Ride the Famous Lake Tahoe ~ Marlette Lake Flume Trail

TAHOE NUGGET #240: BIKE THE TAHOE FLUME TRAIL!
There are 2 ways to go. You can park one car at Spooner Lake Campground and start up from there or you can park your car at Tunnel Creek parking, in Incline Village, where the old Bonanza used to be and go up that way. Either way, you will ride one of the most breathtaking rides in AMERICA!  Take lots of provision, food, water, helmet, ect as this is a whole day ordeal and you do not want to run out of essentials to keep your moter running. It is also a great idea to bring along a first aid kit, as you never know when you might need it!

It’s official. Lake Tahoe’s spectacular flume trail is open for mountain  bike enthusiasts. This 14-mile ride is one of the most popular  back-country cycling excursions in the basin, one that offers stunning  views and requires a nominal amount of technical ability (you can always  walk the bike past the scary parts).
The Flume Trail is nearly flat, dropping only 40' per mile and is spectacular in its setting. 1600' above the east shore of Lake Tahoe and only a half mile away from the shoreline in places, it is truly one of the the premier trails in the world. Stop often and enjoy the view. Take something to eat and drink for an unforgettable picnic. At the end of the Flume Trail, there is a 3 mile, 1500' descent down to where you car is parked at The Flume Trail Bike shop and our Tunnel Creek Cafe.
The Flume Trail Mountain Bike Ride is a moderately difficult one way 14 mile ride at 7000' to 8000' feet in elevation with over a 1000' of climbing in the first four miles and 4.5 miles of single track. The Flume Trail itself traverses above several steep sections, so those afraid of heights be forewarned. In this world, most spectacular vistas require traversing steep terrain.

Portions of the flume trail have steep drop-away margins,  but for me the exposure was more exhilarating than threatening. No  texting or distracted cycling on this ride!

The main trail itself is nearly level, but the final approach past  Snow Valley up a sand and gravel mountain slope does require a level of  physical fitness. I walked my bike up the final portion of the climb,  but ardent cyclists in better shape than me engaged their “granny gear”  and pedaled the whole way. The pitch is steep (1,100 foot vertical gain  in a half mile), but once you get that grunt out of the way, the rest of  the trip is level or downhill and it’s smooth sailing on one of  America’s most scenic rides. (Google for maps and info before you go.)

Birds-eye view of Nevada's Sand Harbor State Park from  the flume trail. Sand Harbor boasts some of the best beaches at Lake  Tahoe. Swimming, kayaking, and boulder diving are favorite activities  for all ages.
Every summer and fall, mountain bikers flock to this 19th century  logging flume trail 1,600 feet above Tahoe’s idyllic east shore beaches.  The narrow pathway hugs the steep face of the Carson Range’s west slope  overlooking the lake. The first water flume in the eastern Sierra was  built in 1869 to move wood efficiently from the mountains down to  the Nevada valley floor where it could be hauled to the bustling  Comstock mines.

For more than a century, the Truckee Tahoe region  supported a commercial logging industry. When I moved to Truckee in  1978, the town's lumber yard was still in action as shown here.

The long, winding flumes were built in sections tight enough to hold  water, and strong enough to carry cord wood for Comstock boilers as well  as cut lumber up to 40 feet long. In some of the steeper areas, loggers  used dry chutes to move the timber. These were made of cut-out logs  that were firmly staked to the ground and greased daily. The dry chutes  were shorter than the water flumes, but the big logs flashed down so  quickly that the friction often produced a bright trail of sparks,  flames and smoke.

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