Upper Tyrolian Trail

Project Partners: Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Incline Village General Improvement District
Total Project Cost: $60,000
Funds Granted: $60,000

Tyrolian Downhill Trail is a popular single-track mountain biking trail above Incline Village. After fuel reduction operations in the area, the connector trail from Mt. Rose Highway at Tahoe Meadows to the Tyrolian Downhill was turned into a maze of eroded logging roads. With the fuel reduction project completed, it was time to rebuild the degraded Upper Tyrolian Trail, and improve connectivity in the area.

Together with the U.S. Forest Service and Sensus R.A.D. Trails, a trail building nonprofit by local freeride mountain bike athlete Cam Zink, TAMBA converted old logging roads into nearly two miles of sustainable singletrack trail that connects Tahoe Meadows off Mount Rose Highway to the existing Tyrolian Downhill Trail. The new upper section of the trail provides an official start trailhead with improved signage, and was designed to reduce mountain bike traffic on the Tahoe Rim Trail.

The first part of the Upper Tyrolian Trail was built as a flowy singletrack trail that incorporates natural features to enhance the rider experience. After 0.75 miles, the trail transitions to one with professionally designed and built rollovers, tabletops, step-ups, step-downs and triple-option jumps that provide a unique and challenging experience for riders to practice and build their skills. 

The second element of the project was to decommission miles of eroded logging roads in the area where the Upper Tyrolian Trail begins. This included scarifying compacted areas, naturalizing the soil surface with pine duff, and incorporating erosion control features to reduce sediment runoff into creeks that flow into Lake Tahoe.