edible notables
FUELING ATHLETES
Tunnel Creek Station services adventurers.
WRITTEN BY TIM HAUSERMAN
PHOTOS BY SHEA EVANS
At the terminus of the world-famous Tahoe Flume Trail, on the grounds of the former Ponderosa Ranch in Incline Village (the set for the Bonanza TV series), you’ll find Tunnel Creek Station. Inside, you’ll discover Flume Trail Bikes where you can jump on a bike shuttle, have your bike repaired, or get expert advice on great hikes. You’ll also find healthy food and drinks at the Tunnel Creek Café.
Time for a Change
For 27 years, Max Jones and Patti McMullan ran Spooner Lake Cross-Country Ski Area in the winter. In the summer, they operated Flume Trail Bikes and the bike shuttle at Spooner Lake. Jones and McMullan closed the ski area after the winter of 2012, and they began looking for a different place to operate the bike shuttle business and to begin a new endeavor.
They discovered a rustic cabin on the grounds of the former Ponderosa Ranch, which also happened to be at the end of the Flume Trail. So Jones sold his Spooner snow groomer and, for about the same amount of money, bought an espresso machine for the new Tunnel Creek Café, which the two opened last fall. Now cyclists and hikers can park their cars at Tunnel Creek Station, grab a cup of coffee or a breakfast burrito, catch the shuttle to Spooner Lake or Tahoe Meadows, and, after a few hours of riding, get back to their cars at the Station to enjoy a light lunch and beer on tap.
Getting in Gear
The summer and fall focus at Tunnel Creek Café is satisfying the needs of outdoor recreationalists. When cyclists finish their long rides, they are hungry and thirsty, but often still have dinner plans. So the café serves the sort of food and drink that will refill athletes’ empty tanks without sending them off to nap land. On the breakfast end, the focus is the same: fun, healthy food and a cup of Joe to get folks energized and back on the trail.
The café serves tasty concoctions such as almond butter sandwiches, Blue Jack Ham paninis, Reubens, breakfast sandwiches, a variety of salads, smoothies, and a hearty stew.
From the tap, Tunnel Creek pours regional favorites, such as Oregon’s Lost Coast Great White and the Deschutes Inversion IPA. Or choose from great bottled choices such as Great Basin Brewing Co.’s Icky. What you won’t find is a Coors or a Bud.
Tunnel Creek’s coffee comes from Hood River Coffee Co., owned by an old climbing buddy of Jones who has been roasting for 25 years. The company developed a Flume Trail blend designed specially to jumpstart a biker on the trail.
Bikes Reign
In addition to recharging the belly, Tunnel Creek is an information station and on-site bike repair shop. Did your tired, old bike barely survive the trail? While it’s being fixed, grab a bite to eat and plan your next day’s adventures.
“We are trying to be a little different from a sports bar,” Jones says. “We’re about healthy food, targeting people who are recreating here.”
Tim Hauserman wrote the official guidebook to the Tahoe Rim Trail, the third edition of which was published in the summer of 2012. He teaches skiing and directs the Strider-Gliders kids’ program at Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area in Tahoe City.
Resources
Tunnel Creek Station
Corner of Highway 28 and Ponderosa Ranch Road, Incline Village
Tunnel Creek Café
775-298-2502, http://www.Tunnelcreekcafe.com
Flume Trail Bikes and Shuttle
775-749-5349, http://www.Flumetrailbikes.com
