Continued....  Many riders continue on to Cisco Grove, 12 miles each way on what is now called Donner Summit Rd.  It adds another several hundred feet of climbing to the ride.  We stopped at Donner Ski Resort for some well earned ice cream and drinks before starting back to Tahoe. 

The ride down the grade is fast and narrow.  Luckily again, there were very few cars and we quickly found ourselves back on the shores of Donner Lake and then on to Truckee.  When we got onto Highway 89 for the trip back we knew why we had seen so many cyclists on the other side of the highway resting when we were on our way to Truckee, the head wind was brutal.  Even though the grade is pretty gradual with only a few small climbs, there were many times we dropped to 11 miles per hour because of the strength of the wind in our faces.  We were glad when we got back to Squaw Valley where the road turns out of the wind. 

We were here to visit the Alpen Wine Fest at Squaw Valley, so we decided to maee the side trip up to the old Olympic Village to check out the facilities.  This is an incredibly picturesque valley nestled against the high Sierras with a broad, grassy meadow in between.  Even though fall is officially three weeks away the grasses and deciduous trees have begun to change colors, making it obvious summer would soon be ending.  We traveled back to the bike trail and the last four miles to our vehicle.  The bike trail had a lot less families by this time of the evening and a lot more rafters, many of whom had drunk one or two many beers along the route.  When we arrived at the parking lot we had ridden 50 miles with a total of 2300 feet of climbing.  It was a great ride with incredible scenery and a nice climb to get your heart racing.  This is a ride we can definitely recommend, just on a quieter weekend. 

 

Join us next issue as we head for the coast.