The Markleeville Death Ride is a legend in bicycling. Each year 1,500 cyclists ride 129 miles over 5 steep Sierra Nevada mountain passes and climb a total of 15,000 ft. in elevation gain. At the center of the Death Ride universe sits the small burg of Markleeville. The Death Ride, or as the Alpine Chamber of Commerce prefers, "The Tour of the California Alps", attracts riders who not only get the coveted bragging rights for the rest of their lives, but who also seek to immerse themselves in some of the most beautiful natural scenery in all of California. Big peaks, flowing streams, snow drifts that last most of the summer, stunning pine forests and the remnants of late 1800's habitation all nestled under a California blue sky are a powerful draw.
Riding out of Markleeville and into the surrounding high passes is alluring to motorcyclists too and nobody who comes here on two wheels goes home disappointed. I left my home near Sacramento and rode the network of back roads to Placerville and continued on to Sly Park and Jenkinson Lake. On the far side of the lake, Mormon Emigrant Trail (formerly Iron Mountain Road) begins it's rise to the high Sierra and toward Silver Lake. If you like riding through dense forests on well paved roads with wide, sweeping turns, then this is for you. It is a beautiful stretch of road and its near perfect condition is made all the more interesting by the fact that the road lies under the snow all winter and isn't cleared until late spring. At the end or Mormon Emigrant Trail, California Highway 88 will take you east to Silver Lake which is surrounded by high mountains that reflect on the lake's surface. I stayed for awhile enjoying the cool, fresh air and wide open mountain scenery before continuing east over Carson Spur and then Carson Pass, both named for the legendary mountain man, Kit Carson. Hwy 88 is about as beat up as a road can be for a couple of miles around Carson Spur, but once over that, the road from Carson Pass on down is excellent. From the pass, Hwy 88 drops like a rock. I once got my bicycle up to 52 mph on this stretch. Passing the intersection of Hwy 88 and Hwy 89 at Pickett's Junction I continued past Sorenson's Resort and took a right turn at Woodfords Station to follow Highway 89 into Markleeville where the Creekside Inn would be my home for a couple of days. I would be joined by my wife with her bike in our van and the next day a handful of bicycling friends would appear to ride in the passes together with her.
I write these tour reports in the hopes that some CTX'er or other motorcyclist will find these rides attractive and put them on their bucket list. The riding in Northern California is exceptional and as I travel I meet other motorcyclists from other States who tell me how much they enjoy the riding here. But these passes, especially Ebbetts come with a caution...these are not for beginning motorcyclists. The roads, while very well surfaced are very narrow, in most cases have tight, "blind" turns and sometimes the turns are canted so steeply that if you don't carry enough momentum into the turn, you will simply fall over. And, all of that while being continuously tempted to look at that peak, that lake, that snowdrift... But, if you have experience, a sense of adventure and a desire to be immersed in the nature that can only be found in mountains, well...come out and ride!
Here are the passes that can be readily accessed from Markleeville:
Ebbetts Pass: Narrow, twisty turns with a couple of gorgeous mountain lakes. Stop to enjoy Kinney Reservoir...it's mountainous backdrop is pure eye candy. Continue over the pass and up Pacific Grade. You never new asphalt could stick on something this steep. Once over the grade, find Alpine Lake, go for a swim, grab some goodies from the store and retrace your path back to Markleeville.
Monitor Pass: While there are some tight blind turns, Monitor is more wide open than Ebbetts and has views into the distance of the Sierra Nevada that are beautiful to the point of distraction. Feel free to stop and enjoy the views. This trip, I went to the other side of Monitor on Highway 395 and came back up and then down to Markleeville. The east side of the pass is especially beautiful in the fall and it is more technical than the west slope.
Luther Pass: This is pretty much a ramp without a lot of tight turns and is my least favorite of the bunch. But, it does take you into South Lake Tahoe and if you have the time, the ride around the lake is considered to be one of the prettiest drives in the United States.
Carson Pass: I came over this on my way to Markleeville, and it is a very nice drive. Go a bit further up past the pass though and see Caples Lake which has a nice resort with a lakeside restaurant.
Daggett Pass: A former feature of the Death Ride, I no longer ride Daggett. It connects Lake Tahoe to the Minden/Gardnerville area and carries a lot of traffic at times.
Others: If you have a some time on your hands, Sonora Pass is a bit further to the south. It is very twisty, has steep cants in the turns and feels like you are on another planet while riding it. It's a legend. Just south of Sonora Pass lies the Crown Jewel of Sierra passes, Tioga Pass which will take you from Highway 395 and over Highway 120 through Yosemite National Park. It is, without a doubt the most beautiful motorcycle ride I have ever done and doing it from east to west is my favorite way to see it.
Caples Lake just above Carson Pass
Coming down from Monitor Pass after having ridden the eastern slope.
Ebbetts Pass at 8,730 feet, one of the old stage coach routes.
Woodfords Station. This is an old Pony Express remount location.
My cycling friends, most of them, including my wife, third from right, (and I) are Markleeville Death Ride alumni.
Riding out of Markleeville and into the surrounding high passes is alluring to motorcyclists too and nobody who comes here on two wheels goes home disappointed. I left my home near Sacramento and rode the network of back roads to Placerville and continued on to Sly Park and Jenkinson Lake. On the far side of the lake, Mormon Emigrant Trail (formerly Iron Mountain Road) begins it's rise to the high Sierra and toward Silver Lake. If you like riding through dense forests on well paved roads with wide, sweeping turns, then this is for you. It is a beautiful stretch of road and its near perfect condition is made all the more interesting by the fact that the road lies under the snow all winter and isn't cleared until late spring. At the end or Mormon Emigrant Trail, California Highway 88 will take you east to Silver Lake which is surrounded by high mountains that reflect on the lake's surface. I stayed for awhile enjoying the cool, fresh air and wide open mountain scenery before continuing east over Carson Spur and then Carson Pass, both named for the legendary mountain man, Kit Carson. Hwy 88 is about as beat up as a road can be for a couple of miles around Carson Spur, but once over that, the road from Carson Pass on down is excellent. From the pass, Hwy 88 drops like a rock. I once got my bicycle up to 52 mph on this stretch. Passing the intersection of Hwy 88 and Hwy 89 at Pickett's Junction I continued past Sorenson's Resort and took a right turn at Woodfords Station to follow Highway 89 into Markleeville where the Creekside Inn would be my home for a couple of days. I would be joined by my wife with her bike in our van and the next day a handful of bicycling friends would appear to ride in the passes together with her.
I write these tour reports in the hopes that some CTX'er or other motorcyclist will find these rides attractive and put them on their bucket list. The riding in Northern California is exceptional and as I travel I meet other motorcyclists from other States who tell me how much they enjoy the riding here. But these passes, especially Ebbetts come with a caution...these are not for beginning motorcyclists. The roads, while very well surfaced are very narrow, in most cases have tight, "blind" turns and sometimes the turns are canted so steeply that if you don't carry enough momentum into the turn, you will simply fall over. And, all of that while being continuously tempted to look at that peak, that lake, that snowdrift... But, if you have experience, a sense of adventure and a desire to be immersed in the nature that can only be found in mountains, well...come out and ride!
Here are the passes that can be readily accessed from Markleeville:
Ebbetts Pass: Narrow, twisty turns with a couple of gorgeous mountain lakes. Stop to enjoy Kinney Reservoir...it's mountainous backdrop is pure eye candy. Continue over the pass and up Pacific Grade. You never new asphalt could stick on something this steep. Once over the grade, find Alpine Lake, go for a swim, grab some goodies from the store and retrace your path back to Markleeville.
Monitor Pass: While there are some tight blind turns, Monitor is more wide open than Ebbetts and has views into the distance of the Sierra Nevada that are beautiful to the point of distraction. Feel free to stop and enjoy the views. This trip, I went to the other side of Monitor on Highway 395 and came back up and then down to Markleeville. The east side of the pass is especially beautiful in the fall and it is more technical than the west slope.
Luther Pass: This is pretty much a ramp without a lot of tight turns and is my least favorite of the bunch. But, it does take you into South Lake Tahoe and if you have the time, the ride around the lake is considered to be one of the prettiest drives in the United States.
Carson Pass: I came over this on my way to Markleeville, and it is a very nice drive. Go a bit further up past the pass though and see Caples Lake which has a nice resort with a lakeside restaurant.
Daggett Pass: A former feature of the Death Ride, I no longer ride Daggett. It connects Lake Tahoe to the Minden/Gardnerville area and carries a lot of traffic at times.
Others: If you have a some time on your hands, Sonora Pass is a bit further to the south. It is very twisty, has steep cants in the turns and feels like you are on another planet while riding it. It's a legend. Just south of Sonora Pass lies the Crown Jewel of Sierra passes, Tioga Pass which will take you from Highway 395 and over Highway 120 through Yosemite National Park. It is, without a doubt the most beautiful motorcycle ride I have ever done and doing it from east to west is my favorite way to see it.
Caples Lake just above Carson Pass
Coming down from Monitor Pass after having ridden the eastern slope.
Ebbetts Pass at 8,730 feet, one of the old stage coach routes.
Woodfords Station. This is an old Pony Express remount location.
My cycling friends, most of them, including my wife, third from right, (and I) are Markleeville Death Ride alumni.
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