Alternative loops by Jon Gubman, Outpost contributor In this package Watson Loop Ride the loop Tips/What to bring Other events on the Western States Trail Get involved with maintenance Related Links Of course, the loop described is just one way to go. Mazes of trails intersect all over Mt. Watson, allowing for longer loops if you're up to it. One of my favorite ways to lengthen the ride is to go out to Watson Lake and instead of going down to OTB (Over the Bars), go up and over the top of Mt. Watson. To do this you'll need to go right at the lake, as if you were following the lake around to the other side. After about 200 feet, you'll hook up with the Truckee-North Tahoe fire road. Take a left, heading downhill. Look for a singletrack trail on the right about 400 feet down the TNT (it's the first trail you'll see). Take that singletrack, heading uphill, for about 0.6 miles, where it will intersect with a four-way fork. The fork goes hard-left, straight, right and hard-right. Take the fork going straight (the hard-left goes down the hill to Fiberboard Freeway, the right and hard-right both go to the top of Mt. Watson) around the side of Mt. Watson. This trail will soon turn into a rocky downhill ride. The trail is loose, and those of you who like powder-runs will have the time of your lives. This trail continues unintersected for about two miles, where it ends in a gnarly downhill through a number of rock gardens and intersects the Tahoe Rim Trail. If you go all the way to the summit, this is the view that awaits you. Photo by Jon Gubman The intersection leaves you with two forks, one going downhill to the Nordic Center, where a long, uphill fire road will eventually take you back to the Watson Lake area, and one going uphill about 1.5 miles. Going uphill will bring you back to the section that you rode earlier where the Tahoe Rim Trail connects with the Truckee-North Tahoe trail. From here, you can either retrace your steps down the Tahoe Rim Trail to the Western States (which is a blast AND a longer downhill), or continue going up the TNT and catch OTB back to Squaw Valley. I apologize for the sketchy directions, but the last couple times I've ridden the Watson Loop, the top has been too snowy to ride. As soon as the weather thaws, I'll get better mileages and trail descriptions. Posted Nov. 15, 1997 Copyright 1997 Nevada Outpost TOP | PREVIOUS | NEXT Nevada Outpost is produced by students at the Reynolds School of Journalism, University of Nevada, Reno Copyright 1999 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost