You can go around the right side of Marlette Lake via the Flume itself, then go back the same way and down Tunnel Creek Road. Then you come to a 4-way intersection, and it's decision time.
For cautious newbies like me, you just have to get off your bike in a few places. There's some jumping over rocks, but really not enough to challenge hardcore mountain bikers. So you start with a very pleasant ride instead of exhausting yourself with a nasty slog uphill. The first 9.5 miles of this track is mostly downhill, some shade, and some good scenery opening up later in the track. And depending on how you structure it, maybe virtually no climb at all! This extends the ride to 25 miles (no big deal on a bike), but it's less climbing in terms of both the amount of miles you climb and the elevation gain. I decided to do it differently and start at Tahoe Meadows via shuttle from Tunnel Creek Cafe. Not technical enough for the experienced riders, too punishing for everyone else, and not that particularly scenic. That's the shortest route, but the first part involves a brutal 4-mile, 1000 ft climb which no one seems to enjoy. Most people do the 14-mile version of this ride starting at Spooner Lake, past Marlette Lake, on through the Flume itself, and down Tunnel Creek Rd, after which they get a shuttle back to Spooner Lake. The ride delivers scenery in spades, and just enough steep dropoffs to make you feel like you're living dangerously. I'll say more later about the secret way to avoid the brutal climb.įor now let me just say that this may be the most spectacular ride you'll ever do. I'm in reasonably good bike-riding shape, but this was literally my second single-track mountain biking experience, so that's the perspective I'm writing from. For some people it is, but for me I just wanted a great ride with spectacular scenery. Oh yes, everyone (including me) is doing this ride the wrong way, unless of course punishment is part of the goal. If you land anywhere on the site except the gateway page look in the footer for a link labeled "Trail info." Depending upon where you land on the site it can be quite difficult to find descriptions of the routes. My only suggestion would be for Flume Trail Bikes to improve the navigation on its web site. Beautiful flowy trails through large granite bolders with views of Lake Tahoe and to the east. We enjoyed the Flume ride so much that we also did the Tahoe Rim and the Tahoe Rim/Flume Trail rides. Recommned downloading the TrailForks app prior to the ride.
There is also a four mile climb from the drop-off point so riders should be in reasonable shape. There is quite a bit of exposure in several spots (if you slipped off the left side of trail you would be seriously injured or killed) so would not recommed for beginner mtn. The views from the Flume trail are spectacular.
#OLD FLUME TRAIL DRIVER#
Driver was friendly and gave us a few navigation tips at the drop-off. Purchased tickets online and caught the shuttle at the scheduled time. You have to try and visualize what it might have looked like going up and then going down," said Olow.Our party of six (ages 55-67) rode the Flume Trail Shuttle to get to the start of the Flume trail and had a wonderful day enjoying spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. "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.
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