A $250,000 injection of tech money will push a revamped Sierra Nevada trail over the finish line in 2027. Photo: Goldin Photography//TAMBA
Trail crews are pushing through the home stretch on a trail that will provide hikers and mountain bikers with new recreational opportunities on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. The Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association has been restoring the Meeks Ridge Trail for three years, bringing a route back to life that went into disrepair over the past several decades. Now, thanks to a private philanthropic donation, the trail is on track to open in 2027.
The trail, which starts at Meeks Bay, will climb roughly 1,400 feet over 4.5 miles, provide views of the Tahoe Basin and Desolation Wilderness, and pass through old-growth forests. It will link with existing trails to access Lost Lake and General Creek, forming a 12-mile loop.
The mountain biking association began construction on the trail in 2023, having completed the first half of the trail starting from the shores of Tahoe. However, difficult terrain on the final two miles of the trail required additional funding, which was recently obtained in July due to a single $250,000 donation by a Tahoe-based tech philanthropist couple, Kyle and Jessica Aster. Kyle Aster — who, before getting married, went by Kyle Neath — cashed out of Silicon Valley as one of the original employees of the popular programmer platform, GitHub.
“This extraordinary act of generosity is about so much more than funding a trail,” Drew Bray, executive director of the biking association, said in a press release. “It’s an investment in the future of recreation and community in Tahoe.”
In a blog post, Kyle Aster said he started mountain biking as a summertime activity to keep his legs in shape for ski season, but he soon fell in love with the trails and the positive impact they had on people who recreate.
The Meeks Ridge Trail previously received a $100,000 grant from the nonprofit Tahoe Fund, which funds environmental projects in the region.
