


LOL - I'll be leaving Penticton on the 1st and won't roll in to my new 'residence' in Ontario, until the end of Sept/early Oct.

I'll be heading down the Oregon coast to Coos Bay, then heading inland to Crater Lake, then Lassen Volcanic NP and then on to Lake Tahoe. We might just pass each other. :waving:



Dusty



Where in Ontario? I'm originally from Sudbury. There's a decent Italian restaurant in Coos Bay called Benetti's if memory serves. Top up your gas tank before going through Crater Lake. It's a l-o-n-g way to the next gas station. Fantastic ride though. Gonna go through Lassen on our way to Tahoe. I promise to wave at all the dusty boots I see along the way. One of 'em is probably yours. Enjoyed your knot tying video. Always handy!



Don

 

[norton]

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Tahoe,

We were there last spring. The weekend before Memorial Day, so we beat the rush, whichwas totallyOK by me.

Lots and lots of people during the season. Big Casinos - if that's your thing. It is a very pretty place, probably one of the prettiest lakes I have seen, and I think that Emerald Bay is probably the nicest part.



Check your Map: Route 49 (just north of Truckee) is a very nice road to ride, I recommend it.

 

[Dusty Boots]

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norton wrote:

Tahoe,

It is a very pretty place, probably one of the prettiest lakes I have seen, and I think that Emerald Bay is probably the nicest part.



Check your Map: Route 49 (just north of Truckee) is a very nice road to ride, I recommend it.

I take it you mean SR 49 that runs west from SR 89 - http://tinyurl.com/ljee76

That looks like a great ride through some nice terrain.:action:

Thanks for that one Mark!! :waving:


Ken

 

[Dusty Boots]

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dusty_millrat wrote:

Where in Ontario? I'm originally from Sudbury. There's a decent Italian restaurant in Coos Bay called Benetti's if memory serves. Top up your gas tank before going through Crater Lake. It's a l-o-n-g way to the next gas station. Fantastic ride though. Gonna go through Lassen on our way to Tahoe. I promise to wave at all the dusty boots I see along the way. One of 'em is probably yours. Enjoyed your knot tying video. Always handy!

Don

I'llbe cooking my own dinners most every night, but ya never know when the Cook needs a 'night off'! :cooldevil:

I wonder if Glide(SR138) is the last place to get gas before the park? Anyone :?

Looks like I'll be heading to the Lake Simcoe area(Beaverton) 1st, helping mom and dad out for a while(both declining and dad gave up his license), while looking for a house to buy.

Been to the Hard Rock a few times.

Glad you could put those knots to use!



Ken

 

[dusty_millrat]

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Hi Ken, I entered Crater lake from the West on 62 and I think the last gas I saw was near Prospect. Looped the lake and exited via the North entrance which took us to 138. Headed East toward 97 and I can't remember if there was a station at the junction or if the next one was at Chemult. Anyway, I entered the park with half a tank and found myself and just about every other biker coasting down the hills to conserve fuel. Long story short is we made it with plenty of fuel light left. Watch for cyclists. They ride in herds.

 

[norton]

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Dusty Boots wrote:

I take it you mean SR 49 that runs west from SR 89 - http://tinyurl.com/ljee76

Yep that's the one! Camptonville, Downieville, Sierraville.



Another good one is SR 120 from Lee Vining to Benton (east off of 395).

 

[Blackdog]

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I've done quite a bit of riding in that Tahoe area - there is LOTS you can do. Personally I stay out of Tahoe except for breakfast lunch or dinner and to ride a loop around the lake. The towns up there are very busy during tourist season - Emerald Bay being my favorite place to stop and hang out awhile outside of the towns and great views

The Sierras High Mountain Passes are all great - you can do a "zig zag" if you want to.

They are:

Interstate 80 - Donner Pass
CA 50
CA 88 - Carson Pass
CA 4 - Ebbets Pass
CA 108 Sonora Pass (my favorite - but Twisty as heck and steep - be careful)
CA 120 - Tioga Pass - Yosemite National Park

More "Local" to Tahoe:



Emerald Bay:

If you go to the east side if the Eastern Rim of Tahoe you can visit Nevada's Oldest Bar and it is a picturesque ride along the eastern side of the mountain in Nevada to Genoa http://genoabarandsaloon.com/

You will be close enough that - if you haven't seen it you must Virginia City is a simple ride out of Tahoe still in the "Old West" look of the days of the Silver Boom -"The Comstock Lode" was there. be carefulul getting up and down - dust on the road, wild horses, sweeping views of the valley to Reno, NV along Geiger Grade are all hazards - but well worth a safe ride up to check it out - one of my favorite places. http://www.virginiacity-nv.org/ They usually have an event every weekend - a biker rally, a dirt bike rally, a camel race, sand rail races - you name it - lots of events. Lots of great hostory of the mineral boom days in the west.

Virginian City during "Street Vibrations" in Late September

Fort Churchill was a Pony Express stop if you fancy some more history... http://parks.nv.gov/fc.htm

You will be a relatively short ride to "Mound House" Nevada -East of Carson City Nevada. Could even go as a part of a loop up to Virginia Ciry. Mound house is a fairly "tight configuration" of Legal Brothels - Dennis Hof's Moonlight Bunny Ranch which you see on HBO is near there too. Fun to go and talk to the girls and have a drink at their bar - even if you're not "partaking". They have a "menu" for everything you would need - LOL. Mound House has a cul de sac with all of these next door to each other:

• The Love Ranch (Formerly Bunnyranch II, Kitty's, and various other names)
• Kit Kat Guest Ranch
• Moonlite BunnyRanch
• Sagebrush Ranch

One of my favorite Rides is a loop including Monitor Pass -exit Tahoe South on CA89and head to Markleeville - a biker friendly town with a hotel and bar/grill in town - stop have lunch and then comtinue south on 89 over Monitor Pass. Once over the pass descend down to Topaz Lake and then turn left at 395N Stay on 395N to Genoa Ln ride into Genoa - visit the Bar and Grillle Leave heading North on Jack's Valley Road (NV206) - Left onto 395N for a short ways and the Left onto 50 and climb back up to Tahoe Again - great sweeping views there over the Nevada Desert terrain - or better yet stay a little further up on 395 and turn left on NV431 The Mount Rose Highway - spectacular views and riding as you crest the highway you open up to sweeping views of Tahoe.



Monitor Pass - not the best shot because we were holding on on the downslope!

I love that area - so many rides - so little time. Have fun!

If I had limited time I would do a loop around Tahoe, The Monitor Pass Loop and a visit to Virginia City.

 

[dusty_millrat]

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Thanks for all the info Blackdog. Wow! If I can't make a decent trip out of all the info everyone has given, then I should just stay home. This forum rocks!

 

[norton]

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Blackdog wrote:

I wonder how many thousands of pics have been taken of that dead tree? every time I have been there I have taken pretty much that exact same shot. It is from the emerald bay overlook.

 

[JBz]

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i live about a hour away. a nice ride is go back west on hwy 50 to kyburz. take silver road. That is the old immigrant trail. take that over to hwy88. when on 88 go east to Luther pass. that will take you back up toTahoe.You will love it.JB

 

[Blackdog]

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norton wrote:

Blackdog wrote:

I wonder how many thousands of pics have been taken of that dead tree? every time I have been there I have taken pretty much that exact same shot. It is from the emerald bay overlook.

Heck - I think I've taken thousands myself!! :action:



I have gone on average twice a year for the last 6 years. Great place.Reno is close to 500 miles one way from my house.My favorite trip was one year the week AFTER the Reno "Street Vibrations" Rally. Crowds were gone, the aspens were deep into turning yellow/goldin the mountains. Room rates were reasonable. No problems getting seated anywhere. Wildlife came out - we saw a mother brown and two cubs crossing the road on the western shore of Tahoe just up from Emerald Bay -

It seemed like we had the place to ourselves. I can say that I do not recall any one location with THAT many great rides to do - all able to be done as "day rides" from a base camp. Those mountain passes are just great - some only 1 lane wide - but still you can usually stop for a photo because they are not traveled like the interstates.



The next week they had so much snow they were all closed for the season except the 80 Interstate and I think they even closed that for awhile - until they could clear it. Pretty good timing to get in a weekend after the tourists and before the snow!

 

[Dusty Boots]

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norton wrote:

Dusty Boots wrote:


Another good one is SR 120 from Lee Vining to Benton (east off of 395).

Yup, already had that one on my route from Tahoe - Yosemite - Lone Pine - Lake Mead : http://tinyurl.com/kov8xu

Thanks Blackdog and JBZ for your suggestions. :clapper:

I do have a couple of 'extra days' built into my itinerary and I'm seriously thinking of taking one here and riding this loop : http://tinyurl.com/nayfma

Should make for a great days adventure! (minus the cat house stuff of course.) :action:



Ken

 

[Foodman]

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D L Bliss state park is on the north side of Emerald Bay another good place to camp.. Also there's a beach there you can drive to and stick your toes in the cold cold clear water...
It's a long walk to the water at Emerald Bay state park..
If you have an idea where you'll be there call for reservation because these parks fill up fast................

 

[Dusty Boots]

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Foodman wrote:

D L Bliss state park is on the north side of Emerald Bay another good place to camp.. Also there's a beach there you can drive to and stick your toes in the cold cold clear water...
It's a long walk to the water at Emerald Bay state park..
If you have an idea where you'll be there call for reservation because these parks fill up fast................

Ha, I just checked, Foodman and they are all booked up. :gunhead:

Guess it's on to "PlanB" and check outthe camping around Wright Lake(Kyburz area), I'll find some place to pitch a tent for a couple of days. Bend with the breeze! :cooldevil:



Dusty