Members of Team 11 riding through a mountain pass in Nevada.
Team 11 officially checked two states off our list as we rode out of Nevada this morning. After riding out of the mountains in Kirkwood, CA, the team arrived in Carson City, NV. Following a short drive, we found our lodging at Lake Tahoe. While in Incline Village, we were able to host a fundraising event at Rookie’s Sports Bar & Grill, as well as relax a bit and recover from what had been four strenuous days of riding. Our departure, however, marked our longest stretch of continuous cycling, nine consecutive days crossing the entire state of Nevada and a significant portion of Utah.
A sign in Middlegate, Nevada, which many team members felt summed up the town well.
The 60.5-mile ride from Carson City to Fallon was our first stretch along Highway 50, the Loneliest Highway. The team was warmly greeted and fed by Epworth United Methodist Church members, who would also put a ceiling over our heads for the night. Despite a small incursion by local Boy Scouts collecting flags from the Church, the team rested soundly after the first of many long days under the Nevada sun. The next morning, after a fulfilling breakfast provided by our hosts, we rode out for Middlegate. We expected very little, but after an encounter with the Middlegate Monster, seeing what the sky looks like in the middle of nowhere, and camping behind a restaurant in the middle of a storm, it was probably one of the most memorable experiences of the whole state.
Team 11 resting at a stop.
After leaving Middlegate, we rode to Austin, where we stayed at the city hall. Many riders were stranded in the one-street town as we searched for the building we were to stay at. Finally, we discovered that one of the many churches was actually what we were searching for. After seeing what all the town had to offer, we began to understand why Highway 50 is called the Loneliest Highway. From Austin, we rode to Eureka, where we were battered by rain during our last miles, and from there, drove to Diamond Valley Church, some distance from the town itself. All you could see for miles around was fields from North to South and mountains on our sides. We were even a little unnerved during the night by just how dark it was.
After driving back to our previous stop in the morning, we began the ride to Ely. This ride was a rollercoaster of both elevation and emotions. After a rough stretch through a mountain pass and some brutal weather, the team felt disheartened. But, after reaching the summit of the last peak and a quick 20-mile descent into the town of Ely, our spirits were lifted. We celebrated the ride at McDonald’s, the first one we had seen since Fallon, almost the entire length of the state away. In Ely, we stayed at Bayside Church.
Team 11 drivers admiring the view while waiting for the riders.
From Ely, we rode to Baker, another of the smallest towns I had ever seen, with a population of around 70 people. While there, we realized just how close we were to being through Nevada and onto our next state, Utah. It was within sight, quite literally. We stayed at the Baker Community Church, and met many members of this small community. We even saw Baker’s first annual Night Market, where the few streets were lined with vendors. Our ride the following morning brought us to Utah. We are staying at Delta High School tonight and tomorrow, breaking up the 110-mile stretch that takes us into Lyndyll, UT. Already, we can see the differences in the people and places we see and are excited to take on this next stretch of our ride.