Ride #3 Death Ride Trainer - Ebbetts Pass
Out of all the passes in the Death Ride, Ebbetts is my favorite. I will come back after the Death Ride to ride Ebbetts, but I save Monitor for the day of the Death Ride only. Woodfords and Carson, I have done quite a bit and really enjoy when there is “fire on the mountain,” from the aspens changing colors in the Fall (Check out Joe’s picture of the aspens proudly displaying their colors in the snow on the Kirkwood Dawn Patrol page). But Ebbetts is just a beautiful ride year round.
I park at the junction of Monitor and Ebbetts and ride along the Carson River to the top of Ebbetts.
It is 14 miles from where I park, but the real climb starts after 7 miles, at the second campground (nice spot for to fill up water, I always top off there). The climb does not stop for 7 miles until you hit 8,730 feet and have to cross the cow guard. There are many breathtaking views as Ebbett’s weaves it’s way back and forth up the grade. Kinney Reservoir is a good benchmark. It means you have climbed about 5 miles and have 2 more until you reach 8,730 feet. Ebbett’s roads are well paved and parts are steep for sure. The steepest being 20 %, but there are plenty of 15% -19% to keep you up out of the saddle. Word of caution, make a mental note of where rocks and boulders are for your ride on the way back down.
One of the great views climbing Ebbetts. At the end of this little section, you can look to your right and see the valley that you have just climb up. Notice no dividing line in the road.
The top of Ebbetts!! Now, enjoy 5 “freshly paved” (August, 2004) miles to the bottom. There are still some roots that make bumps in the road, but the new pavement helps out a ton.
The ride down is a great recovery for the climb you will be doing in about 15 minutes. Once at the bottom, you can keep going another 5- 10 miles and climb the Pacific Grade. It has some 24% + grades that roll up the hill like a wave. I usually turn around before Pacific Grade and pedal up the backside of Ebbetts. Even though it is a lot steeper, with fewer hairpins, it is shorter and therefore a quicker climb than the front. One thing that I think about as I climb up the backside is the 14-mile descent back to the car. Look out for rocks and small boulders in the road, but if it is clear, open it up and hug the corners.
I always hit the “The Deli” on the way out to get the best deli sandwiches around.
The great thing about all these passes is there are plenty of rides I will post later. One of my favorites being: Lake Tahoe to Kingsbury Loop: Meyers to Luther Pass (tops out at 7,700 feet) down Woodfords to Emigrant Trail that takes you to Kingsbury Grade (7.5 mile and around 3,000 feet) back to Tahoe. Stay tuned......
- Paul
Click the links below for a detailed report:
Ride 1 - Salmon Falls / Prospector Grade
Ride 2 - Hills of San Francisco
Ride 4 - Staple Ride - Hills of Serrano
Ride 5 - Ridge Ride El Dorado Hills