I’m a lifelong recreational cyclist, and I moved to Markleeville, CA, the heart of the California Alps, with my wife, Patricia, in the fall of 2016. The two of us, along with our cats Ditty and Tina, are originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. We have embraced the Mountain – Do (pronounced “doh”) “way of the mountains” and we hope to pass some of that knowledge on to you.
In 2017, when my friends Charlie and Chris (now CA Alps Cycling members) and I were getting ready to head up to Monitor Pass (my first trip), I said to the boys: “let’s kick some passes’ asses!” Chris replied with something to the effect of “hey that’s good, you should trademark that or something” and so our tagline was born and yes, it has since been trademarked! In case you were wondering…
I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here in Markleeville and there’s no doubt I still have a lot to learn about the rest of the California Alps. I can tell you that this part of the Sierra is amazing, with a LOT LESS traffic than the Bay Area (on one ride up to Ebbett’s Pass recently I counted 17 cars the entire trip), friendly people, good grub & lodging and cold beer.
I hope you take the opportunity to experience this amazing place! Do contact us if you have any questions or want any suggestions on where to ride, where to eat or stay and what to do off the bike. You can reach me at mschwartz@californiaalpscycling.bike or at 530-694-1652.
Ride safely!
–Mark Schwartz, Co-Founder, California Alps Cycling
My lawyer told me I need to tell you this too: Please check to make sure that any trails, roads, hikes etc. that you use are suited to your skill set. CAC is not responsible for any injuries. Any information provided on this website is subject to change and CAC is not responsible for the accuracy of that information.
Hi Mark,
As an ex-San Franciscan currently living in Michigan I wanted to thank you for shooting the Fulgaz rides. It’s great to relive the Death Ride and riding around Tahoe even though I haven’t done them in person for a decade now. One question I had was whether you filmed the missing CW section from Glenbrook to Meeks Bay. It seems odd that this would have not been part of your ride and it would be great to be able to ride the whole thing. And while we’re at it, out and back from Tahoe City to Truckee to do the full century as well! Anyway, thanks again for the rides!
Hi Curtis and you’re very welcome. Good eye, my friend on the Glenbrook to Meeks Bay section. I actually did have the camera rig set up for filming that section but when I got to Meek’s Bay I realized I had the GoPro in photo mode. Doh! I do plan on giving it another go, though, so we’ll have all of the Big Blue ride on FulGaz at some point. I like that idea of the TC to Truckee OaB. I’ll add that to my list. Thanks much for the input/feedback!