Well this weekend we returned to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in Tahoe (Pictures Here) and then on Monday I finally made it to Hole in the Ground Trail (Pictures – Link works now).) Rather than shuttling Toad’s we climbed up Oneidas Road to Armstrong pass and then through Freel Meadow which is a much more challenging ride. The initial climb itself is about 2500′ then you head out cross country along the Rim Trail and tack another 500+ feet to the total. That said the extended ride is well worth the effort. The scenery from the Tahoe Rim Trail at this point is absolutely incredible and the singletrack is awesome. Mostly it’s fairly buffed smooth stuff but there are a good number of challenging technical sections as well.
Originally we had planned on going to Christmas Valley but our guide flaked on us. Hole in the Ground turned out to be a great second day ride. There was still quite a bit of climbing but it wasn’t so bad that we couldn’t manage it after the exertions climbing to Armstrong Pass the day before. Rocks and granite slabs are the biggest features of Hole in the Ground trail. Everywhere you go there are chunks of granite you need to work one way or the other. If you can still stomach it there are a ton of granite slabs (California Slickrock) and boulders to play on all around the trail as well.