123 miles with 14,200 feet of elevation gain*
Locate ride on interactive map.
[Interactive Course | enlarge]
[Route Profile]
Death Ride - Counties Visited:
Alpine County, Mono County, and El Dorado County
Death Ride - Cities/Towns Visited:
Markleeville and Woodfords
Death Ride - Climbs:
Mile 7 (cat. 2), 25 (cat. 2), 44 (cat. 2), 60 (cat. 3), 83 (cat. 4), and 89 (cat. 2)
Death Ride - Stops:
Mile 15 (Monitor Pass - West), 25 (Highway 395), 34 (Monitor Pass - East), 44, 55 (Ebbetts Pass - North), 60 (Hermit Valley), 65 (Ebbetts Pass - South), 76, 89 (Woodfords), 95, and 104 (Carson Pass)
Death Ride - Description:
The Death Ride, also known as the Tour of the California Alps, is an epic ride in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, that is held in Markleeville (about 30 miles south of Lake Tahoe) since 1980.
The ride starts in Turtle Rock Park outside Markleeville and leads over five mountain passes: Monitor Pass West and East (8,314 feet), turning around at Highway 395; Ebbetts Pass North and South (8,730 feet), turning around in Hermit Valley; and Carson Pass (8,574 feet). The course passes through Toiyabe and Stanislaus National Forests.
There are plenty of rest and water stops along the way, pretty much at the bottom and top of every climb, and also in between. Many of the only 1,500 residents of Alpine County are volunteering in this event (the «Skeleton Squad»), which brings about 3,000 visitors to the area (the «Death Riders»).
Death Ride - Pictures:
[Monitor Pass - West]
[Monitor Pass - East]
[Ebbetts Pass]
[Carson River]
[Carson Pass]
Death Ride - Personal Notes:
At the lunch stop, I caught up with Tom Z. from San Clemente. We rode together through Markleeville, then I decided to follow my own pace.
On the descent from Carson Pass, I reached 50 mph and experienced speed wobble on the bike. I was able to keep it under control, but was scared to death.
While the weather was perfect all morning, big clouds started building up in the afternoon, and I got caught in a lightning with hail and heavy rain during the final miles.
Death Ride - Current Weather:
