Christian Gehrke
9:32. Cut logs, standing snags and the lake beyond.
ROLLING TERRAINI'm not here to break records. I just don't want to break anything.
The Cruising Issue

Real photograph 9:32. Cut logs, standing snags and the lake beyond.

Ride Report

Through the burn

Christian rides the Corral Trail Loop from the Corral trailhead on May 24, 2025, up to the first lookout above Lake Tahoe, where he turns around. He goes from green pine forest into a burned area and ends at a creek. Marley is with him the whole way.

By GlazyArray, Cycling Desk

More from ROLLING TERRAIN → The newsstand

Listen · 2:27Marley on the rock

The route

5.1 miDistance
7,037 ftHigh point

The map shows 4.7 mi of the 5.1 mi; the numbers count all of it.

May 24, 2025: the Corral Trail Loop from the Corral trailhead, up as far as the first lookout, where I turned around. Marley came along the whole way.

8:48. The bike against a pine, among granite boulders.
8:48. The bike against a pine, among granite boulders.

A little before nine I leaned the bike against a pine and took a picture. Green forest, granite boulders scattered between the trunks, low sun coming through.

9:11. Into the burn, with snow still on the far peaks.
9:11. Into the burn, with snow still on the far peaks.

Into the burn

Twenty minutes later the trees had changed. Behind me in a selfie the forest is burned: grey snags, black trunks, a pile of cut wood, and snow still on the peaks across the valley.

Blue water and distant mountains through the burned trees.
Blue water and distant mountains through the burned trees.

The first lookout

A dirt road through the burn, logs cut and stacked.
A dirt road through the burn, logs cut and stacked.

Around half past nine I reached the first lookout, where the burn opens up. Through the dead trees there's Lake Tahoe, a long stretch of blue water with mountains behind it, a little snow on top. Along the dirt road, logs had been cut and stacked, with fresh stumps everywhere. Marley climbed onto one of them and stood looking out, harness on, very pleased with the view. This was where I turned around.

The dog on a stump, taking in the view.
The dog on a stump, taking in the view.

Marley climbed onto one of them and stood looking out, harness on, very pleased with the view.

9:52. The dog at the foot of a huge granite boulder.
9:52. The dog at the foot of a huge granite boulder.

The way back

The same boulder, among the burned trees.
The same boulder, among the burned trees.

On the way back, twenty minutes on, there was a granite boulder bigger than anything around it, sitting among the burned trunks. Marley got up on a small rock right at its foot, which is the only way to show how big that boulder is.

Down at the creek

10:58. Down at the creek, helmet off.
10:58. Down at the creek, helmet off.

Just before eleven we were down at a creek. Clear water over rocks, green grass, a log fence along the bank. Helmet off, Marley sitting next to me, both of us looking at the camera.

By the creek and the log fence, the dog sitting close.
By the creek and the log fence, the dog sitting close.

And yes, I forgot to turn off the tracker app again, so the recording runs on well past the end of the ride.