Mt Tallac, Mt Rose, Mr Toads

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The adventure continued this past weekend as Hope and I hiked up Mount Tallac. It’s a 3100 ft ascent over just a few hours. We’re getting better at these big climbs, but it’s still pretty grueling. Along the way we passed a variety of lakes and ponds. A few areas were loose, steep rocks that were tough. Tallac is a popular local hike so you see all kinds. The highlight was passing a family early on that included several 5-9 years old kids. We didn’t expect to see the crew again, as we thought they’d hike out and back within a few miles of the trailhead. But these bad ass parents drug the little ones up the mountain. We passed them on our way down and one of the dads looked like a Christmas tree decorated in little girls. Not one but two kids were attached to his neck, one riding piggyback, the other holding onto his shoulders and crying. Another treat involved a woman who was jogging up this difficult hike with a monstrous, bloody nose. I thought for sure a bear would track the red snot mucus she was spitting out on the hike and eat the crazed jogger lady. Living in this small town, we recanted the tail of bloody face jogger at a party that night and several people knew exactly of whom we spoke.

Sunday Marissa and I met up some of her friends for a ride. We hoped on a shuttle from Spooner Lake to Mount Rose. The bus dropped us off at a portion of the Tahoe Rim Trail. The first leg of the ride was sick, about ten miles all through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. One portion would open portrait views of the valley; the other would expose Lake Tahoe. This section was just fun, smooth, up and down riding. After the first nine miles, we climbed up another four. (We had to coax Marissa. She’s not one to elect the up hills.) The summit was a full 360º view. It felt like you could see all of Nevada in one direction and no less than four lakes the other way. Total ride was about 20 miles, it was great times.

Tuesday T and I hit a famous trail known as Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. I didn’t take any pictures on this ride because I didn’t want to document my eminent death. The only picture is of a gnarly gash on my thigh, it looks way worse than it actually was - merely a flesh wound!
(Note to reader: When someone refers to a bike trail as very technical, it has nothing to do with your current definition of technical. They may even use “techie,” which sounds cute and unassuming. Technical trails don’t have computers; they’re not WIFI capable, no microprocessors or even a microwave. The word is deceptive as a technical bike ride means that it's full of areas where you’re likely to fall off of your new bike at a fast rate and smash your body into rocks: big hard rocks.) I did ok on Mr. Toad’s, I’m learning every time out, and it was the most fun I’ve had on a bike ride. Near the end I was tired and trying to keep up on a quick downhill open road, actually not technical at all, just fast and full of large grade gravel. Of course I wiped HARD, lost control of the bike and splattered into the ground at about 20 mph, like I was flipped over the ropes of a pro wrestling ring. As soon as I hit ground a couple of stoner kids rolled by decked out in the best bikes and gear. They asked a pot induced, ruffled, “Are you ok?” while holding back the hardest laugh of their lives. They must have thought I was the biggest tool, poser of all time.

Bye for now…

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Comments

[T spot]

Wrong Photo Titles
Frank - I think you've mislabeled 2 photos - "Valley along Tallac" is actually the Carson Valley from Mt Rose Trail - Washoe Lake. The one that says "View Tallac" is actually Marlette Lake from Marlette Peak.

[FrankHope]

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