Ultrawheelchair rider Linwood Sherman broadened his knowledge of the scenic Emerald Bay area in his bid to loop Lake Tahoe on Monday.

His findings were: There isn’t a more beautiful vantage point around the lake and, most importantly, you don’t want to use a wheelchair to pull the steep hill going away from the bay.

Sherman aborted his plans to circumnavigate 72 miles of highway round the lake approximately 13 miles into the ride. Besides the difficult climb out of Emerald Bay, Sherman was advised by a California Highway patrolman that his safety and the safety of others would be jeopardized if he continued.

“My condition was fine, but you should have seen that hill. Where does it end? I was moving inch by inch to get up it,” the 66-year-old South Lake Tahoe man said. “I couldn’t have made it in five days, and even on a 10-speed bike I couldn’t have made it in seven days. I should have brought a camera.”

Sherman departed his mobile home at the “Y” at 5 a.m. Monday, but an extended coffee break at Camp Richardson prevented him from tackling the treacherous climb of Emerald Bay earlier.

“I would have gotten to the top eventually. But I didn’t know where the top was,” he said.

Sherman was inspired by passersby who honked and screamed encouragement to him.

“Everyone knew my name and asked if I wanted a ride,” he said.

Unfulfilled dreams haven’t dampened Sherman’s spirit for future adventures. He intends to build his own racing wheelchair and enter the Bay To Breakers in San Francisco next year.

Tahoe Daily Tribune E-mail: tribune@tahoe.com

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