scarry

Any happy riders hear make the cut?

I did. Looking forward to my 12th year in a row.

I would like to find some riders to share some campsites in Markleeville. I know a good place. I want to get a bunch of cyclists to occupy 3 sites so we don't have to deal with any Elmer Fud types in our midst.
I'm going up eary in the week to stake out some sites. The campsite is first come first served.

terrymorse 

Just curious, but what campsites are you thinking of? No camping for us this year, though.

My wife and I will be staying at the J Marklee Toll Station from the Wednesday prior to the ride. We'll also have a tent in the "vendor area" on registration day, so please come by to say hello.

BTW, I just got back from Markleeville tonight (Death Ride committee meeting). It snowed all last night and most of today in Markleeville, about 18 inches. I was planning to get up this morning and do a bike ride up Monitor Pass Road as far as I could go, but the dry roads from the night before were covered with a carpet of fresh white. Very strange weather.

scarry

I've stayed at the Markleeville creek Forest service campground. It's 1/2 mile south of Markleeville on 89 and has 11 or 12 first come first served sites.

I sure would like to get something organized to get a few sites for Death Riders. I've always been able to get my own site by coming up early in the week and staying there. But lots of riders come in on Friday looking for a place and by then it's full up, often with Elmer Fudd types who carry on late, build nasty smoky fires, etc. If I had a few more people I could rent a few more sites when I get there and they could come in later. Or if the Death Ride people could somehow work it out with the Forest Service concesionare to reserve a few sites that would be even better. A few years ago the host was friendly to us, but that couple is gone now (he had a stroke) and it seems the new hosts are a couple of old drunks who are not cooperative and want to play it strictly by the book.

jdcowboy

I got in, my first time. I'm not interested in camping, but where can you find a hotel for me and the family? Everything in Markleeville is taken. What's next best place to stay?

adxm

Last year I got accommodations in mid-June, and there were still decently priced places in Minden..which is only 20 or so miles away as I recall. 395 north from Markleeville is a nice drive too.

'nother

I'm in. Sharing a campsite at Grover Hot Springs with a buddy. Made reservations like January 2 or something in anticipation of doing the ride

BTW if anyone knows of anyone who got in on the lottery but can't do the ride, please PM me, I have another friend who really really wants to do the ride but did not get in. OK I'm sure everyone's saying that, yadda yadda . . . gotta give it a shot

scarry

Second the Mindin/Gardnerville hotels, cheap and numerous. Dougles county, Nev.

But for a good place to actually stay that you can start the ride from, you can't beat the Markleeville Creek Campground, except maybe the East Fork Resort cabins, or the hotel in Markleeville.

Grover Hot springs campground is too far off the course to start from. Well, I guess you can start from there, but you can't drop in for lunch.

Turtle Rock is total chaos at night, so don't expect a restfull nights sleep there. And when you start, the first 5 miles are a fast downhill in the dark, and cold.

Markleeville Creek is directly on the course, giving the opertunity to drop in for lunch, cool off, put on some fresh clothes. This has been my mode of operation for the past 6 years at least.

terrymorse 

The Best Western in Minden. It's about a half hour's drive to the start.

jdcowboy

Thanks for suggestions. Appreciate it. If you don't stay in Markleeville, do you park along the route to drop off stuff and change clothes along the way?