So Nevada is apparently the most mountainous state in the U.S. This is bad for me. A 70 mile ride consists of three or four mountain passes, each approaching 7,500 feet. While descending down one monster pass you get the incredible privilege of gazing upon the upcoming mountain range, which is only a short valley away. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, just one mountain range after another. The entire ride seems to be either uphill or downhill, with no middle ground. It’s five days until California though, and that’s what I’ve got my eyes set on.
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Day 66:
This day was an error in judgement. 50 miles, all downhill, into the entirely-too-small town of Milford, Utah. I got there at 1:00.
If I was smart I would have biked into the town the previous day, however I neglected to ask anyone what the ride would be like.
Thank you Lisa for occupying me, your sporadic brain waves were far more interesting than anything this town has ever seen.
Oh, and the best part? Horrible nights sleep. Dogs, sprinklers, and crazy teenagers. Let’s just forget this day ever happened.
Miles Covered: 50
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Day 67:
After the past few days of hiking, low mileage, and leisurely rides downhill, I was actually excited for a harder day. Utah delivered with flying colors. Three mountain passes leading me into the very small town of Baker, Nevada. This was right at the foot of Great Basin National Park, where I was planning to spend the night.
The problem? To get to the campsite you have to climb over 2,000 feet. In eight miles. And of course I did it in the middle of the day (you know, that time of day you’re not supposed to even look at your bike). Sweating bullets and about to faint I made it to the visitors center where I ran into Erica, who I chatted with briefly. Fast forward another deadly-hot and super-steep chunk of climbing and I finally arrived at the campground.
After a short ride through the camping area I stumbled upon Erica and her husband Neil again. The incredible couple invited me in, cooked dinner for me, let me hang my hammock on their site, and let me gorge myself on their gourmet (and super healthy) food stash. It was an awesome evening filled with great conversation (everything from agriculture to space exploration), moderate drinking, and delicious food (including about a pound of cheese). They even gave me a ton of food to take with me - cheese, energy bars, and a crazy nutrition drink that’s going to save my life.
It was also one of the most beautiful campground I’ve been in so far, and I got an amazing night’s sleep. Cool, quite, and a soothing stream nearby. It was great.
Thanks again for everything, you guys are awesome!
Scenes from the park (the park is the mountain):
Miles Covered: 90
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Day 68:
Two more mountain passes and I’d be home-free in Ely, Nevada. This will also be the quasi-official start of route 50 (dubbed “The Loneliest Road in America”). I wasb on 50 yesterday too, but it was also route 6, route 93, and probably a few other routes as well. Tomorrow, I’ll just be on route 50. It’s around 320 miles to Carson City, and after that I’m California-bound.
Early in the morning Erica and Neil caught up to me driving back to California. They pulled over and I snagged this picture of them:
I guess they also took some killer pictures of me biking in the middle of nowhere, so look for those soon.
The thing about biking in the desert is that you have to either do it early in the morning, or very late at night. Otherwise you’ll find yourself blowing through a limited water supply at a deadly rate (such was the story of my journey to Great Basin). Point being, I finish everyday around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, which leaves me a long time to bum around each town. Ely is pretty big though, and I’m looking forward to getting to bed early.
The ride into Ely:
Four mountain passes to get though tomorrow, and they have no idea what’s about to hit them.
Miles Covered: 70
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