On the Trail: Back with bike to Korean Veterans Memorial

Returned on the bike again this weekend with the idea of trying some old hiking trails on two wheels. First choice was Silver Saddle Ranch off River Road. The gate to the trail along the Mexican Ditch was locked, but the Pasture River Trail gate was just chained. Pedaled along about a quarter mile when the road was blocked by barbed wire, so turned around, back to the one-lane dirt track with barbed wire on each side. Not the nicest of trails.

Then off to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Park at the end of Fifth Street. The trails there are rider-friendly, no barbed wire and nice surfaces except where the dirt has been churned up into thick dust.

This is all flood plain so the trail is pretty flat most of the way. Down by the Carson River you'll have to dismount to get a good look at the water, which is low and slow-moving this time of year. Saw just one fisherman and he wasn't having any luck.

There are several trails cutting across the plain and they all pretty much wind up back at the park. But you can keep finding new ways to get to the park. At one point, a trail leads to the Mexican Ditch, which I noted earlier at Silver Saddle Ranch is still slowly flowing.

Riding here is not strenuous but there is enough distance to make it worth the effort to get to the park. There's even some leftover structures from the original ranch that operated here, an oven and a small storage house built by brothers back when.

Later this week I plan to hit the trail at Kahle Drive and Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe. I used to walk and bike it often when I lived on Kahle, but last year when I went there, the old trail had been diverted to a newer one, complete with a fancy bridge. I walked it last time to lovely Nevada Beach, but I think it's time to try it on the bike.

Saturday I plan to join the Rim Trail people at Northstar for their annual meeting. Several of us are supposed to be honored for our help with the trail, not that I did much except hike a few sections of it - far from the whole 127 miles.

READER HAS GOOD NEWS ABOUT NEW BIKE ROUTE

"For bike riders in the community who have found circling the streets of Quail Run a bit of a bore, but feel uncomfortable venturing onto the roadways of Carson City, I (the computer cutoff his name) may have good news. Zita and I at great personal risk decided to do some exploring and discover where the bicycle trail through Linear Park, south of Fremont Elementary on Saliman is going to lead.

"Beginning at the small bridge near Fremont, we rode the paved trail east past the schoolyard to where it ends at a barricade. The trail could be seen heading off toward the new Freeway so we circled around to Fifth St., crossed the new Freeway overpass and picked up another beautifully paved trail on the north side of Fifth St. that came back west, went under the Fifth St. overpass, then south along the Freeway's Jersey wall, eventually connecting to (drum roll, please) the paved trail at the aforementioned barricade.

"What this means is there will soon be a marvelous, off-street riding opportunity from just around the corner all the way to trails leading to Silver Saddle Ranch. And all paved or hard surface, with protected street crossings! Thank you, Carson City Planners!"

This is the other end of the trail I tried last week and appreciate the update from my lost-named reader.

MORE ON LINCOLN HIGHWAY; BIRDS FLYING

Several readers have asked about the additional Lincoln Highway remains at South Lake Tahoe. I wrote that there were stretches near Safeway, but they are actually behind the collection of buildings west of Safeway in the trees.

A reader asked if I knew why flocks of black ravens go from southeast to northwest at dusk. Not a birdwatcher so can't help. Anyone?

• Contact Sam Bauman at sambauman@att.net or 841-7818.