So....somehow I've never ridden the new(er) sections of the Tahoe Pyramid Bikeway and I decided to have a go of it this weekend. I even did a little homework to make sure I remember where Quilici Ranch Rd and Crystal Peak Park were. No problems there. However, once we charged into the Sunday morning headwind and approached the beginning of the actual trail / fire road we were greeted with this.
Not a big deal....trail closures are a part of life. However, you have to ride about 2 miles out just to find out the trail is closed! No sign in Crystal Peak Park or the extra parking area where the trail starts from. That's just irresponsible road closure! It's the only non-paved route from Reno to Truckee....which in my mind makes it the bicycle equivalent of I-80. Imagine if we closed I-80 with no warning or appropriately located signage (not to mention realistic detours) and how people would react!
So, since it was Sunday and no one was working I did something that I don't recommend. I rode it anyway. It was great and I enjoyed exploring. However, they are doing real work to the flume and they are using large haul trucks (40 ton) that would squish a cyclist like jelly. So don't repeat my ride until the closure is over. And yes, I know by not honoring the sign I run the risk of making cyclists look bad....but I'm also tired of being treated like a 2nd class citizen with respect to construction projects.
Also, I don't hate this project because while it's tearing up the road/trail right now, I'm hopeful that TMWA will make the trail that much better after the project wraps up! A few pics to show that it's still a nice ride construction or not!
