SIERRAVILLE

Coming into Sierraville

DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011
HOME: Sierraville, CA  Canyon Ranch Resort
DISTANCE: 45 miles
ALTITUDE: 3040 ft
WEATHER: Perfect. 
NARRATIVE: 
From the time we woke up we knew it was going to be a good day.  50 degrees and blue sky when we began riding; first time in a couple of weeks we’ve started riding without all our warm clothes on.  It felt strange at first, and we weren’t sure we could trust this new glorious weather, but we were certainly going to enjoy it while we could.  Good road, not bad traffic (even tho we were on 89), long but not steep climbs, and fun downhills made for a glorious day of riding.  We also made the transition to the Sierras – the predominant trees were Jeffrey, Ponderosa, and Juniper with a Manzanita understory.  Views opened up with the classic big meadows of the Sierras.  And, we had our longest flat ride of the entire trip – 7 miles into Sierraville.

Today was also another day of extremes. Calling our home for the night a Resort takes a stretch of the imagination.  The inside is actually fairly comfortable with two beds, a kitchenette, and a private bathroom.  It was probably a fairly nice place in the 60’s, but the outside needs a little TLC.  There’s a picnic table outside with a barbecue grill, and a nice stream nearby.  Problem is that they haven’t even bothered to take a weed eater to the grass so it’s hard to get to the picnic table.  With just a little TLC this could be a charming place.  Once again – no cell phone, no internet – and we’re only 30 miles from Truckee.



We had lunch at a cute little town, Graeagle, and passed several housing developments trying to attract upscale residents with the lure of golf – those trying to get away from overcrowded conditions of Lake Tahoe.