Great Basin of Nevada Ride Planning

Stichill

Stichill

Road warrior
Thread starter
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)
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Day 2 Ely to Fernley on US 50 "The Loneliest Road in America"
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Day 3 Fernley to Big Pine, CA via Tonopah. Stopping to take a look at the 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
 
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!!
 
Looks like a great trip Hank. Envious!
 
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.
 

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.
 
Nachodaddy_imp said:
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.
Click to expand...
Sounds like they were checking you out. :thumbsup:
 
Thread starter
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."

SportsterDoc_imp said:
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.
Click to expand...
That Panamint Springs road is sensational! I rode it in 2017 when the 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.

Nachodaddy_imp said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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.
 
I miss upper Las Vegas valley restaurants, such as Market Grill (Greek & Italian) and good Chinese.

I miss only a 22 mile ride to Corn Creek Springs and being at 8,500 elevation on Mt Charleston only ~30 miles from home.

Other than an 18 YO grand daughter, who is in college to be a vet tech, my son's family moved to New Mexico 3 months ahead of us. So we have 7 family members 30 miles south, a daughter and granddaughter in Colorado, who are here this week; grandson at USAF academy in Colorado; Grandson (army major), his wife and 3 great-grandkids in Texas; Daughter, her husband and 3 grandkids in Arizona; daughter, her husband and a grandkid (army lieutenant) in Georgia...so we are now somewhat centrally located.

Food selection is mainly tacos and hamburgers, so we eat at home more!

But we very much like the small town atmosphere (pop 7K): The people are very friendly and polite.

Home Depot, Lowes, Harbor Freight are only 12 miles up Interstate 25.
Death Valley suggested alternate route:
South from Furnace Creek, take Badwater Road from highway 127.
Badwater is lowest point in US.
Only time my CB1100 would ping.

The road turns west onto highway 178, which is Jubilee Pass Road to just north of Shoshone.

Crowbar Cafe is decent food. Fuel across the street is VERY expensive.

BTW, last I was there, Stove Pipe Wells only had regular fuel, no premium.

Below photos of Badwater and looking down on Badwater Basin (-282 elevation) from Dante's View (5,479 elevation) 5,761 feet below
Artists Loop is a one-way road, paralleling Badwater Road, traveling northbound for 9 miles.
Some more Nevada rides
 
Thread starter
NM sounds like my kinda place, actually. I'm a pretty simple man; I like good food when it's around but I don't miss it if it's not. Wonderful photos!

I loved Badwater Rd and Jubilee Pass Rd through Death Valley, but last I checked they were closed due to flood damage. I just checked again and looks like they are re-opened, so...:thumbsup:

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This is in the Spring Mountains, NW of Las Vegas.
Deer Creek Road, between Kyle Canyon (leads to Mt Charleston) and Lee Canyon (leads to ski area) is a great M/C road. However, in the winter, beware of ice, especially north of the road's summit.

I do not miss the city, but enjoyed the surrounding areas
Fortunately, we lived about as far from the strip as possible.
 
GoldOxide_imp said:
Nachodaddy_imp said:
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.
Click to expand...
Sounds like they were checking you out. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Sounds like they were checking you out. :thumbsup:
Or trying to stop him!
 
Stichill, in your post 10 inquiry about NV vs NM, you got me to thinking: I do miss a number of rides in proximity to Las Vegas, NV, but I think I miss even more the relatively nearby rides in SW Utah and the Arizona strip/Grand Canyon North Rim:
and one more
 
Zion National Park is quite simply stunning and a must see if in the area. If I had to choose between the Grand Canyon and Zion, I would choose Zion. Of course, do both if that fits the schedule.

Highway 89: This is a must do scenic highway. If there is any highway in and around AZ, NV and UT, this is a superb candidate.
 
Cormanus_imp said:
GoldOxide_imp said:
Nachodaddy_imp said:
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.
Click to expand...
Sounds like they were checking you out. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Sounds like they were checking you out. :thumbsup:
Or trying to stop him!
Click to expand...
Sounds like they were checking you out. :thumbsup:
Or trying to stop him! Ah, Cormanus! :rofl:
Actually, I have a great many friends who flew or do fly F-16s and they love old cars. I'm sure he just wanted to give us a thrill. Las Vegas is home of Nellis AFB, where the US Air Force Thunderbirds, who fly the F-16, are stationed. Las Vegas is only minutes from Death Valley by F-16.
 
GoldOxide_imp said:
Zion National Park is quite simply stunning and a must see if in the area. If I had to choose between the Grand Canyon and Zion, I would choose Zion. Of course, do both if that fits the schedule.

Highway 89: This is a must do scenic highway. If there is any highway in and around AZ, NV and UT, this is a superb candidate.
Click to expand...
And best seen via M/C, as parking is rather limited.
 
All very inspiring! As with every year, I dream of getting out and riding further than my office. Mrs. and I have visited many of these places on vacations, and I'd love to see them on two wheels. Soon, perhaps...
 
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