Continuing our Fremont theme from last month’s Ride of the Month, we’re excited to share this remote Sierra high country gem. This loop climbs 2,500’ through lush stacked meadows, interspersed with aspen copses before topping out at almost 9,000’ and then descending along the banks of Mill Creek—a fast, narrow, and rowdy descent that sees very few tires.

Believe it or not, Charity Valley is the route General John C. Fremont and Kit Carson took crossing the Sierra’s Carson Pass in 1844—in a mid February blizzard no less. Hopefully we’ve gotten smarter since then, and are now recommending you ride this route east (downhill) instead of west, using a mountain bike instead of a horse pulling a cannon, and definitely not in February.

The Lost Sierra Route is a 250-mile gravel bikepacking loop starting and ending in Truckee CA. The route dives straight into the backcountry of the Lost Sierra Region, known for its rugged landscape and gold rush history. Combining Tahoe, Sierra, and Plumas National Forests, the diversity of this route is deep in history, and beauty and filled with surprises and challenges!