Just how insane does that sound? Personally, I would never have done that ride, but somehow they talked Ramsdell into doing it. The owners of one of them, James Fair and James Flood, suggested that an east coast reporter by the name of HJ Ramsdell accompany them on a ride down their 15-mile flume. It was also one of these flumes that inspired the amusement park ride that you see in places like Disney World. The lumberjacks would throw the logs into the water and it would then transport them quickly to a sawmill at the bottom of the mountain. All along the Sierra Nevadas, flumes were built and consisted of 2 boards, 2 feet wide constructed in a V shape, that were then filled with flowing water. The Flume Trail gives you unparalleled views like this – Photo by: Local Freshies The History Of Flumesīeing from the flatlands of the Midwest, when I first heard of its name I wondered… “What the heck is a flume?” After talking to a few folks and doing a bit of research, I came to find out that during the heyday of the lumber and mining industries, there was a need to transport fallen trees down from the steepest sections on a mountainside to the mills. Here’s a little bit of what to expect on the Tahoe Flume Trail.
With a little bit of pedaling, you’ll get unrivaled views and scenery that are unlike anything else in the world. If you want to see the Sierra Nevadas & Lake Tahoe in a totally different light, the Flume Trail should be on your bucket list. Mountain biking isn’t just about the adrenaline-pumping-downhill variety you see in the videos, but a chance to enjoy the mountains in a different way.