December 20, 2004
Ride #1 Salmon Falls Loop, with Prospector Grade
Every Saturday at 8:00 am (rain or shine) my cycling buddies and I ride the Salmon Falls Loop. We all start from our homes and meet up at The Corner, (Green Valley and Salmon Falls Road) It is a 45 mile ride with many alternate rides to add mileage and climbing.
Distance: 45-50
Vertical Feet: 4,800
Max Grade: 16.5 %
Time: 3 to 4 hours
1) Start out at the corner of Salmon Falls and Green Valley Road.
2) Follow Salmon Falls for 5 miles of nice rollers and descents until Salmon Falls Bridge.
Above is Salmon Falls Bridge, where the South Fork of the American River empties into Folsom Lake
3) Continue on Salmon Falls another 5 miles, only now the riding consists of climbing. It's a beautiful climb with 14% being the steepest grade. Enjoy the gorgeous canyon views, if you have enough energy to look around. It levels out at Safari Estates (Look for the life sized statue of a Rhino on the left). Safari Estates is at the top of the hill.
The Rhino and My Ride
4) Descend about 3 miles to Salmon Falls Cut Off. Take a right here, and this shoots you out onto Highway 49. Take a right on 49 and enjoy a nice 8 mile stretch with a combo of flats and descents with some slight rollers until reaching Rainbow Bridge (just short of Coloma), which crosses the South Fork of the American River.
5) ALTERNATE ROUTE -Take a left onto Marshall grade, then the next left is Prospector Grade (solitude, scenery and more solitude). Prospector is little more then a single lane road snaking it’s way up to the top of Marshall Grade (1300 feet of climbing in 2.3 miles). You are surrounded by the Sierra Foothills as you climb. It reminds me of the some of the hill stages in the Tour. After climbing a hairpin, you can look back and see the road you just powered up.
Looking back after a hairpin at the road on Prospector Grade.
The graph below shows this added climb, Prospector Grade. It is the old Marshall Grade Road that connects Georgetown to Coloma. By far my favorite climb in El Dorado County. It is rated the toughest climb after to Snows Road (in Camino, two mile climb with grades up to 20%) in El Dorado County. Only Iowa Hill and Corkscrew in Auburn have steeper grades with the same amount of distance. (For some real steep grades check out my Hills of San Francisco ride) There are many loops off Prospector that I will add later. Good Deathride training!
A nice view behind you as you climb on Prospector, those are the Sierras that Joe skis in the background.
6) If you don’t take Prospector, continue toLotus Bridge. Take a right after the bridge onto Lotus Rd. There is a nice park here along the American River with a bathroom where you can fill up your water bottles and take a break. The view is outstanding. You are in a bowl, on one side of the bowl is the canyon ridge with Prospector (you may or may not have just climbed) and the other side is Lotus Grade, the hill you are about to climb.
Prospector is a scream to go down as well as up!
South Fork of the American River greets you before the climb up Lotus Grade
7) After the park, continue right on Lotus Road to Lotus Grade. A nice climb of 600 feet in 2 ¾ of a mile, with a steady grade of 9% with a max of 12.5%.
Looking down Lotus Grade, you can see the top of Prospector in the background.
Look at that shoulder!
8) After climbing Lotus Grade, continue on Lotus until you take a right on Green Valley Road. Follow Green Valley all the way back to the corner of Green Valley and Salmon Falls, where you began this great loop.
· For a very detailed description of a similar ride visit http://www.beautifulvista.com/Bike_Rides/Salmon Falls Lotus Loop/salmon_falls_lotus_loop.htm
- Paul
Click the links below for a detailed report:
Ride 2 - Hills of San Francisco
Ride 4 - Staple Ride - Hills of Serrano
Ride 5 - Ridge Ride El Dorado Hills