2010 California Trip

Date

Week Day

Ride Profile & Route Map

Climbs (Category*)

Length

Max Grade

Average Grade

Climb Start

Climb Finish

Climb Total

Difficulty

Total Ride Climb

Daily Update

Weather

6/8/10

Tuesday

OPEN

4.6 miles

11%

5.6%

6,385 ft

7,805 ft

1,371 ft

67.36

1,447 ft

6/9/10

Wednesday

OPEN

2.94 miles

7%

3.0%

6,280 ft

6,736 ft

472 ft

31.8

2,746 ft

7.04 miles

6%

2.6%

6,24 ft0

7,083 ft

948 ft

40.49

6/10/10

Thursday

Tioga Pass

CLOSED

10.02 miles

10%

4.9%

7,293 ft

9,964 ft

2,612 ft

95.55

5,059 ft

14.85 miles

6%

2.4%

8,173 ft

9,964 ft

1,900 ft

68.0

6/11/10

Friday

OPEN

14.31 miles

8%

3.6%

5,633 ft

8,596 ft

2,710 ft

83.20

10.95 miles

7%

2.7%

7,142 ft

8,619 ft

1,578 ft

57.94

8.75 miles

6%

2.3%

7,133 ft

8,271 ft

1,040 ft

45.43

2.97 miles

8%

4.6%

7,067 ft

7,792 ft

715 ft

46.70

6/12/10

Saturday

OPEN

10.24 miles

12%

5.2%

6,752 ft

8,656 ft

2,818 ft

98.48

6,709 ft

10.29 miles

13%

6.2%

6,138 ft

9,590 ft

3,346 ft

123.23

6/13/10

Sunday

OPEN

7.96 miles

12%

5.9%

5,696 ft

8,297 ft

2,493 ft

96.90

5,938 ft

9.56 miles

9%

6.2%

5,082 ft

8,34 ft3

3,140 ft

115.23

6/14/10

Monday

OPEN

13.25 miles

7 %

4.2%

5,705 ft

8,773 ft

2,963 ft

93.25

7,064 ft

2.49 miles

20%

7.5%

7,077 ft

8,081 ft

991 ft

71.56

9.76 miles

7%

2.4%

7,077 ft

8,100 ft

1,237 ft

49.05

5.25 miles

11 %

5.6 %

7,077 ft

8,770 ft

1,673 ft

50.49

6/15/10

Tuesday

OPEN

3.4 miles

8%

5.3%

6,247 ft

7,228 ft

948 ft

53.88

6,549 ft

3.4 miles

11%

6.3%

5,955 ft

7,159 ft

1,135 ft

64.45

4.8 miles

11%

5.4%

5,823 ft

7,228 ft

1,375 ft

64.19

7.53 miles

10%

6%

6,476 ft

8,947 ft

2,379 ft

96.71

6/16/10

Wednesday

Option 1: Fly to Reno, Stay South Lake Tahoe

Click to see ride map

Ride Information Links

Other Data from various sources

Day 1: Fly to Reno

Day 2: Ride around Lake Tahoe

87 Miles

70 w/o Barker Pass

Lake Tahoe

Barker Pass Road

Day 3: Climb Ebbetts Pass and Pacific Grade

Alternate is to cut back side of Ebbetts short and climb Monitor Pass after Ebbetts descent

Ebetts Pass Discussion

Ebbetts Pass Overview

California Bike Tours Page

Ebbetts Pass Youtube

Ebbetts Pass Descent Youtube

Steephill on Ebbetts

Drive ~30 miles to Markleeville.

The Death Ride climbs Ebbetts Pass from the east, descends the west side down to Hermit Valley, then turns around and climbs Ebbetts Pass back to Markleeville. Instead of turning around in Hermit Valley, we keep going (of course, you decide how far you want to go and may turn around at any point). We climb the steep Pacific Grade Summit from the east (24% grade in spots), descend the west side past Alpine Lake into Bear Valley. We then turn around and head back to Markleeville.

Sonora Pass Opposite Direction

Sonora Pass

Sonora Pass Youtube

Sonora Pass Motorcycle Youtube

Drive ~75 miles to Junction 395/108

This route delivers breathtaking vistas of snow covered mountain peaks, mountain meadows, wild flowers, wild life, water falls, and trees of every description. Panoramas so beautiful, they look painted. This is strictly a summer road as it is closed in winter. You can still see snow at the end of summer near the mountain peaks.

The Sonora Pass scenic drive twists up forested ridges on the gentle western slope of California’s mountain backbone, the Sierra Nevada, to the airy summit of 9,624-foot Sonora Pass, one of the highest automobile roads in the state. The drive follows paved California Highway 108 and offers a wealth of scenic vistas and recreational opportunities. The road’s upper reaches from Kennedy Meadows on the west to Leavitt Meadow on the east is unsuitable for large RVs and trailers. The winding road has no shoulder, narrow lanes, and grades as steep as fifteen percent.

Day 6: Climb Luther Pass and Carson Pass

or Climb Carson and Monitor Pass

62 Miles

or

87 miles (can be shortend to ~66 miles

Carson Pass

Luther Pass Youtube

Carson Pass Youtube

Steephill on Monitor Pass

On the way towards Carson Pass this 12-mile road to Blue Lakes is a real treat for cyclists, climbing up and over the Pacific Crest to the tiny Blue Lakes since there is no through traffic on this road.

After Blue Lakes is the final climb up to Carson Pass. You may choose to warm yourself at the pass (if the sun is shining) on one of the many granite boulders at the visitor’s center. Turning around here brings a mostly straight and very fast descent on a smooth highway road.

If you are inclined to do still more climbing after Carson Pass, you can turn Left onto Luther Pass Road for one more brief climb. Looking back from Luther Pass over the Hope Valley provides a splendid view of a classic high alpine meadow, with lush grasses, the meandering Carson River, and granite boulders deposited during the last Ice Age.

Luther Pass in South Lake Tahoe is one of the mellower road bike climbs in the region and makes a great outing for casual cyclists who are looking to push themselves a bit or improve their climbing endurance. From the Tahoe side the climb to the 7400-foot summit is about 8 miles, with most of the climbing in about 5 miles along that route. Then you go up and over and down to the Carson River basin at Highway 88, and the return to the summit is shorter but a bit steeper, about 700 feet in 3 miles.

Monitor Pass. The terrain here is completely different than on earlier days' routes, this is a high desert landscape with breathtaking vistas of the nearby Sierra Nevada crest.

The single pass option for today is climbing to Monitor Pass and returning to Markleeville. The two-pass option continues down the east side of Monitor Pass, then south on Highway 395 to lunch at The Meadowcliff Resort, then returns by climbing the east side of Monitor.

Tioga Pass

Tioga Pass Youtube

Tioga Pass Car Youtube

Short Youtube on start of ride

Drive 116 miles to Lee Vining (~2:37 in mountains)

Yosemite National Park's Tioga Pass is at 9,941 feet elevation, on the east side of the park, six miles east of Tuolumne Meadows on CA 120. The drive to Tioga Pass is one of the most scenic in the Sierras, according to National Geographic magazine.

The Tuolumne Meadow(s) area of Yosemite National Park is quite different from the valley and Wawona.  It's the high country, with an altitude of 8,500 at it's lowest point.  Nearby Tioga Pass, the eastern gate of the park is at the 10,000 foot elevation and is the highest elevation you can attain by car. 

Option 2: Fly to Sacremento, Stay Santa Rosa and South Lake Tahoe

Click to see ride map

Ride Information Links

Other Data from various sources

Day 1: Fly to Sacremento

Day 2: Ride around Lake Tahoe

87 Miles

70 w/o Barker Pass

Lake Tahoe

Barker Pass Road

Day 3: Climb Ebbetts Pass and Pacific Grade

Alternate is to cut back side of Ebbetts short and climb Monitor Pass after Ebbetts descent

Ebetts Pass Discussion

Ebbetts Pass Overview

California Bike Tours Page

Ebbetts Pass Youtube

Ebbetts Pass Descent Youtube

Steephill on Ebbetts

Drive ~30 miles to Markleeville.

The Death Ride climbs Ebbetts Pass from the east, descends the west side down to Hermit Valley, then turns around and climbs Ebbetts Pass back to Markleeville. Instead of turning around in Hermit Valley, we keep going (of course, you decide how far you want to go and may turn around at any point). We climb the steep Pacific Grade Summit from the east (24% grade in spots), descend the west side past Alpine Lake into Bear Valley. We then turn around and head back to Markleeville.

Sonora Pass Opposite Direction

Sonora Pass

Sonora Pass Youtube

Sonora Pass Motorcycle Youtube

Drive ~75 miles to Junction 395/108

This route delivers breathtaking vistas of snow covered mountain peaks, mountain meadows, wild flowers, wild life, water falls, and trees of every description. Panoramas so beautiful, they look painted. This is strictly a summer road as it is closed in winter. You can still see snow at the end of summer near the mountain peaks.

The Sonora Pass scenic drive twists up forested ridges on the gentle western slope of California’s mountain backbone, the Sierra Nevada, to the airy summit of 9,624-foot Sonora Pass, one of the highest automobile roads in the state. The drive follows paved California Highway 108 and offers a wealth of scenic vistas and recreational opportunities. The road’s upper reaches from Kennedy Meadows on the west to Leavitt Meadow on the east is unsuitable for large RVs and trailers. The winding road has no shoulder, narrow lanes, and grades as steep as fifteen percent.

Day 5: Climb Luther Pass and Carson Pass

or Climb Carson and Monitor Pass

62 Miles

or

87 miles (can be shortend to ~66 miles

Carson Pass

Luther Pass Youtube

Carson Pass Youtube

Steephill on Monitor Pass

On the way towards Carson Pass this 12-mile road to Blue Lakes is a real treat for cyclists, climbing up and over the Pacific Crest to the tiny Blue Lakes since there is no through traffic on this road.

After Blue Lakes is the final climb up to Carson Pass. You may choose to warm yourself at the pass (if the sun is shining) on one of the many granite boulders at the visitor’s center. Turning around here brings a mostly straight and very fast descent on a smooth highway road.

If you are inclined to do still more climbing after Carson Pass, you can turn Left onto Luther Pass Road for one more brief climb. Looking back from Luther Pass over the Hope Valley provides a splendid view of a classic high alpine meadow, with lush grasses, the meandering Carson River, and granite boulders deposited during the last Ice Age.

Luther Pass in South Lake Tahoe is one of the mellower road bike climbs in the region and makes a great outing for casual cyclists who are looking to push themselves a bit or improve their climbing endurance. From the Tahoe side the climb to the 7400-foot summit is about 8 miles, with most of the climbing in about 5 miles along that route. Then you go up and over and down to the Carson River basin at Highway 88, and the return to the summit is shorter but a bit steeper, about 700 feet in 3 miles.

Monitor Pass. The terrain here is completely different than on earlier days' routes, this is a high desert landscape with breathtaking vistas of the nearby Sierra Nevada crest.

The single pass option for today is climbing to Monitor Pass and returning to Markleeville. The two-pass option continues down the east side of Monitor Pass, then south on Highway 395 to lunch at The Meadowcliff Resort, then returns by climbing the east side of Monitor.

Drive to Santa Rosa after ride (202 miles, ~3 hours)

Day 7: Ride Potion of Levi's Grand Fondo Route

King's Ridge

Somona Discussion

Levi's Grand Fondo