A tame, 4.4-mile descent from Lake Marlette to Tunnel Creek Road makes for one of the best vantage points of the Lake Tahoe area and can be done as an out-and-back. The full Lake Tahoe Flume Trail is more than 20 miles round trip, which is still a doable hike or run, but the most scenic hiking spots along the trail can be accessed from Marlette Lake in the Spooner Backcountry. HikingĪlthough the Flume Trail hike is definitely ranked as one of the best trails to mountain bike in the world, the amazing views of Lake Tahoe are just as spectacular when hiking or trail running. Don’t have your own wheels? The folks at Flume Trail Bikes can help. The bike trail is rideable from May to November, weather permitting however, if you are starting at, including, or connecting with any sections of the Tahoe Rim Trail, the trail is only open to mountain bikes on even days of the week. A moderately difficult 14-mile ride with more than 1,000’ of climbing in the first four miles and 4.5 miles of singletrack, it’s safe to say the Marlette Flume Trail is a good trail for intermediate to advanced riders. Once you hit the singletrack, keep a sharp eye on the trail-on one side are boulders the size of Volkswagens, and on the other side is a bumpy 1,600’ drop to Sand Harbor. The first section is a 1,100 climb that tops out at Marlette Lake at 8,157’. One portion, and probably one of the most easily accessed sections of the Lake Tahoe Flume Trail, begins at Spooner Lake State Park, part of the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Parks four-unit network. This area is also home to the Lake Tahoe Wagon Trail, which was used to travel from Carson City up Kings Canyon and over the crest to arrive lakeside near Incline Village. In 1887, more pipelines and flumes were built to tap into Hobart Creek and Marlette Lake, increasing the available water volume to 6.6 million gallons per day. Engineers built a diversion dam and constructed a combination of box flume and pressure pipeline to channel water 2,000 ft. To solve this problem, locals searched for water in the Carson Range and found Franktown Creek (Hobart) flowing into Washoe Lake. Tahoe Flume Trail Historyĭuring the Comstock Lode days-when Virginia City hit one of the biggest silver strikes the world has ever known-the West’s shortage of available water came into stark view, especially with an ever-growing population of miners dotting the hills with campsites. Today, the trail typically becomes snow-free and rideable around Memorial Day, and has several access points with different days designated for mountain biking or foot traffic.Īfraid of heights? Then avoid this famed 4.5-mile singletrack that hugs cliffs 2,500 feet above breathtaking Lake Tahoe-and miss out on what may be the best vistas from just about any mountain biking or hiking trail on Earth. Located in North Lake Tahoe near Incline Village, the Lake Tahoe Flume trail is a singletrack trail carved into steep granite cliffs overlooking Lake Tahoe, which follows the path where wooden square-box flumes once delivered water to Virginia City in the late 1800s. You have to try and visualize what it might have looked like going up and then going down," said Olow.Touted as one of the most spectacular trails in the Lake Tahoe area (if not the world), visitors from around the globe flock to the Flume Trail in Tahoe for unbeatable access to hiking and mountain biking. "Even though it's a small piece, it's still impressive. We found a small piece of a flume built a century ago. We started from the middle trail head and headed north, crossed the creek using a log laid over the water and shortly after, bingo. Operations ceased in 1931 and since then flumes have been harder and harder to find over the years- hard to find, but not impossible.Īlex Olow from the US Forest Service joined me on my search for flumes. People would float wood down these "V" shaped flumes that sat on wooden trestles as high as 60 feet above ground. Built in 1876 to help transport sawed boards from Sugar Pine Lumber Mill north of Oakhurst all the way down to the town of Madera. So what are flumes you ask? Flumes are an engineering marvel. But did you know within these trails lies scattered flumes built more than 130 years ago? MADERA COUNTY (KFSN) - The Lewis Creek Trail is one of the most popular ones in Central California- Red Rock and Corlieus Falls are two big reasons why.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |