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  1. #1
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    Truckee beta (4th of July weekend)

    My family is renting a house in Tahoe Donner over the 4th, and I've negotiated a couple days off from the family to ride my fuckin' bike. I'm planning on hitting Northstar one day, probably the 5th. I was planning on doing something non-lift served on the 7th. Poking around on Trailforks, it looks like there's a lot of riding to be done starting from the Tahoe Donner rec center. (This is the ride plan I put together on Trailforks: https://www.trailforks.com/ridelog/planner/view/58874/ ). I've also heard that the Jackass / Big Chief area are fun.

    Any comments on Tahoe Donner vs. Jackass / Big Chief?
    Can I ride both Jackass and Big Chief? It looks like I'd have to do one, then drive to a different parking spot across the river.
    Will the snow in these areas be gone by then?
    Any locals or fellow travelers interested in hooking up on the 7th?

  2. #2
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    Feb 2007
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    Rode Jackass a couple weeks ago, can confirm it's fun. I think you would do the jackass system as an out and back, then head downriver toward truckee to hit big chief. BC was closed when I was there, but I have to think it's very close to open if not rideable now. There is some unsanctioned stuff above jackass that was great and a new track parallel to it that you can lap.

  3. #3
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    I know jack about what trail is better than another. But you do hasve to have someone drop you off at the top of old US 40 and Coast down, Over and over. That is the E-Ticket ride at Donner lake.
    Own your fail. ~Jer~

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andeh View Post
    My family is renting a house in Tahoe Donner over the 4th, and I've negotiated a couple days off from the family to ride my fuckin' bike. I'm planning on hitting Northstar one day, probably the 5th. I was planning on doing something non-lift served on the 7th. Poking around on Trailforks, it looks like there's a lot of riding to be done starting from the Tahoe Donner rec center. (This is the ride plan I put together on Trailforks: https://www.trailforks.com/ridelog/planner/view/58874/ ). I've also heard that the Jackass / Big Chief area are fun.

    Any comments on Tahoe Donner vs. Jackass / Big Chief?
    Can I ride both Jackass and Big Chief? It looks like I'd have to do one, then drive to a different parking spot across the river.
    Will the snow in these areas be gone by then?
    Any locals or fellow travelers interested in hooking up on the 7th?
    Tahoe Donner has great XC-style trails. They are not technical but still fun as hell. Great ride plan. Upper Motherlode will probably still have snow on it.

    Also, hit East Perimeter-nRA-sweetness. Good morning lap before folks are up.

    Jackass system has a much more "built" feel - banked turns, lots of bumps and jumps. There's a ton that is not on Trailforks there too. Look at some other maps.

    Big Chief is a neat and unusual trail - DHy at the top, pedal chunk with cool features in the middle, and fast flow at the bottom. Different starting area from Jackass. Depending on how strong you are, you can put together some incredible loops. Check out the Western States/Painted Rock area too.
    sproing!

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by meter-man View Post
    Tahoe Donner has great XC-style trails. They are not technical but still fun as hell. Great ride plan. Upper Motherlode will probably still have snow on it.

    Also, hit East Perimeter-nRA-sweetness. Good morning lap before folks are up.

    Jackass system has a much more "built" feel - banked turns, lots of bumps and jumps. There's a ton that is not on Trailforks there too. Look at some other maps.

    Big Chief is a neat and unusual trail - DHy at the top, pedal chunk with cool features in the middle, and fast flow at the bottom. Different starting area from Jackass. Depending on how strong you are, you can put together some incredible loops. Check out the Western States/Painted Rock area too.
    Thanks. Of those, Jackass sounds most appealing. I tried to send you a PM with some questions, but your inbox is full.

  6. #6
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    Mar 2006
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    in your second home, doing heroin
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    Can't believe no one has said it: 4th of july is literally the worst time to be here.

    Get a nice place, get lots of booze, just ride stuff close to whatever place you get, and hole up and don't go anywhere in a car if you don't have to. No matter where you are there are trails within pedaling distance. Very little of it flat out sucks.

    And just try not to burn the place down.
    Besides the comet that killed the dinosaurs nothing has destroyed a species faster than entitled white people.-ajp

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by kidwoo View Post
    Can't believe no one has said it: 4th of july is literally the worst time to be here.

    Get a nice place, get lots of booze, just ride stuff close to whatever place you get, and hole up and don't go anywhere in a car if you don't have to. No matter where you are there are trails within pedaling distance. Very little of it flat out sucks.

    And just try not to burn the place down.
    While I get what you're saying (I live in Half Moon Bay which is undrivable every weekend due to beach tourists), unfortunately holiday weekends are popular to get away for a reason (they work with normal working stiff schedules). I'll just have to manage. That's why I'm not trying to go down to south lake.

  8. #8
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    Douched my inbox - feel free to PM any questions - can't promise answers lol, but will do my best!
    sproing!

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andeh View Post
    I live in Half Moon Bay
    Nevermind

    Have fun!
    Besides the comet that killed the dinosaurs nothing has destroyed a species faster than entitled white people.-ajp

  10. #10
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    May 2011
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    Haha, yes, the traffic around Truckee on the 4th will be nothing compared to the Half Moon bay shit show. I can confirm upper motherlode and even some stuff lower down in TD is still snow covered as of three days ago.

    I really recommend the new Big Chief trail - it's a variety pack and super fun, and you can connect it to some other trails around the Sawtooth area. Not sure how big you're looking to go, but this is a great loop... granted, it doesn't include the full Big Chief trail (just most of it) because it wasn't finished yet when we did this ride, but the ride back to the car includes the Happy Face downhill which is also pretty fun. If you want to add another 5-7 miles and 1000 - 1500k of elevation you can keep going up the 06 fireroad, climb OTB, then loop around to the very top of Big Chief and drop in from there.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1831028135

    If you want to stay in Tahoe Donner, I know those trails really well and can put some fun loops together that include TD property and just outside of it... just let me know your ideal elevation / mileage for the ride. Animal Crackers on Prosser Hill is a fun long downhill but may still have some snow patches... but not sure. Maybe Meter-Man can confirm on that one.
    Last edited by TahoeJ; 06-25-2019 at 11:08 AM.

  11. #11
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    Thanks. We already have a house arranged in Donner (wife's coworker), so set on that. If there's still snow up on Donner, I think I'll just drive to either Jackass or Big Chief. MM hooked me up with a route plan for Jackass. Your link is useful too if I go that way (I think I see how to add on most of the Upper Big Chief without adding a punchy climb). It sounds like both will be similar.

    I'd be looking for doing 2k-3k feet (normally do 2k in 10 miles, or 3k in 14 miles). I can handle more but am sure the elevation and heat will make it feel harder.

  12. #12
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    Cool. Feel free to PM me if you want to keep it local in TD. During a holiday week it will also be less crowded in TD... and while Western States / Painted Rock / Tahoe Rim Trail is awesome, there's going to be a lot of traffic over that way for sure. I usually only ride TRT on weekdays for that reason.

  13. #13
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    Nov 2007
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    Truckee beta (4th of July weekend)

    Rode Big Chief yesterday and highly recommend it! They put a ton of work into that trail.

    Gypsy runs a shuttle for $20 or you can take the 06 fire road up. We went up 06 for about 30 mins and realized we didn’t want to keep climbing so we went back down and called the shuttle.

    BTW, the trail takes skill to take advantage of all the features. FWIW, the top section was harder than the average black trail at Northstar Bike Park. I’m rusty but was able to clean most of the crux points. I walk some of bigger/more complicated drops.
    Last edited by 54-46; 08-19-2019 at 08:47 AM.

  14. #14
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    ^^ the top section has some seriously sketchy parts and I was told they’re going to work in some alternate options soon.
    I ski 135 degree chutes switch to the road.

  15. #15
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    Still not sure if I like that trail. They did a great job of building features and keeping it pretty raw and rough, unlike most newer trails that are like bike paths with a few jumps thrown in. But it's so damn pedally for that type of trail, just feels like it needs more pitch. Maybe I need to ride it a few more times and get a better feel for it, but there's just too many other fun with a better effort/reward ratio, and I don't see the point of shuttling a trail that you need to pedal down. I like my downhills to be, you know, downhill. That being said, I'd love to see what those guys could do if they had some pitch to work with, their craftsmanship is way better than anything TAMBA has done.
    “I really lack the words to compliment myself today.” - Alberto Tomba

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by mmmm...pow! View Post
    Still not sure if I like that trail. They did a great job of building features and keeping it pretty raw and rough, unlike most newer trails that are like bike paths with a few jumps thrown in. But it's so damn pedally for that type of trail, just feels like it needs more pitch. Maybe I need to ride it a few more times and get a better feel for it, but there's just too many other fun with a better effort/reward ratio, and I don't see the point of shuttling a trail that you need to pedal down. I like my downhills to be, you know, downhill. That being said, I'd love to see what those guys could do if they had some pitch to work with, their craftsmanship is way better than anything TAMBA has done.
    I liked the pedally parts; gave me a little break from the action. I was on a Following MB (120/130), which pedals better than a 150/160 bike, so that might have something to do with it

  17. #17
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    Has there ever been a Tahoe (/NorCal) MTB thread here on TGR? Or is that the domain of MTBR or what? I see the Wasatchalenos have an area-specific thread...
    sproing!

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by mmmm...pow! View Post
    Still not sure if I like that trail. They did a great job of building features and keeping it pretty raw and rough, unlike most newer trails that are like bike paths with a few jumps thrown in. But it's so damn pedally for that type of trail, just feels like it needs more pitch. Maybe I need to ride it a few more times and get a better feel for it, but there's just too many other fun with a better effort/reward ratio, and I don't see the point of shuttling a trail that you need to pedal down. I like my downhills to be, you know, downhill. That being said, I'd love to see what those guys could do if they had some pitch to work with, their craftsmanship is way better than anything TAMBA has done.
    Rode it for the first time last weekend and agree with this assessment. Whatever I was expecting, this trail was not it. Seemed like it couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a flow trail or be all tech/rock garden, and in the end didn't do a good job of either. I'm sure riding it a bunch of times would help. I was expecting more tech rock moves but they seemed pretty sparse.

    Quote Originally Posted by meter-man View Post
    Has there ever been a Tahoe (/NorCal) MTB thread here on TGR? Or is that the domain of MTBR or what? I see the Wasatchalenos have an area-specific thread...
    If you want updates on whether Hole in the Ground is open for the season, MTBR is your spot. Much beyond that, it seems pretty useless.

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