Great Basin of Nevada Ride Planning

[Stichill]

Along with two friends in my motorcycle club "The Cheese Weasels", I'm planning to ride > 300 miles / day from Las Vegas to Ely, Ely to Fernley, Fernley to Big Pine (CA), Big Pine back to Vegas. Flights are reserved, lodgings are reserved, bike rentals are reserved, so all there is to do now is think about the finer route details, sight-seeing / points of interest, and wait for the jumping off day to arrive in early May.

Here are the draft daily ride maps at this point.

Day 1 Vegas to Ely (need to add a detour into Valley of Fire state park per Nachodaddy)


Day 2 Ely to Fernley on US 50 "The Loneliest Road in America"


Day 3 Fernley to Big Pine, CA via Tonopah. Stopping to take a look at the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crescent_Dunes_Solar_Energy_Project]Crescent Dunes solar thermal power plant. I was the project leader from my company to supply high-precision position feedback systems for the 10,000+ heliostats that focus the sun's energy on the tower. The overall project has been rather a bust financially because the business case was never really there (I think it was a money grab for the solar subsidies to be honest; the start-up that organized it was fly-by-night and folded after they unloaded it on an energy management company), but it's still an impressive "science fiction" installation.


Day 4 Big Pine to Las Vegas - bypassing most of Death Valley due to roads being washed out

[peterbaron]

Love long distance rides, go for it and enjoy riding and staying with your moto friends...you need to move forward with your new life. Good luck, Stichil!!

[the Ferret]

Looks like a great trip Hank. Envious!

[GoldOxide_imp]

Yeah, definitely do it and plan for more.

[SportsterDoc]

The road west of Panamint Springs going towards Lone Pine has some very serious twisties! The Northern Nevada railroad museum is in Ely, West part of town. If you have the dollars and make reservations, you can operate a steam locomotive.

[Nachodaddy]

Man, I wish I were going with you. I believe this was near Fish Lake, Utah.
I had several good trips along much of your route in my 1923 Model T Ford a few years ago when I lived in Las Vegas. It just doesn't get any better. Blasting through Death Valley at 40mph in a 90 year old car and getting buzzed by an F-16. Great memories.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Man, I wish I were going with you. I believe this was near Fish Lake, Utah.
I had several good trips along much of your route in my 1923 Model T Ford a few years ago when I lived in Las Vegas. It just doesn't get any better. Blasting through Death Valley at 40mph in a 90 year old car and getting buzzed by an F-16. Great memories.

Sounds like they were checking you out.

[Stichill]

For sure, the time to live is in the present! "If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the moment."

The road west of Panamint Springs going towards Lone Pine has some very serious twisties! The Northern Nevada railroad museum is in Ely, West part of town. If you have the dollars and make reservations, you can operate a steam locomotive.

That Panamint Springs road is sensational! I rode it in 2017 when the [url=https://www.f800riders.org/threads/the-cheese-weasels-do-death-valley.285057/post-2460353]Cheese Weasels did Death Valley! The views were breathtaking, as well as the general lack of guardrails and abundant opportunities to plunge into oblivion! I love the Age of Steam, too, so if I find time to get to the Northern Nevada Railroad museum, I will. I saw it in my tourist pack from the Chamber of Commerce and it looks like a great stop.

Man, I wish I were going with you. I believe this was near Fish Lake, Utah.
I had several good trips along much of your route in my 1923 Model T Ford a few years ago when I lived in Las Vegas. It just doesn't get any better. Blasting through Death Valley at 40mph in a 90 year old car and getting buzzed by an F-16. Great memories.

Wow, I love old cars and fighter jets! What a contrast of eras and technologies. I saw a Model T with the hood open and engine running at a car show / swap meet. It looked like it was hardly turning any rpm; you could see the staples on the leather fan belt joint moving.

[SportsterDoc]

February of 2020 was operating the steam locomotive. February of 2021 was piloting a helicopter, thanks to the arrangements by my four kids!
February of 2022 was falconry... but February of 2023 was preparing to move from Nevada to New Mexico.

[Stichill]

How do you like NM vs. NV? Did you move to be closer to family?