It was a chilly morning, and it took awhile for me to emerge from my tent cocoon as the sun rose – Alfred and Janette invited me over to their RV for breakfast, and the smell of fresh coffee wafted out of the door. Then it was time to say good bye and they pulled out only minutes before I did. I was about 40 miles from Ely, NV (Janette’s hometown, by the way) and decided that I would get a hotel room there as I hadn’t had a shower in a couple of days and was definitely ripe, and also it was college football time and I would be able to catch the Tennessee – Florida game which was on at 4pm. Like most days, I started by climbing a pass.
Then I had a mostly downhill ride, and ,unfortunately, a stiff headwind all the way in to Ely. It had not been easy to find a hotel room as there is a rally-style car race is being held this weekend just outside of Ely. I finally found a room in a casino run motel – I guess the local casino owns several nearby motels. The one I am in is the “Lucky Sevens” , just a block from the main casino. I got to Ely about 1pm, which was too early to check in, so I rode around town a bit and stopped at a drugstore and soda fountain for a delicious malt. The place was jammed as there are a lot of rally-racers and crew in town. Also, kind of sad, but seems like most of the businesses – at least the ones along the main street where I was – are closed and boarded up. All of the towns I gone through in rural Nevada have been like this. Not much going on and pretty depressing. I only went into the lobby of the casino to check in, but it seems very worn and smells of stale smoke.
The building itself where I am staying looks old and worn on the outside, but the rooms themselves are pretty nice – new furniture and fixtures, good TV, new flooring and paint. Not bad for $89. Unfortunately Tennessee lost the football game, but I am clean and the bed is comfy and I should be well rested for a 60+ mile ride tomorrow. I’ll probably havebreakfast in the Denny’s inside the casino, so I will check it out.
My plan for this morning was to get going pretty early and cycle the 15 miles into Eureka to get provisions and have breakfast before hitting that lonely highway again. The supermarket was at the edge of town and I picked up some fruit and snacks and a few other things. I had a couple of freeze dried meals that I kept handy for the nights that I camped out with no amenities. I asked the cashier where she would recommend me having breakfast – she replied that there was one restaurant in town that was open for breakfast – The Owl. So The Owl it was. The sign coming into Eureka claims that it is “The Friendliest Town on the Loneliest Road” – my first impression was anything but. The Owl Cafe was dark, with just a few customers eating, no music or chatter – pretty morose. I ordered the biggest breakfast they had and some coffee. It was nothing fancy, but it filled the tank. I had noticed a Mennonite couple who were eating in the back and went over to talk to them. They were very friendly and invited me to sit down with them and we had a nice chat over coffee. Chuck and Heidi had moved from Wisconsin to Eureka several years before and are hay and alfalfa farmers. I learned a lot about hay and alfalfa in a short period of time – it was really interesting. Hay from that part of Nevada is shipped as far as Florida as it has a high protein content and other benefits – who knew? I told them about our work with the orphanages in Mexico and the connection there to the Mennonite Church and they were really interested as they had traveled to Mexico and Belize. There was so much that I wanted to ask them, but they had to go take care of their farm, and I needed to get on the road.
Another cyclist came in for breakfast – Brendan. He was a bit road-worn as he had been touring off and on for a couple of years. He was heading west towards San Francisco and was taking life as it came. He was definitely more laid back than me! The young waiter at the Owl filled up my water bottles with ice water and I left feeling a little better about the cafe – although it still needs some music and better lighting! I set my sights on Illipah Reservoir – to get there I had to cross three passes – Whew
About 5pm I saw the sign I was looking for and turned off for a short ride to the campground.
When I got to the campground there were several RV’s in place so I slowly rode around looking for an open spot. All of a sudden a tall man stepped out from behind his RV to greet me. Alfred and his wife Janette were camping one night on their way back to their home in Northern California. They had been to Colorado to attend their grandson’s wedding. They immediately invited me to have dinner with them and also shared their campsite with me so I would have a place to set my tent. Incredible! Alfred was walking down to the reservoir to try his luck with a fly rod, so I went with him and we took turns casting to the rising trout. Unfortunately we were skunked with only one hit and no catches between us, but it was a lot of fun as tons of trout were feeding on the surface.
We walked back up to the campsite and by the time I had set up my tent and cleaned up a bit, Janette had dinner waiting for us. Spaghetti, sautéed asparagus, good bread, a cold beer and ice cream! I was in heaven. Alfred and Janette are those kind of people that you could talk to all night – interesting, well traveled, intelligent and curious. We talked about all kinds of things into the evening until it was my bedtime. Meeting awesome, generous people like these two restore your faith in humankind!
It poured last night, but I awoke to a beautiful blue sky. I hope that Max and Zach didn’t get flooded out at their campsite. They were gone by the time I got on the road. I did not hurry – I did some laundry, got packed up and then went to the local convenience store to stock up on water for the long trek down the loneliest highway. I wouldn’t go through another town until tomorrow. I Left carrying about 2 gallons, which made for a sluggish start up the hill to the pass above Austin, my first challenge of the day. A few miles outside of town I ran into Michelle and Felix, a German couple who were traveling West. They had been on the road for about 4 months and were headed down to Baja California and then on to the rest of Mexico, Central America and all the way down to Argentina. Wow. I wished them safety and success! I continued upward, cresting Austin summit and then continued down the “Loneliest Road in America” –
There was a little traffic, but not enough to really bother me. I put on my music and just cranked out the miles. Sometimes on a bike tour you just have to do that. Amazing and friendly people still come along, even on the lonely road – like the guy who pulled up in his truck while I was taking a water and snack break just to see if I was ok and if I needed any food or drink. He was a fellow cyclist from Austin, Texas and was on his way home from a long road trip where he did a little west coast bike tour and visited friends. He was also a Warmshowers host in Austin and invited me to stop by anytime. We talked for a few minutes and then he was on his way. I crossed Hickson Summit and then had a gentle downhill slope towards Eureka.
I was about 15 miles outside of Eureka as the sun was getting lower in the sky and I started looking for a place to “stealth camp” – this is where you just pick an out of the way and concealed place and declare “This is my campsite!” The tough thing here is that it is very difficult to be stealthy and concealed as there are no trees or rocks or anything to conceal you. I came to an intersection where a long empty road went off to the left and then a short road, about 50 yards, went off up a hill to the right and dead-ended at a little cul-de-sac. Perfect! I selected a flat spot, pitched my tent, organized my stuff and started fixing dinner. Then I noticed a long line of vans and trucks coming down the previously empty road across the highway. I mean like 50 vehicles. I guess there was a mine down the road and it was quitting time. Each would stop at the highway before turning left towards town – shining their headlights right at me and my tent. So much for being stealthy! No one bothered me, thankfully – and once all the vehicles moved on it was quiet except for the occasional car or truck coming by on the highway.
We all throw the term around; I’m sure you have used it to describe some forlorn place you have passed through. Here in Nevada it takes on a whole new meaning – at least for the US. The middle of Siberia or the Sahara Desert might be more “middle of nowhereish “ – but this is pretty close! Here are some photos that capture the feeling:
Yeah, it messes with you! Anyway, I got up and tinkered around breaking camp at Middlegate – made breakfast and coffee. Max and Zach took off earlier. Right as I was taking off another rider came in from the East – he had been on the road for 70 days starting in Virginia and headed to the West Coast. He was a nice guy and gave me his phone number in case I had any questions about the roads headed East – I appreciated it. He was definitely a bit road-worn and maybe a bit crazy – that might be what you have in store once I return! Beware. There were two routes I could take to my next stop in Austin, NV – the shorter Hwy 5 or the longer and less traveled 722, which I presume is the old hwy. I chose the latter and it was awesome because in 50 miles I probably saw maybe 50 cars. It was very peaceful – although that route did contain a 10 mile climb that rivaled my previous tormentors. AAArghh. I made it though, and on the ride down met a cyclist going the other way – a Frenchman named Michele who had started in NY and would end at the coast. He was proper and chipper, just like the stereotypical French rider should be. We said a hearty “Au Revour” and went our separate ways. Soon after I had my first animal rescue as there was a 2 foot bull snake sleeping on the road – primed to become road kill. He was not happy with my removing him to the side, in fact, he put on his best rattlesnake imitation act – which is common to bull snakes. I didn’t get too close and learned that my selfie stick makes a great snake removal tool!
I kept pedaling, and just after 5 rolled into Austin, a small town in the middle of the middle of nowhere. I had gotten some intel on a little motel here, so I had made a reservation – and good thing since they were sold out! I met Sarah, the owner, who told me that she was an ex-truck driver who decided to change careers and bought the motel and was remodeling it bit by bit. It is a pretty nice place for a roadside motel and you can tell it is getting nicer. I told her about my stay at Middlegate – her comment was: “yeah, for being a bunch of meth-heads, they do a pretty good job.” Hmmmm. Explains a lot. There was one place to eat in Austin- a bar that was, by the looks of it, Middlegate’s first cousin – although more run down if that is possible. One bartender was pouring drinks, cooking burgers and doing shots with customers. And, surprisingly, doing them all well. I have been eating a lot of burgers! And guess who was at the bar? Max and Zach – in the end they had taken the same route that I had, but since they left earlier and are younger and stronger – they arrived ahead of me. We hung out at the bar for awhile, fitting right in the with the collection of bandits, survivalists, travelers and derelicts. Then we all rambled back to our dens – me to my my cozy room at the Cozy Mountain Motel and those guys to their camping spot at the town park. It rained hard last night – I hope they did ok. Now it is the morning and I am preparing to take off. I have to pack a lot of water as there are no services between here and Eureka – 70 miles and then another 70 or so to Ely. Will probably be out of touch for a couple of days. Say a little prayer for tailwinds and good camping!
I was up early, broke camp, and got on the road. There wasn’t much going on in Silver Springs other than the two ratty looking casinos and a gas station….but there was a little coffee shop that had just opened and some very chipper baristas made me a coffee and a sandwich. My goal for today was to make it to Middlegate, this kind of mythical place that had been mentioned to me by a few people including my host in South Lake Tahoe, Dan. Evidently there were good burgers, a free place to camp, and a gathering place for people traveling through the middle of nowhere. How could you not want to go there? It was a 70 mile ride, so my plan was to stop in Fallon for lunch, a few groceries and water. While I was eating lunch two more people asked if I was going to stop at Middlegate – now I really had to go! I was motivated and got back on the road and started pedaling hard. And then I saw him – another touring cyclist – but he was going the other way and there was lots of traffic. So we only managed a wave – but this was a good sign as so far I had not seen any other fellow tourers. I put on some music and kept up a good pace and then, shining in the distance – I saw it….Middlegate -I had made it!
What was it like, you ask? Imagine if you were a set designer for a B movie and were tasked with designing a tumbledown roadside bar in the middle of nowhere with every cliche known to tumbledown roadside bars. Things like, flypaper hanging by the front door with at least 10,000 flies on it, broken down furniture on the porch, weeds everywhere, a front door that squeaks, wooden paneled walls, a pool table, dollar bills pinned to the ceiling, etc. That’s exactly how it was.
I walked in and was the only one in the place except for the bartender and the cook. They looked at me, I looked at them – and then I said “ I heard that you let through cyclists camp here.” “We sure do”, said the bartender, “ you can set up anywhere behind the building, want a beer?” “Let me set up camp first”, I replied and headed around back. There were a bunch of trailers in the back, I guess for the staff, and a kind of weedy courtyard with a small basketball court and a couple of picnic tables. Nearby a big generator was humming away. Well, I was here, so I picked a flat spot and put up my tent.
There was a spigot over by the trailer so I washed up a bit and got out of my sweaty biking gear – then I headed back over to the bar. And what a great surprise! Two more touring cyclists had ridden in and were having a beer on the porch – Max and Zach were college buddies who were each doing a separate tour, but had joined up to cycle together for awhile. They were on gravel bikes and were doing both on road and off road cycling. Really nice young guys – things were looking up as it is always fun to meet fellow cyclists!
I went inside to order and although a few more customers were at the bar, the grill cook had a full grill of burgers. I ordered a burger and a beer and was informed that they had a large military order to prepare and it would take a little extra time for my burger. No problem – I took my beer outside to sit and chat. In the dusky light we saw a caravan of headlights converging on the bar as all types of military vehicles descended on the parking lot. Burly guys poured out and grouped together to receive instructions from their leaders. It was straight out of a zombie apocalypse movie. I went inside for another beer and noticed that several tables had been put together and plates were lined up containing the biggest hamburgers I had ever seen. They were gigantic. I asked the bartender what was going on and evidently this is a thing at Middlegate – they have a 5 pound hamburger, and if you can eat the whole thing, including fries, you get a t-shirt. The military guys came streaming in and it was time for a old fashioned, all American eating contest. Some of them actually finished! By the way, I did get my regular burger and it was very good. By that time the bar was hopping and we met a nice couple from New Zealand who were very interested on our bike tours. The staff did a great job of handling the crowd and the orders and I started to feel the magic of Middlegate – people were nice, prices were right, beer was cold……and by the time I went to bed I was a full-fledged convert. If you are ever on Hwy 50 in Nevada, make sure you stop by.
Dan told me that the road I had struggled on from Placerville to South Lake Tahoe was, in his opinion, the toughest stretch in his journey cross country. Even if he was lying to make me feel better…it worked. Now I had one final challenge before descending down out of the Sierra Nevadas. Dagget Summitt. After coffee and roll, Dan headed off to work and I headed off to climb the Summitt. It was just as brutal as all the rest, so I fell into my routine – cycle 1/2 mile, rest, repeat. Soon I saw this wonderful sign that signaled the end of my suffering.
That was it – the road turned to the valley far below and I bombed down, stopping a few times to let my brakes cool off. I started braking at 40 mph. Who knows how fast I would have gone otherwise! At some point I crossed from CA to NV, but never saw a sign announcing the event. I wasn’t sure where I was until I saw this sign:
Genoa was a nice little stop on the road. They had a general store with a patio where I had a sandwich and some ice cream. Then it was time to get serious and figure out where I would ride to. I was considering Silver Spring – but it was over 50 miles away and I had already ridden 25 or so. But I went for it, and once I turned west at Carson City I caught a nice tail wind for most of the way and I was cranking out the miles – felt like I got my mojo back. It was pretty late by the time I reached Silver Springs, and then I realized that the campground was 7 miles off of the route. Bummer – but there was no other option so off I went. It was close to being dark when I reached the State Park campground. It was looking very threatening, with gusts of wind and intermittent rain as I rode in – but in the end it was all show as thankfully the storm dissipated. Made for a nice sunset though.
The campground was a disappointment as it was pretty broken down and there was no water available. It was just all sand with concrete picnic tables and a decent sized lake. There were 3 or 4 groups camped around, so I chose my spot and set up right at dark. No shower and no cooking so I was feeling pretty grimy as I ate a cold dinner in my tent. It was probably due to lakes water level being low, but the whole place smelled of dead fish. I don’t know which was worst – my B.O. or the fish smell. Probably a tie.
I fell asleep at about 8pm and slept right through till 7am today. Guess I was tired! Whipped up some coffee and oatmeal and enjoyed breakfast while the sun came up and warmed the day. I knew I would make it to South Lake Tahoe….but at what cost? It was a doable 35 miles – but given my experiences with these mountains….just sayin’. Carson Pass was my first challenge at 8,573 feet. Fortified with coffee, oatmeal, and 11 hours of sleep, I powered right up (at about 4 miles per hour!) and reached the top! There was a sign there, but no altitude marking….so what’s the point of a photo? And you know what comes after you come to the top of a pass…..Downhill! Man that was fun! Miles of downhill where I was going so fast that I had to put on the brakes out of fear. Stunning views kept popping up. Like this one:
The run out from the pass was a beautiful valley that I cruised through until I came to….the next pass. I’m not saying that Luther Pass wasn’t a tough climb..it was – but compared to Carson Pass it was a downright pleasure to climb. And only 7,740 feet. No Problem!
Then it was downhill again – pretty much all the way into South Lake Tahoe! I felt alive again! I had never seem Lake Tahoe, and it just as pretty as all the pictures:
The town was bustling as I pulled in – I guess no one got the memo that summer travel is over. South Lake Tahoe is a pretty town, but definitely a tourist town with lots of souvenir shops, restaurants and bars, ski shops etc. I was glad I got in early as I had some errands to run: 1. Get my bikes shifting checked as I was having trouble with the lower gears. Fixed by a good mechanic who found a frayed wire. 2. Buy a new raincoat as I had somehow left mine behind or it had fallen off of the bike. (Yes, I know that the skies are blue and sunny, but the best time to buy a raincoat is when it’s not raining!). This was a little problematic as raincoats are evidently not a popular purchase in South Lake Tahoe – finally at one store I spied a mannequin wearing a cycling rain jacket that just happened to be my size. 3. I needed a new solar charger as mine had died. Big 5 hooked me up. 4. I needed lunch. Simple. I had contacted Dan, my Warmshowers host for the night and we agreed that I would come over to his house around 4pm. Dan lives with his partner Natasha ( who was away) and his dog Poppy (awesome dog) in a neighborhood right off the main drag, so it was an easy ride over. What a great guy! Although I am a lot older than Dan, we clicked immediately over our shared background of ski bumming, bicycle touring and a dislike for living in South Florida. Dan toured coast to coast a few year ago on a route that shares similarities with mine, especially in California, Nevada and Utah – so he has become my mentor of sorts for this leg.
I took a nice hot shower and we threw my stinky dirty laundry in the washer before going out for burgers. When we got back, we tried diligently to get my Garmin GPS working, but to no avail. Around 8 Dan had to take off to pick up Natasha at the airport. I figured that this would be a great time for me to catch up on my blog, catch up on my journal, and maybe even watch some TV. Instead, by 9 pm I was crashed.
I got a surprisingly good nights sleep at the ole National 9 Motel – and not a single bedbug bite! I pedaled down the road to a Starbucks for my morning coffee and a water bottle fill up.
I got back on the American River Bike trail and kept meandering east and north on my way to Lake Tahoe. I continue to climb, passing ranches, wineries and a few breweries. No beer yet though! Too many miles to go. Passed this one early in the morning.
Around lunchtime I rode into Pollock Pines – where I thought I would camp the night before. My pace has been painfully slow as the heat and hills have had their way with me.
I was at the Burger Barn, but in an act of defiance I ordered a Rueben, which was pretty good. I loaded up with a gallon + of water as I was headed into a remote area and needed to be ready. The direct route to Lake Tahoe would have been on Hwy 5, but that is a super-busy highway with little shoulder space – so I opted for a longer, but quieter and more scenic route. My goal was a campground at Caple Lake. Six hours later I found myself several miles from my goal and almost completely out of water – and worn out. The ride had indeed been through spectacular country, but continued to be almost 100% uphill. I figured I needed to either get some water and camp where I was or hitch a ride the last few miles to the campground. I chose the latter and lucky for me Doug and Jasmine came driving up in their truck and saved the day. They could tell I was in a bind and as luck would have it, they were also going to Caple Lake. So I was able to skip the grueling last hills and and was dropped off at the lake, just a few minutes ride from the campground. It’s the people you meet along the way that make this type of traveling rewarding!
Across the street from the campground was a marina and a store, where I promptly splurged for some ice cold drinks. Then I found a nice campsite and settled in for the night. I could feel the elevation gain as the temperature was dropping fast as the sun went down. By the time I made a little dinner and washed up – I was ready for bed! A long and eventful day for sure.
Tomorrow I will hit South Lake Tahoe, where I will stay with Dan, a Warmshowers host. I am looking forward to that!
“Oh yesterday’s over my shoulder, so I can’t look back for too long” (from Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes by Jimmy Buffett) By far my favorite Buffett song, and apropos for today! It was a new day and I had a brand new plan – Ride with GPS planned my route and did an excellent job. Very few high traffic roads and lots of bike paths. I’ll have to say that about California – lots of good bike paths! Here are two examples:
It was great to ride for a day and not get lost! I rode pretty hard all day, stopping only to refill my water bottles and to enjoy a Mexican-style fruit cocktail from a roadside stand – they are all over the place here!
My goal was to reach Pollock Pines by late afternoon, where I was going to camp out….the fact that I came up 11 miles short cannot be blamed on the GPS. Between today and tomorrow I still have to climb those 9,000+ feet, and today I felt it! Uphill all damned day and steep climbs. I knew it was coming, but still complained, and by 5 I felt like I was riding through maple syrup and it was time to stop. I am in Placerville. CA which seems like a nice enough touristy town out here in the middle of nowhere. No campground though. I thought about camping in the city park, along with the partying high schoolers and random homeless people and vagrants…..but no. I am the National 9 Motel – the finest 2 star lodging in town. Just hoping I don’t get bit by bed bugs! My goal tomorrow is to reach South Lake Tahoe, where another Warmshowers host is expecting me. We will see!
The big news that is not biking – related and way more important is that last night my granddaughter, Adeline, was born to my son Shane and his partner Eva in Phoenix. All are doing well.
So after reading my last post, I am sure you are saying to yourself…..hey self, this bicycle touring stuff seems fun and not that tough. That is what I was saying to myself too. Well, today was a different day…. Read on. I was up and out the door around 7:30am to ride into Sacramento for breakfast and then onward to Folsom and beyond. Crushing it! My GPS is still not working, but no matter – I would figure it out. So I started the day by riding 8 miles in the wrong direction – CRAP. That meant I had to ride 8 miles back just to be even. So 16 miles later I was back in Davis and heading out of town the right way – then my rear tire went flat. What? I have on top of the line, brand-new tires. In fact, later that day when I stopped at a bike shop to buy some new tubes, the mechanic said he had never seen a flat with that tire – just my luck, a piece of stainless steel wire had somehow flipped up and punctured the sidewall. No problem, I took off the tire and patched the tube – and I was on my way. I rode about 200 yards and my rear tire went flat again! Only this time it was my fault – I had inadvertently pinched the tube between the tire and the rim and it exploded. So… I had to start all over again, this time putting in a new tube. All of this was happening in the blazing sun as I was riding by a rice farm and there wasn’t a tree or any structure to be found. OK, flat #2 fixed – I got on my bike and rode about 50 feet… and my rear tire went flat again!!! What is the universe trying to tell me?? I stopped and took the tire off again and could find nothing wrong with the tube – I guess the valve stem didn’t seat properly or something. Anyway, I put my bike together for the third time and so far, no more flats. So onward – The cryptic maps I am using directed me to a bike trail that was to take me into Sacramento…..but I couldn’t find it! I finally found myself on a dirt road that headed towards Sacramento, so in my frustration I decided to ride it. After 4 miles or so…..it became completely flooded out and I had to return to the starting point. I had almost given up on this mysterious bike trail when I rode over to the interstate and saw that a narrow bike path had been put in right next to oncoming traffic with a concrete barrier separating me from them. The interstate was busy and it was a tough ride into Sacramento. But I got there – earlier I figured I would arrive about 9am or so…..but it was 2pm! I re-set my expectations for the day and decided to ride to Folsom, where there was a state campground next to a lake – sounded nice. I got a burrito and an agua fresca at Sals Tacos (LR is better!) and then went to the aforementioned bike shop. The guy there knew the campground and had a favorite camping spot that he offered to call and reserve for me. Things were looking up! Until he gave me the news that the campground was completely sold out. But he was optimistic that they would let a touring biker have a little spot, and the ride to Folsom was nice – 20 miles of paved bike path along the river. So I went for it. Ok, if you ever go cycling in Sacramento – beware. There are two paved bike paths, one on either side of the river. One goes to Folsom….the other goes somewhere else but mostly just goes by huge homeless encampments where you ride on until your spidey-senses tell you that this is probably not where you should be. You confirm this with a ranger who miraculously came driving by and bike back to town, across the bridge, and onto the nice path that goes to Folsom. I know you are counting – so yes, I got lost three times today. The path to Folsom is really nice, and I enjoyed the ride. But as I got nearer to Folsom and it got later and the thought of negotiating for a campsite lost its initial charm……..well, let’’s just say I am bedded down comfortably at a Marriott. I took one pic today:
That’s it. Good night! Tomorrow I climb up towards Lake Tahoe. I’ll need a good nights sleep as I face a 9,000+ foot climb. I’m having fun and haven’t lost my sense of humor!
Jeff and Carmenza's Adventures 