By Tim Hauserman
Springtime. Time to get back in the bike saddle and go for a ride. The perfect ride around these parts for that first long ride of the year is the Sierra Valley. The start is just 25 miles north of Truckee, and the riding is spectacular with lush pasture lands, wildflowers and a ton of wildlife.
Start from Sierraville, and if you are up for it, loop your way around the entire valley. It’s 50 miles with just a few hundred feet of climbing. A short cut via Herriot Road can shave some miles, but then you would miss the cute little town of Loyalton. The key is to time it right. Not too early in the morning or you will freeze, not too late, or you will face riding into the wind.
From Sierraville, head east on Highway 49 for 13 miles to Loyalton. Look for red winged blackbirds while passing wet pasture lands. About half way there you run into the only real hill of the trip, and it ain’t much. Loyalton, once home to a now defunct lumber mill, is a charming but struggling little town. Help it out by stopping in to the market or restaurant for some grub. From Loyalton head on A-24 out of town. Pass the City Park at the edge of town, the one and only restroom and water spot on the route.
Now, enjoy a flat, across valley jaunt to Beckwourth. But not all flats are the same, wind can quickly change the dynamics. My last ride I caught a lot of sidewind heading north and struggled along in lower gears, then the road changed direction and with the wind at my back I was roaring along with little effort. In between battling the wind, I saw antelope, bald eagles, snow geese high in the air flashing back and forth in the sunlight like a school of fish, and hawks up close and personal.
A-24 ends at Highway 70. Hang a left, go about a mile, and then turn left again onto A23 for the long trip back across the valley to Sattley. Just a mile in, look for Sierra Valley Farms on your left which holds Farmer’s Markets every Friday in the summer.
From Sattley, it’s four miles on the more busy Highway 89/49 back to Sierraville, where several fun, local restaurant options await. My last trip, it was a meatball sandwich and big chocolate shake at Smithneck Farms. Delicious – and I deserved it.
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