Day 56: Caples Resort on Lake Caples Elevation: ~8,000

Miles:  50.51
Average Speed:  7.84
Max Speed:  25.80
Total Miles:  2,051

Left Carson City early and rode to Gardnerville where Patrick secured some last minute gear and where we had an enormous second breakfast.  Started climbing about 11 AM and it was pretty tough, at least on me; had to walk a couple of stretches.  Stopped in Woodfords for lunch where the proprietor had the biggest & loudest mouth in this sector of the universe - sandwich was good.  Back on the road we made Hope Valley by 3 PM for rest & refreshment.  Finally made the summit around 5:30 PM.  Had to walk the last mile - probably walked 2-3 miles all together - Patrick could have ridden the whole way but he walked with the old man.  Down from the summit to the west we were both pretty well shot so we pulled into the first place we passed - Caples Resort - little room right on the lake, snowy peaks all around and very inexpensive.  Cooked camp food out on the rocks near the water and had some beer for dessert - nice end to a memorable day.

Getting still closer

Fabulous

One more state to cross, but then there's the state of mind

Patrick, holding up both ends

Alpine vistas

Tough looking peak

Road up to Carson Pass

West Fork of Carson River

Patrick did a fair amount of waiting - & in good humor

Falling Rock

Up & up

We hope not today

The grass is in focus anyway

The sentinel

Alpine lakes

Nearing the snow line

The road climbing the last stretch to the pass

We missed all the excitement

Another shot of the final pitch

Looking back toward the east

Patrick the geologist

Carson Summit - the third & last milestone of the trip

Heading west & down

Monumental

Caples Lake

Caples Lake

Crystal clear alpine lake

Tomorrow we head for Jackson and barring mishaps we'll finish the ride Labor Day. 

Day 55: Carson City (south side) Elvation: 4,687

Miles:  56.08
Average Speed:  10.22
Max Speed:  25.35
Total Miles:  2,001

Motorists have no awareness of the terrain.  I asked a woman in a laundromat about the terrain from Fernley to Silver Springs.  She said there was a small hill right out of Fernley, then down hill all the way to Silver Springs.  In actuality it was 9 miles up, 1 mile down, 3 miles up and 1 mile down.  Don't know why I keep asking.  Ride was good except for the wind.  Wanted to make Minden today but after almost 20 miles in first & second gear because of wind, I was bushed.  Stopped at the crest of a hill to rest, checked odometer which read 2001 and that was it; staying in Carson City tonight.

Lone Pine of south of Fernley

The terrain is changing

Getting a little bit closer

Almost certainly named after some of the ne'er-do-well Boyers forced to leave PA for reasons best not discussed in polite company.

Terrain definitely changing

Imagine that slope in 3' of powder

The flag illustrates why Minden was not to be today

Getting a little bit closer now.

Nevada Legislature

Nevada State House - capital grounds are much more extensive than Minnesota's which has 10X the population

Look who's coming!

Yep, it's him.!

Patrick joins the Slow Bike Ride in Carson City.  We didn't know til yesterday if he could make it and he did.  This is definitely the High Point of the ride (not to be confused with the highest point).  It could only be better if Nic could have made it too, on her bicycle.

So, tomorrow we head for Kirkwood, CA - 45 miles away and 4,000 ft straight up - how cool is that.

Day 54: Fernley, NV Elevation: 4,153

Miles:  60.48
Average Speed:  12.28
Max Speed:  25.57
Total Miles:  1,945

A little Lovelock color -

Pershing County Courthouse

At the courthouse entrance

Opportunistic Lovelockians

Didn't count the locks....

....looked like thousands

Left pretty early and it was chilly - wore a jacket first 23 miles.  Should be the last of the desert today, I certainly hope.  Not too much of note along the way.  Hustled a bit to try beating the worst heat.

I converse with my shadow now

Not even scavengers will eat white bread

The Humboldt River which I've been following for 300+ miles does a curious thing here - it disappears into the Humboldt Sink.  These days so much water is extracted from it for irrigation it is about dried up by the time it gets here.  In days gone by it was the last water before the dreaded 40 Mile Desert.

Humboldt Sink

This speaks for itself - fix eyes straight ahead and ride

Desert

Desert

I think this is a geothermal plant about 15 miles from Fernley

The unforgiving

Very unforgiving

Don't know if this guy is wild - guessing from his location I'd guess so - ribs quite prominently evident

Tomorrow head for Carson City and maybe Minden depending on how it goes.  No more interstate for the rest of the ride.  Can't wait for the higher altitude, cooler climes and trees.

Had fried rice for dinner tonight - this was the fortune in my fortune cookie -