Review Date
November 13, 2009

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a year

Reviewed by: boggsman22 ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Got on the trail at 2pm on a cold rainy Friday in November. Starts off with a moderate 20-25 minute climb from 7200 up to about 8000 feet. Then the trail rolls through some real nice terrain, rocky, small drops , great mountain scenery. Then climbs a little bit more and rolls through some perfect middle ring up and down riding through rock sections, mud, and smooth pine needle forrest. At the end of the ride you get to drop your seat, get way back , and rip a series of rail tie steps to the bottom. Overall , a great Mountain XC ride with moderate climbing , and moderate technical needs.

Recommended Route:
Part one car right off Soda Springs exit, shuttle up to trail head accross the 80 from Boreal, and GO! about 2hours 15mins. rail time.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Missing Link-TRT, Mr. Toads, Marlette Lake loop starting on Mt. Rose Highway.

Review Date
September 8, 2009

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: Su_FuelEX9 ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
I don't think a girl has reviewed this trail yet, so here's a review that will hopefully help a fair proportion of female MTB riders out there:

BOTTOMLINE: RIDE THIS! IT IS HEAPS OF FUN! The initial uphill sections sure are hard work (marked by black diamonds on the map), but you forget about all of this once you're up on the ridge/Andesite Peak and see the amazing view. The sweet, sweet singletrack in the second half of the loop will undo much of the early pain. Just bring lots of water and food. And be confident riding over loose rocks - pedal evenly and breathe.

I am not an advanced rider and I ride within my limits. I am reasonably fit though and I rode all of this except ~3% which was just too steep or rocky. I saw other guys walking when I was, so it's not unexpected to lift your bike over some parts. That said, you probably don't want to try this as a beginner.

The temperature range on the day I rode this (29 Aug) was ~78-86F (25-30C). It felt warm but not hot as you're riding in the forest. But having come from an Australian winter into a Tahoe summer, I carried some extra water. I carried two bladders in my Camelbak, one 3L and one 1L just in case. I could have got by with just the 3L because I only had a few sips from the second one before the trail ended. So for 2 hr 20 min of riding time for the loop (including the initial road/gravel road ride from Soda Springs/Boreal to the trailhead) I drank ~3.1 L of water (nearly 1 gallon). Hope this helps you plan for your hydration needs.

After all the initial climbing, the trail (all singletrack) twists in a nice flowing manner. The surface varies from smooth dirt in the forest, loose gravel/stone, and hard, flat boulders that are grippy and good to ride over.

There is a series of large steps in the last 1.5 miles. Just be careful if you can't ride down staircases! Also, the last 3 miles involves a bit of navigation if you aren't familiar with the trail. Follow the Adventure Maps Inc map to not miss any of the singletrack that leads away from the fireroads.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Tahoe Meadows to Spooner Lake (take a shuttle bus back to Incline Village or ask your driver nicely to drive you back up to Tahoe Meadows) - a good way to see the area. Tahoe Meadows to Tunnel Creek Road is fun. The Flume trail itself to Spooner lake is easy (and boring if it's overcast and you can't see the lake), but pick a clear day and ride this section to be wow-ed by the lofty views of Lake Tahoe.

Flume Trail bikes at Spooner Lake is a great shop to visit. They run the shuttle bus service in the area. The number for the bus service is on the Adventure Maps map.

Review Date
July 31, 2009

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: Swerveon ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Sierra riding at its best. Great Views. Nice, technical sections. This trail makes you earn it.

Recommended Route:
I know it's not original, but do it from the Soda Springs starting point. If you have the ability, have someone drop you at the Castle Peak trailhead and pick you up at the Soda Springs fire station. It takes a couple of non-spectacular miles out of the loop.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Downieville, of course. Emigrant. Flume.

Review Date
July 31, 2009

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: jesmith09 ,  Racer

Summary:
The first time I headed out to this trail, I was pretty curious about what I might run into, given the reviews I'd read here and elsewhere. I'm an XC racer. I've been riding for four years now. A year after I began biking, I began racing sport class, and moved to expert late in my second season. I still race expert and generally finish in the top 10 to 15 percent. Why am I telling everyone this? I'm trying to give you a good idea of my experience level and learning curve/fitness so you can qualify my review. In terms of navigating tech sections, I think 12 years of snowboarding 75+ days per year did me a lot of good. I am reading a lot of reviews that emphasize the technical difficulty of this trail. True, the altitude makes it more difficult. I live at 2000 FT, so it makes a difference for me, and there are some babyheads,tight turns etc. This trail is not anywhere near as gnarly as some of these folks think it is. When you get to tight sections, rock gardens, etc, you just have to turn your brain off and react. The first time I rode this trail...around 3 years to the day after buying a bike for the first time, I dabbed two or three spots...didn;t fall, never came close, but had to put my foot down to get through some rock sections. Now that I'm stronger and know what to expect, I clean the ride. I have only done it on a my Jamis Dragon hardtail. If you keep your weight back when needed, modulate your brakes rather than skidding, and relax, this trail isn't that big a deal to ride. with full suss, I imagine it would be pretty easy to rail pretty hard. That being said, I love this trail. It is the perfect hardtail trail..I really like it on my Transition Trans Am (bigger tires and more slack geometry for hauling ass). The scenery is beautiful, the level of challenge on an XC HT keeps me entertained. Definitely worth your time. Don't believe the horror stories. you don't need flat pedals. The local bike shop owner tells you he uses them on the trail to make you feel better...and to sell you pedals. The stair stepper at the end requires attention, but your butt should be off your saddle over your rear tire, and you should lay off the front brake on the shorter steps. Sack up guys. If you've been riding for 15 years, and think your an expert....you should be able to clean up on this trail on an HT. If you can't, you have not been pushing yourself.

Review Date
July 28, 2009

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: Aslan ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
I just returned from riding this trail for the first time. I normally don't bother posting reviews but the reviews for this trail are all over the place in regards to difficulty. Some say hardest ever, others say not so bad. I hope to add some clarity.

Anyway, here is my review.

The Background:
I am 40 and my buddy is 56. We are in better than average shape but old. I have ridden my various mtbs over 25,000 miles in the past twenty years (this sounds more impressive than it really is - do the math). On my average Bidwell park rides I go about 20 miles in 1 hr and 30 minutes and climb 1000 feet almost entirely on a combination of smooth and then very rocky singletrack. Average speed would be about 12 mph. That should give you an idea of the fitness level. This 17 mile ride had an average speed of 6.5 mph and took 2 hrs and 30 minutes of rolling time to cover the 2000 feet of climbing.

The Ride:
Starting at the Norden exit trail head there is a nice steady climb to the singletrack, which is nice and smooth on the way up. About 6 miles and 1200 feet of climbing for this main push. Easy except for the altitude. After the main climb the single track becomes much more technical. If you knew the trail it would all be rideable on a good day. With out knowing the trail you will dab in a number of places. This technical roots and rocks is the main theme of this 8 miles of riding. It has flowy sections but not many long ones.

The Summary:
If you know what 20 miles and 2000 feet of climbing feel like - do this ride. The scenery is great, there are lakes to swim in, the singletrack is challenging but still fun. I would take a phsically strong intermediate on this ride. I will definately do it again. Don't take your girlfriend who is still learning unless you plan on breaking up. I hope this helps.

Recommended Route:
Do the route as described in the reviews. Do not go clockwise, you will not have fun.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Plenty but you already know them. The Flume, TRT, Downieville, ect..