We got an earlier start to avoid traffic on the road, especially on the climb to Emerald Bay early in the ride. 8 am:

There was a nice trail right to the beginning of the climb. Let me qualify “nice”. There was no traffic to worry about and the surroundings were beautiful but the actual trail was so bumpy.

Elaine met us at one of the wide pull-outs.

Emerald Bay:

The Fish and Game Department was at the Meeks Bay Campground ready to release containers of small trout into the lake. The blow-up fish attracted an audience:

Just a mile away, at Meeks Bay Resort, Brenda went for a cold plunge in the lake, Lori got her feet wet, the rest of us didn’t even want sand in our shoes.

The rest of the ride would be trail.

Brenda calls this photo stop The Rock of Gibraltar:

Back to Tahoe City. We did it. 36 miles today. 78 miles around the lake in two days.

We began at 10 am giving us plenty of time to ride at a moderate pace clockwise around the lake. BarbaraL, Maria, Lori, me, Brenda:

I did this ride a very long time, 25+ years ago. There are more dedicated bike trails – the more the better – there is a lot of summer traffic.

There were signs going south on Hwy 28 for construction delays of 30 minutes or more. This totally worked to our advantage. We rode up the side of the mile-long line of stopped and waiting cars and got to the front just as the flagger waved everyone to go. Shortly, we were able to ride in the coned-off newly paved construction area – there were only two or three very small construction areas where we had to briefly merge with slow-moving traffic. Once all the cars had passed us, there was NO traffic at all for the next 45 minutes or so – sweet. After turning right onto Hwy 50 south, it was all downhill, until I felt a little wobble. Darnit! A flat tire. Trail angels to the rescue: Lori and Brenda changed the flat on the rear tire in about 15 minutes. They found a screw fully embedded and pulled it out. The hole seemed to heal but they put a piece of cardboard between the new tube and the tire, just to make sure. They both took Jibe’s Advanced Maintenance class and are quite good.

Just south of Zephyr Cove, we found this gem of a trail which took us all the way to Stateline.

There were now 8 of us in 3 different hotels near Stateline. We had varying needs for food so some went for pizza and a few of us went to Ristorante Izabella. 42 wonderful miles today and kudos to BarbaraL and Maria who did not have the assist of an ebike.

Seven of us met in Tahoe City late Sunday afternoon. A few of us met up for drinks at the restaurant near our hotel, while a few others went shopping. Five of us will be riding around the lake in the next two days. Elaine and Hana will SAG – each will drive a vehicle and be available in case anyone needs help. Elaine, me, BarbaraL, Hana:

Lennore is going to lead her first ride for Jibe in a couple of weeks. This morning, Brenda and I rode with her to see what the N Natomas Garden Challenge route is like. Discovered: westbound traffic is blocked for a short section on Garden Highway. Good for our direction. Not good if cars back up behind the group. .

17 miles.

Lunch with a friend, Becky.

Cheryl, BarbaraB, BarbaraL and I rode to the Sacramento Amtrak station and took an early train to Richmond.

It was a 1 1/2-hour train ride, but it went by quickly. It was easy getting from the train to the starting point of the ride. A short distance to the Richmond Greenway, then well-marked and protected bikeways which led to accessing the bridge.

5.5 miles long, about 184 feet of climbing in a dedicated lane for two-way traffic on the top deck.

To the left: San Quentin.

On the San Rafael side, it was easy and safe to navigate Sir Francis Drake Blvd as we made our way to Larkspur Landing for lunch.

Back to the train, which was typically late, and a ride back to N Natomas. A 40-mile day with three long rest breaks.