The Tahoe Pyramid Trail follows a historic migration and travel route used for thousands of years, so the building of the trail honors that history as well as providing a way for future generations to enjoy the beauty and adventure of the Truckee River.

Four years ago, my wife and I decided to take advantage of an opportunity to sponsor a bench, and we gratefully contributed to make that a reality.  Since I commuted regularly between Truckee and Reno before and after the TPT was built, we chose a special place between Hirschdale and Floriston that has a wonderful view of the canyon and river.

Our gift, as with all bench sponsorships, was added to the TPT Endowment Fund so as to provide income for the TPT forever.  Our gift generates about $2,500 in annual income to the TPT, and combined with many other gifts, the endowment now generates more than $200k annually in support of the TPT.  The endowment recognizes the permanence of the TPT and is administered by the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada.  As a permanently restricted endowment, the income ensures that there is funding to maintain and improve the TPT forever.

Our longest serving board member & chief trail builder and steward Bill von Phul built the bench, which is beautiful, and a plaque was installed with the inscription “Home is Where The Trail Is”.  This is the same inscription we have on our car license plate frame, and with good reason.  Our home is literally one block from the TPT in the Truckee, CA neighborhood of Glenshire, and my office was one block from the TPT in downtown Reno.  An amazing commute indeed.

Living here and enjoying our beautiful environment is something we love.  We raised our family here and now have another generation to share our passions.  The picture of the bench includes our granddaughter as we let her know that it will be there forever.  That visit brought our gift home, and gave us deep feelings of gratitude and place.

There are other bench sponsorship opportunities along the TPT, and other gift opportunities to support the endowment and help others enjoy the TPT by leaving a lasting legacy.  If you’d like to learn more, please let us know.  We approach such generosity with gratitude and privacy.

Enjoy the trail!

~ Chris Askin,TPT Board Chair

The weather was changing, but we still managed to sneak in a late-season camping trip. With the weather unpredictable, we hesitated a bit, but fortunately, things worked out. We were at Giant Gap in the Tahoe National Forest, which is situated on the Sugar Pine Reservoir. 

In a previous article, I talked about what “being wild” means to me, and I questioned whether it needed to be in a remote camping spot to reach that utopia. The camp we were at wasn't crowded, but there were others there. As we sat around the campfire in the evening, with no sounds from our neighbors and just the open but cloudy sky, I could say I was in the wild. My mind was at peace and content, as a joyful feeling. It is hard to reach that place, but the sounds of flowing water, chattering birds, or silence can carry me away into the wild.

On our last morning, the sun came out. I popped my head out to check the weather and caught a glimpse of the reservoir. It was misty, and the light was perfect for capturing the variation in the fall trees as the colors changed. I had to reach for my camera and take in the moment and create some memories on film. Here are a few to enjoy. 

I hope you're enjoying the fall weather wherever you live. We’ve seen some snow on those mountain tops already, so we are in that transitional time. Make the most of those sunny days no matter the temperature and maybe even venture into your definition of “being in the wild”.

By the way, our annual photo contest is underway. Look for some of your stunning photos taken along the TPT and submit them. The deadline is November 29th. Use this link to enter.

~ Mary Beth Roselli, Past Chair of the TPT Board

During the last week in October, in between a couple bouts of inclement weather, dedicated volunteers showed up to give our wooden features a much-needed makeover. The results speak for themselves: rich, warm color and a protective finish that will help the wooden railings and benches stand up to many future years of Northern California weather.

Staining may sound simple, but it takes patience and care. Volunteer teams worked side by side, applying the stain in even coats, working carefully around every corner and edge. By the end of the day, the project was complete and we all got to feel the satisfaction of such transformative efforts. It was especially satisfying to see groups of mountain bike riders come past and appreciate the work that was being done. 

TPT extends our thanks and gratitude to all of the volunteers who joined us to work on this project, and we also owe a big thank you to The Home Depot who generously donated all of the materials for this project and also had volunteers from their staff from their stores in Northwest Reno and Carson City contribute their time. The Home Depot’s support made it possible to take this project from an idea to a reality, and we truly appreciate their partnership!

Want to be part of our next project? Click below and fill out the form to be added to our volunteer list. We’d love to see you out there!

~ Catherine Escamilla, TPT Programs Coordinator

Alongside Janet Phillips’ vision for the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail (TPT) is a long list of dedicated volunteers who have helped turn that vision into reality. Bill von Phul is one of those people. He has been involved with the trail since 2004, and I recently had the privilege of walking with him along the famous boardwalk at the Floriston Trailhead on a beautiful fall day.

Bill is one of several current board members who helped construct this section of the trail, an area often referred to as Hogback. According to Janet, in an article in Moonshine Ink, a hogback is a terrain feature consisting of a ridgeline that is steep on both sides. In this case, however, the feature was human-made as a result of the construction of I-80.

Clay Grubb, a current TPT advisor, was among the first to walk this section, quite literally risking life and limb to explore the possibilities. The team considered four options: building a bridge over I-80, a tunnel under it, a route alongside or above the highway, or a trail along the top of Hogback. The last option was ruled out because of cultural and heritage constraints. Another possibility, described by Clay as going "over the river slope," was eliminated because the soil was too unstable.

That left one promising solution: a boardwalk bolted directly into the bedrock beneath the unstable soil.

Nathan Robison, a current board member, runs Robison Engineering, took on the challenge of developing the plans. He created aerial trail plans in 100-foot sections, covering the canyon from Hirschdale through the Truckee River Canyon. His work helped bring the boardwalk concept to life. With the boardwalk and steep staircase included in the engineering plans, the next challenge was finding the funding to make it happen.

According to Steve Randall, who served as general manager of the Tahoe-Donner Recreation and Parks District (TDRPD) for 38 years, Janet Phillips approached the Town of Truckee in 2015 about partnering on a grant from the State of California to complete the California portion of the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail. When Truckee declined to participate, Janet approached TDRPD, which agreed to partner with TPT. Because a governmental agency was required to submit the grant application, this partnership was essential.

In 2016, TDRPD received a $2.1 million grant from the State of California for the project. Construction began in 2017 and was completed in 2019. The boardwalk alone cost approximately $1 million, and its completion connected this challenging section of the Truckee River Canyon.

Steve is now a TPT board member, continuing his involvement with the trail.

Richard May, who still helps maintain the trail today, was hired to build the trail and boardwalk. The project was completed on time. You can see photos of the ribbon-cutting ceremony on our Facebook page.

Because of its remote location, getting equipment and materials, including excavators, into the area was extremely difficult. As Bill explained, the boardwalk was built in 8-foot sections, starting at the Floriston Trailhead. Once a section was completed, the crew had to set two new piers in concrete to support the next section. The excavator then had to move out onto the completed boardwalk, carrying the next wooden deck section and positioning it on the newly installed piers.

As the heavy excavator moved across the partially completed boardwalk, the deck began to sway ominously. The solution was to reinforce the structure from underneath with rigid steel pipe braces. Bill designed and fabricated the braces to prevent that sway. They needed to test the design and the goal was to support 2,000 pounds. During the testing, it provided support for 5,000 pounds – way to go! Bill worked alongside Richard May's construction team to install the additional supports and kept the project moving forward.

The boardwalk wasn't the only engineering challenge. The construction team also built the steep staircase and the trail leading to it. To complete the work, the excavator had to make its way down from the I-80 pull-off to the base of the stairs. Richard actually drove the excavator down the staircase so he could continue working on the trail and finish the project. Just another obstacle conquered along the Hogback!

We are fortunate to have Bill, Nathan, Clay, and Steve serving on our board and as advisors, along with Richard, who continues to help maintain the trail. Their dedication, creativity, and willingness to tackle seemingly impossible challenges have been instrumental in bringing the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail to life.

The boardwalk is much more than a way to get across a difficult stretch of terrain. It represents years of vision, planning, engineering, hard work, and volunteer commitment. The next time you walk or ride across it, take a moment to appreciate the people and ingenuity behind it. Without them, this remarkable section of the TPT might never have become a reality.

~ Mary Beth Roselli, Past Chair of the TPT Board

On Sunday, September 20th, Michael Casper and I set out to complete a century ride, and the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail played a starring role in the day.

We rolled out from Riverview Park in Truckee and headed up and over Brockway Summit, a stiff early climb that woke up the legs.  From there, we continued clockwise around Lake Tahoe, taking in epic views of the shoreline that just never get old, no matter how many times you see them.  We navigated through the chaos of South Lake, stopped at Crazy Good Bakery and Cafe for well-deserved pastries, and then continued on through more steep and fun climbs surrounding Emerald Bay. 

In Tahoe City, we picked up the TPT and followed it up along Highway 89, and this was a highlight of the day.  This stretch of trail was freshly paved, and it felt fantastic to ride on.  After many miles on the road, that smooth, quiet surface was a welcome change and a reminder of how much good trail improvements matter to everyone who uses them.

From there, we headed west to loop around Donner Lake before making our way back to Riverview Park along the TPT, tired and happy to have covered the full 100 miles.

Michael had this to say about the ride:

"After riding the majority of Lake Tahoe’s perimeter, joining the Truckee River’s gentle descent (via the TPT bike path and Highway 89 shoulder) presented the great pleasure of effortlessly cruising down through the canyon."

Rides like this are a great way to experience the extensive, interconnecting trail system in our area, and are a good reminder of why we volunteer to care for it.  Whether you're up for a century or a short spin on your favorite section, we hope to see you out there.

~ Michael Casper, TPT Volunteer & Advisor, and Catherine Escamilla, TPT Programs Coordinator

We appreciate the efforts of our community supporters to continue the success of the TPT!

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