CourtesyRepresentatives from the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association take the events coordinator for the International Mountain Bicycle Association on a ride over the Flume Trail. Lake Tahoe is one of three cities being considered for the International Mountain Bicycle Association World Summit.
On Tuesday, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association President Kevin Joell invited me along for an afternoon ride and evening dinner with Terry Breheny, events coordinator for the International Mountain Bicycle Association.
Breheny is in the Tahoe area looking at potential sites to host the 2012 International Mountain Bicycle Association World Summit. Two other cities in the running for the World Summit are Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
His itinerary included stops at Squaw Valley, Northstar, and the Hyatt Regency in Incline Village.
My day started at the Hyatt. The Flume Trail Bikes shuttle picked us up at 1:30 p.m. and shuttled the riders to the shop at Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, Spooner Lake.
Joining us on the ride were Max Jones, owner of Flume Trail Bikes, along with TAMBA's vice president John Drum and communications director Nils Miller.
We set a casual pace up North Canyon giving everyone a chance to chat with Breheny and provide him with some history of the area and to educate him on what the local advocacy groups are doing in the region - the great work the Poedunksare doing in Reno, the Carson Valley Trails Association in Minden/Gardnerville,and Muscle Powered's recent and pastsuccesses.
The snow is melting fast, though we still encountered quite a few patches on our way to the Flume Trail.
Judging by the numerous stops along the trail to take photos, I think Breheny was impressed with the ride.
We descended Tunnel Creek Road to Highway 28 and then headed back to the Hyatt where we met Hyatt representative Kristin Larson at the Lone Eagle Grill for dinner. Over dinner we discussed our families, bicycles, advocacy, more bicycles, and listened to jones's racing stories and his adventures of clearing the Flume Trail back in the day.
I would be surprised if IMBA didn't choose Lake Tahoe for their 2012 World Summit. TAMBA did an outstanding job organizing the site visit on short notice, and the Hyatt did an excellent job welcoming Breheny to the hotel (recognizing IMBA on the menu was a nice touch!).
• Jeff Potter is a member of Muscle Powered. For more information, go to musclepowered.org.