2020 Event Recap
Written By Sue Dornan
Just like a black diamond ski run, a big slope in the Truckee Canyon west of Reno is labeled with a black diamond as the most difficult to traverse on the official map for the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail.
“It always kicks my butt,” said Anthony Alston of Reno, who lists his occupation as running trails and hiking mountains. The hill is a 180-foot climb or descent and its soil is rocky and loose. It’s located downriver from the Fleish pedestrian bridge over the Truckee River.
Kristy McLean, a Reno junior tennis coach, is proud of having walked up the hill with her bike. “It’s pretty challenging. I’m not a biker,” she said. But she loves the trail. “It’s amazing. I loved the closeness of the river and the beauty of it. You just really feel a part of the river.”
It’s amazing. I loved the closeness of the river and the beauty of it. You just really feel a part of the river.
Both Anthony and Kristy mentioned above were among the nearly 300 people at the annual meeting of the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail nonprofit organization that is leading an effort to fill in the final section gaps for a trail along the Truckee River from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake, now 80 percent complete. It’s the second year the group has garnered a full house for the get-together at the Patagonia store in downtown Reno.
Completion of a 12-mile trail through the Truckee Canyon last fall was the center of the discussion, videos, and a slide show. Last October, the last half-mile gap in the trail was filled in, including a $1 million boardwalk across the Hogback Ridge at Floriston. A trail and bike route is now clear from Sparks to Truckee to Lake Tahoe.
Volunteer Bill von Phul and others say the 600-foot long boardwalk is one of the most beautiful sections of the trail because of the views it affords of the white-water rapids below called “Jaws.” Here von Phul said he could hear kayakers “hoot and holler” at the thrill of the ride all last spring.
Janet Phillips, founder, and president of the nonprofit group urged the crowd to share any recommendations on improving the trail through the Truckee Canyon. Every little bit helps: She urged people to get on the trail on their bikes to squish down the mud to smooth the trail, and kill some weeds.
Eric Lamberts, another trail user, agreed the big hill is horrible but he wouldn’t change the basic nature of the trail. “There’s a perception that it’s like the one in Truckee,” he said, speaking of the six-mile paved Legacy trail. “It’s not a mountain bike trail but you want a mountain bike to ride it.”
Sam Limerick, the trail group’s mapmaker, said there may be a solution to the big hill downstream from the Fleish bridge. He’s hoping the group will start soon discussions with the Truckee Meadows Water Authority to find an alternative route, using some of the old roads on its property.
Several trail group advocates also mentioned the narrow Glenshire Road that winds up to the Glenshire community from Hirschdale. It’s another steep slope and has no room for bicyclists to get off the road to avoid traffic. “It’s a very narrow road,” said Clay Grubb, a master trail builder from Kingsbury Grade above Carson Valley.
Phillips said a 70-foot steep stairway on the upriver side of Hogback Ridge was a necessity and another potential danger. She urged people to walk their bikes and not attempt to ride them down the steps to avoid any injuries. “I know nobody likes the stairway but it was best we can do,” she said.
If you see problems along the trail, you can report them on the “Report Trail Issues” page where you can add lots of details for what you have encountered and where you found it, including the ability to upload images which is linked on every trail page of this website.
The form can be found directly at https://tahoepyramidtrail.org/tahoetrail/report-trail-conditions/
Bill Von Phul Named Volunteer of the Year :
Bill Von Phul was named the group’s Volunteer of the Year for his almost daily work in inspecting the trail’s construction last year, including going to get steel and fabricating parts one time when additional steel was required for the railing. And when a tree recently fell over the boardwalk, he cleared it away. In all, he works almost every day maintaining some aspect of the trail and has been with the group since shortly after Phillips started the group 16 years ago. ///
Von Phul has ridden the trail from Hirschdale to Verdi several times, saying it takes him two to three hours. “It’s quite a pleasant ride. I do have an (electric) pedal-assisted bicycle. I am 75 years old.” Finally, Phillips made a pitch for donations to help the group keep up with maintenance and projects. “Bill’s not going to live forever,” she said.
Here are just a few of the Kick-Off Celebration photos:
