It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. -Confucius
September 2026
I haven't bikepacked around Lake Tahoe even though these are my home trails and this is superb sub-alpine riding. It's partly because once you leave Myers going in a clockwise direction you are soon forced out onto hwy 89. The west side of the Tahoe Basin is mostly wilderness where bikes aren't allowed and riding the hwy until it's allowed to duck back into the mountains just never appealed to me.
2026. Kind of a weird year for my bikepacking. I'd had some resoundingly successful trips and some partial failures and some where I didn't even start. Usually September is setup as a short-ish bikepacking trip in prep for a longer ride in October but as September approached I had no plans for either month. I resolved to use September to get some final training in for a +/- 2 week trip on the Caldera 500 bikepacking route in October. Driving is not an option with diesel prices being what they are so I wanted to stay somewhat local. Rectifying not having ridden as much singletrack ringing Lake Tahoe as possible seemed the obvious answer. Then my available time allotment dwindled down to 4 days. Adjusting my route to fit my time slot and my somewhat, shall we say sedate, pace, Joannie would drive me around to my start and I would finish by riding home.
Day 1. Climb, then climb some more.
The sounds of crashing through the brush to my left caught my attention. A bear popped out onto the trail just ahead of me, took a moment to process my presence then tore off downhill off the trail. 15 minutes into the route and I encountered a bear. The climb up Stanford Rock Trail went well. Easy even. I started down the back side now on the Tahoe Rim trail (TRT) and knew that the descent would be the technical crux of the route and it was just as chunky as I had remembered. Stopping at the bottom to filter water at the Ward Creek bridge I would soon be on new to me trails. Great trails led me over to and through Alpine Meadows, up to the ridge top bordering Palisades Tahoe and eventually I popped out to hwy 89 at the bottom of Olympic Valley. I took a break at the 7/11 before tackling the Western States trail and the big climb back up to Painted Rock where I decided to call it a day.
Day 2. Rock gardens.
I've ridden this section of the TRT but as soon as I turned up toward Watson Lake I was once again on new to me trails. Much of the remaining day could be classified as rock gardens, at least it felt that way to me. I stopped again at the lake to filter water. It was quite a lovely setting and I wanted to stay. Eventually I made it over to Brockway summit, crossed the hwy and and started pushing my bike. Most of this climb was a push through rocks. A little embarrassing getting passed by the hikers. Then I got on the KB trail. I had been making poor time all day and was pretty tired so I stopped a mile or so before Incline Village for the night. I didn't want to drop into Incline and be committed to getting through and climbing out in order to find a camp spot.
Day 3. Easy cruising.
I had a goofy breakfast at the 7/11 in Incline Village then started the climb out. And by goofy I mean a sausage muffin that was exactly that, a muffin and a slab of sausage. Followed by an apple pie. Power food for sure! I needed some water and climbing on pavement through Incline I kept passing creeks but didn't stop to filter. Crossing (New) Mt. Rose hwy I hit old Mt Rose hwy, now all dirt and broken pavement. Just up the road there was a great spring and that's where I decided to stop to filter. I knew today should be cruiser and once again I was back on familiar ground. Hitting the Incline Flume trail I made good time over to Tunnel Creek Road. Climbing the newish trail beside the road took me up to the junction with the Marlette Flume trail, the "famous" flume trail of Lake Tahoe. But I still had to climb a bit more up Tunnel Creek road to reach the TRT again. Up the TRT until rocky terrain forced back off the bike a couple hundred feet below a sub-peak, then a traverse below Herlan Peak to a branch up to Marlette viewpoint. I always take the short detour to the viewpoint and saw no reason today should be any different. Truly a worthy detour! Then I dropped down to Marlette Pk campground for a snack and to top off a little water at the well. Continuing on I picked up Capital to Tahoe Trail and followed it all the way down nearly to its junction with Ash To Kings trail. I had made good time and felt that I could go further but also seemed better to camp up here than drop the rest of the way down to my low point.
Day 4. Go home.
Lots of wind over night. I dropped the remaining distance down to Kings Canyon road and started the climb back up to Spooner Pass. After some steep climbs at the start it mellows out and fairly soon I was crossing hwy 50. Decision time. It was an easy decision though. My original plan called for climbing another `1800 ft on the TRT to 'the bench', then a technical section of the TRT back to Dagget (Kingsbury) summit, then dropping old Kingsbury down to the valley. I felt like I had neither the time nor the juice for that so chose to drop from Spooner down the Clear Creek trail to the valley floor. Once there it was simply a matter of road riding (of course I had a head wind!) `20+ miles back to my door. I got home around 3pm and cracked a cold one. Took a shower and cracked another.
Trail Notes: I didn't have a bunch of water points marked on my map. It turned out there was water pretty much wherever I needed some. The spring at the bottom of Old Mt. Rose hwy was a perfect spot!
I had no issues with bears though I did see that one and saw tracks and scat in other places.
I'm sort of not used to camping on the edge of civilization so that issue went into some of my decision making of where to end my days.
Day 2 was definitely the hardest for me.
I modeled the route on Forest Baker's "Bones To Blue" route but simply didn't have enough time at my pace to complete his full route. It was great riding some new to me trails though!
Stats: 129 miles, 14,777 ft climbing
Bike Setup: Revel Rascal 130/150 full suspension and full bikepacking bags.
Route Link:Tahoe Tussle Please note that the route linked only includes the route as far as Carson Valley and does not include the road route back to my door.
{Looks at Bingo Card} Nope. Peak bagging Mt. Fitzgerald not on there.
It's 5am, July 22nd, 2026 and despite the absence of a plan or route info or even a solid reason, I'm on my way to see if I can summit Mt. Fitzgerald, a peak seen prominently from our camp in Lamoille Canyon of the Ruby Mountains of Nevada.
Joannie, Wyatt and I had hiked to the end of the trail in Thomas Creek Canyon the previous day and Mt. Fitzgerald loomed large above the head of the canyon. I confess to hatching a plan on this day as we hiked up the trail. At the head of the canyon Joannie and Wyatt played by the creek for a bit while I bushwhacked toward the headwall and probed for a way up and through. I didn't spend a lot of time but I had climbed through a relatively short rock band above which the way seemed doable.
So on this, this following day, I soon reached the head of the canyon where the trail ends and re-climbed the headwall. Above the way seemed clear but the topo map indicated I needed to cross over into a more western drainage or I would end up stuck below Snow Lake Peak and not be able to access the col I wanted to reach on Fitzgerald's east ridge. As I climbed higher I noticed a few ducks here and there indicating others had used this route but eventually they all petered out once I headed over the ridge and into my chosen drainage. Contouring high I made my way toward the base of the col which looked very loose and steep but once on the slope I had no trouble making it to the col, after all, this was pretty much all normal for me having climbed in the Sierra Nevada for over 40 years.
Snow Lake Peak
The topo map indicated the top of the ridge would be an easy walk based on the contour lines but I was wary of it knowing it could be hiding many ups and downs within those contours so I made may way up and westward toward the summit staying well below the actual ridge top. Finally below the summit mass I topped out on the ridge. The way ahead looked like class 4 territory but I think I identified an easier way that climbed below the ridgeline and snaked diagonally up to the summit. It proved to be pretty easy with maybe 100 ft of class 3 climbing just below the summit.
Looking at my watch it was only 9am on on the summit, I had made excellent time. The views over to Snow Lake Peak were incredible and I've resolved to attempt that summit next time we're in the Rubies. I snapped some photos and signed into the summit log and started down. This time I did stay mostly on the crest of the east ridge because I could see from above that there were no significant obstacles. Soon I was back down to the col and then once again on the steep kitty liter slope but this time heading down which is always a bit more treacherous. Over the ridge, back down through a large rock slide I missed my up route slightly and paid for it by having to bushwhack heavily instead of down climbing the headwall. I arrived back at our camp right about noon to the surprise of Joannie whom I had told not to expect me before about 3pm. When Kurstin and Jody came for dinner at our campsite that evening I shared my days pictures with them. It was a fine day in the mountains.
Shortly after completing the Toiyabe Crest Joannie and I loaded up the camper and took off for a short road trip with the first stop being Lamoille Canyon in the Ruby Mountains. We met our friends Kurstin and Jody there where they spend a couple of weeks each summer. We went hiking with Wyatt to Island Lk and Thomas Canyon. The evenings were spent with Kurstin and Jody exchanging cooking duties and campsites between us. Then I got a wild hair and decided to climb Mt Fitzgerald, a high peak prominent from our campsite. We had a great time in the Rubies, then it was time to move on.
Island Lake
Thomas Canyon with Mt. Fitzgerald beyond
We left Lamoille Canyon and headed for Jarbidge, a tiny remote former mining town that we last visited in 2007 and was the site of the last stagecoach robbery in the American west. On December 5, 1916, a stagecoach carrying mail and passengers was robbed in Jarbidge Canyon. The driver, John Sackett, was killed. The event is generally regarded as the last stagecoach robbery in the history of the American West. The town has only a dozen or so year round residents and no paved access roads. The approaches from Nevada involve long stretches of rough, unpaved Forest Service/county roads, and some Nevada routes can be closed by snow from roughly fall into early summer. The Idaho approach through Rogerson/Three Creek is generally the more reliable access. Hard to believe it took almost 10 years to get back here. The road is pretty good dirt for about 25 miles and we had no trouble getting into the town though the last couple of miles dropping into the canyon are fairly steep. It's really beautiful back there and we camped at Pine Creek campground for the night. In the morning we stopped at the Trading Post and chatted with the locals for awhile. One old timer (HA! who am I kidding, he was my age... yeah - old timer...) mentioned they would happily accept guns and or gold for goods payment. We climbed back out of the canyon in 4x4 - low just to have a little more control on the steep grade but the truck handled it easily.
Panning for legal currency
Crossing Nevada back toward the Toiyabe Range and Kingston canyon where we planned to stay at the campground was full on monsoonal thunderstorm weather. Interchanging downpours with crystal blue skies we eventually landed at the Kingston campground and made a quick outdoor dinner immediately followed by additional lightning, thunder and rain. This was the campground I passed on my final day of the Toiyabe Crest Loop. Then it was time to go home, always a sad day.
"You get comfortable being uncomfortable" - unknown
7/7 - 7/09/2026
It's July in Nevada. Far too hot (for me) for riding in the typical 4000-6000 ft elevations.
The Basin and Range Province is one of North America's most distinctive landscapes, and Nevada is its heart. It was created over the past 15–20 million years as the Earth's crust slowly stretched apart. As the crust pulled apart, large blocks of rock dropped downward to form broad valleys (basins), while adjacent blocks were pushed upward to create long, narrow mountain ranges. More than 300 individual mountain ranges cross Nevada. Unlike many mountain systems, where ranges form continuous chains, Nevada's mountains run mostly north to south in a repeating pattern. From the air, the state resembles a series of parallel ridges separated by wide, arid valleys. For bikepackers and hikers, Basin and Range terrain means a constant rhythm of long climbs followed by long descents.
The Toiyabe Crest Trail is different. It runs north - south along the crest of the Toiyabe Range keeping you above the valley heat. But the entry fee is steep. The full length of the
trail including the wilderness area southern portion is about 63 miles.
The bike legal section outside of the wilderness area is 32 miles. To
loop the bike legal section without a shuttle makes the route approx 70
miles with 11000 ft of climbing. Most of the route stays
between 8,000 and 11,000 feet, offering long ridge-top riding and hiking
with expansive views across the Great Basin.
A Brief History
The
history of the trail is more interesting than the often-repeated story
that it was simply built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Early
Forest Service records document tens of thousands of sheep using the
crest each year in the early 1900s. During the 1930s, the CCC improved
sections of the existing route, but historians have found little
evidence that the entire trail was constructed from scratch during that
era, despite that claim appearing in many later publications. Throughout
the 1960s and 1970s, the trail became known for organized horseback
rides that showcased the rugged beauty of the Toiyabe Range. In 1979,
the Toiyabe Crest Trail was officially designated a National Recreation
Trail, recognizing its outstanding scenic and recreational value. In
recent years a dedicated group of volunteers has been working on the
trail to restore it for it's outstanding historic, scenic and
recreational value.
On 7/7 - 7/9 I took a run at the bike legal section of the Toiyabe Crest Trail. The section south of Ophir Pass is wilderness and bikes are not allowed. I ran the loop in a clockwise direction starting at the bottom of Ophir Pass which would put me on the trail going south to north. Before I could access the trail I had a climb of over 4000 ft just to get there. Unsurprisingly I saw no one the entire time from when I left my truck until leaving the trail near Kingston. At the end I descended the remainder of Kingston Canyon and rode an additional 20+ miles to return to my start point. A grand adventure that was all I'd hoped for, isolated, beautiful, challenging.
I started from my truck at about 3:20 am and by the time I reached the old mining town of Ophir it was starting to get light. I stopped to check out some of the ruins and the photo above is of the Murphy Mill.
At the creek crossing a little beyond Ophir I stopped to filter water as this is the last chance for some time.
The views opened up as I climbed toward Ophir Pass.
This view is looking at the start of the wilderness section going south from the pass.
The start of the bike legal section going north.
Yay! More climbing from the pass. I'm over 10,000 ft elevation already.
More views!
I ended day 1 camped next to Tierney Creek. The foxtails had been ferocious and I sat by the creek filtering water and trying to get foxtails out of my socks. With limited success with the foxtails.
Day 2 started with a climb up from the creek back into the higher elevations. Lots of steep side hilling on narrow track set the character for the day. The views however continued amazing!
I
decided to camp another night on the ridge top beyond Washington Creek
and complete the trail into Kingston the following morning. The ridge is
roughly 10,000 ft and windy but felt good with the afternoon heat.
These photos are actually the next morning.
Last significant climb. But pay attention because the singletrack branch's off in-obviously. Thankfully I didn't miss it by much and it was easy to cut over to it.
The big drop into Kingston Canyon
End of the trail in Kingston Canyon
From here I dropped down to hwy 376 and made my way back to the start at the bottom of Ophir canyon passing the wild looking...Wild Granites! (Have you seen the Alex Honnold segment yet?) I took a bunch of video and hope to have it edited into something marginally watchable at some point. (Done)
Stats: 70 miles, 11050 ft climbing
Trail Notes: This is an 'old school' hiking trail and was not specifically designed for mountain biking. It has narrow steep tread and can be overgrown in areas. It demands complete focus and is very remote. That said, Kurt Gensheimer (@trail_whisperer) and his hard working group of volunteers has done an incredible job of bringing this trail back to life over the last eight years as of this writing. If you are following a GPS route and it differs from the trail on the ground and signage, follow the signs/trail. The track I had led off onto an unused ATV track that is not on the correct route. There is plenty of water. I found a few small creeks along the way. But get water where you find it because I found none in a couple of named sources. Tierney and Washington Creeks should be reliable.
Bike Setup:Revel Rascal full suspension mountain bike that I built from the frame up. Bikepacking bags including Louise dropper post harness and Blue Ridge handlebar cradle.
