Silver Creeek, CA Toiyabe Ntl. Forest

Ebbetts is very steep. I lost my brakes on the backside of that pass once in an '89 F-350 4x4 crew cab with a 10ft Alaskan cabover. It was dicey getting down the mountain. Had to use low range four wheel drive.

Yes, the descent is a first gear keep it very slow process.  There are a lot of bicycles and motorcycles on the road, in addition to people testing the cornering ability of their sports cars.  When we left Silver Springs campground to go home, we saw multiple emergency vehicles passing in the opposite direction toward the pass.  Don't know any details, but it was obviously an injury accident.  The really steep part of the pass, ascending/descending onto the Nevada side is relatively short, but is basically a wide one lane road, and it becomes considerably less steep from the campground to the east.  

My problem is that my wife doesn't like roads with cliffs on the side, this it's going to take some real convincing to get her to go along with crossing the pass.  Her solution:  Let's go to Hope Valley instead. 

It's a pretty place to be. We've kayaked a LOT at Lake Alpine, and also Utica Reservoir.