Tour De Manure! Sierra Valley’s classic bike ride.

By Tim Hauserman 

A highlight of the late spring in our neck of the woods is the Tour De Manure bike ride in Sierra Valley. This metric century circles the Lake Tahoe sized Sierra Valley passing wildflowers, waterways and more happy cows than you can shake a stick at…thus the name Tour to Manure. Oh, and ancient barns with beautiful artwork on the sides, there is a whole passel of those as well. 

Aside from a lovely bike ride, what makes this a fun day is the down home atmosphere. As you ride you pass a smattering of Dad joke/Burma Shave style signs that will give you a smile, and then you will be greeted by friendly locals at the rest stops. The event is a fundraiser for the Sierraville Volunteer Fire Department and draws a whole bunch of happy volunteers to dish out delicious grub to the hungry riders. And of course there is some old time music. It all makes for a great small town event. 

So why am I posting this in February when the ride isn’t until June 7th? Because registration is going on now! And last year it sold out in just a few weeks. Go to tourdemanure.org to get more details and sign up! 

How about making a weekend of it? I will be holding a book signing/nature walk/journaling event at the new Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center at the northern end of the Sierra Valley on June 8th at 10 am. We will set out on a short hike to the edge of the Feather River, then I will read a few choice bits of my book “Going it Alone: Ramblings and Reflections from the trail,” followed by a chance to use journaling to better understand nature and ourselves. Finally, we will return for a book signing and Q and A. For details go to https://www.frlt.org/outdoor-adventures-lost-sierra/sierra-valley-preserve-nature-center/