[athlete]

Hello,

Looking for some input here.

I have to be in Las Vegas for a meeting in May. I
am thinking of leaving a few days early to find some nice, twisty roads to ride on
the way down and the same way back. I don't want to criss-cross through a bunch
of different states to do this.
I am looking for suggestions on a straightforward route that will bring me to my destination while
at the same time provide riding on some of the best roads on the way to Vegas.
If you have a favorite route please post a reply.
Hopefully there will be some good answers.

Thanks and Cheers, :flashy

 

[doser]

Josh, google maps gives 2000 kms / 20 hrs via I-84 and US-93 Vcr > LV. that's two pretty big days of droning. how many days do you have for each way?

 

[hunkyleepickle]

Its impossible for anyone to give you a straightforward answer to such a massive distance, there isn't one road thats interesting, but many, many interconnecting ones. Your best bet might be get a set of Butler maps for WA,OR, and CA and try to mash together a route using that. You say you don't want to criss cross too much, but also want an interesting route, so i'm a little conflicted in what to say....

 

[CHIA]

Your best bet is to trailer down unless you have 4 weeks to do the trip.

If you want great roads every day, you need to take some time to do it.

 

[doser]

one road you should include on the way down or back, sounds to be NV 447: Alturas CA to Fernley NV:
https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Alturas,+CA,+United+States/Fernley,+NV,+United+States/@40.6709253,-120.8761734,8.75z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x54cb90ad699500f3:0x7d078a723c607139!2m2!1d-120.5424555!2d41.4871146!3m4!1m2!1d-119.6479071!2d40.923117!3s0x809e268648b42de3:0xbaa5c0e4ddfff2dd!1m5!1m1!1s0x8098b8ed90879997:0x5fec35cd0d2e60f5!2m2!1d-119.2518349!2d39.6079683!3e0
fuck all but desert, so good for rolling along vigourously... and it gets surprisingly good reviews, despite (because of?) the long straight stretches. runs right past the Burning Man site too... but the beta seems to be that you WILL get tailed in Nixon NV, so keep to the limit there.
US 395, on the other hand should be avoided if possible. boring; and patrolled...

 

[athlete]

Thanks for the input Don and others. In answer to your question; I have to be in Vegas for the 13th of May but three or four days of good riding would prompt an
early exit out of this rain soaked city with the happy prospect of finding some roads reflecting back the warmth of the sun. Chia, there are enough roads to keep a
guy busy for a very long time.. I grant you this. Unfortunately, I do not have four weeks to do this ride.

Don, you and I have ridden together enough times for you to know what kind of riding I am looking to find. I also know that when it comes to secret, unspoiled
road

​

s or good routes, you are a gold mine of information. If you care to put together an idea of a route that you would take if you were doing the same ride in May I would be interested in seeing it. Thanks for the link to NV 447. Links like that are appreciated.

 

[doser]

Josh, seriously, Vegas is a very challenging location to find a 'good ' route to and from. It's too far south, and too deep in the desert (read: 'boring') to be ideal. So, if I HAD to go to Vegas, I'd fly! But, if I HAD to ride to Vegas, mid May, here's a couple thoughts:
* the coast is nice, as a way of getting south, but May is still frikkin cold out there. write that one off.
* the back-side of the mountains is drier and warmer, but 97 and 395 and 95 are amongst the drone-iest roads in western North America, so unless you trade in your Zee for Harley, I'd recommend elsewhere.
* so that leaves a) mid-land and b) inland. one down; the other back!


day 1: I say, fuck Washington, you can ride that anytime, so bolt south on I-5 to the Oregon border. then jog west to Clatskanie and have a blast down 47, etc to Eugene. one day, 820 kms, 10 hrs. logging, then wine country. very pleasant. Eugene is a nice town, lotsa fine eateries, college town, so lively.

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Vancouver,+BC/Clatskanie,+OR,+USA/Dallas,+OR,+United+States/Eugene,+OR,+USA/@46.5181502,-124.2205258,7.25z/data=!4m51!4m50!1m5!1m1!1s0x548673f143a94fb3:0xbb9196ea9b81f38b!2m2!1d-123.1207375!2d49.2827291!1m10!1m1!1s0x549464d87b2e94f3:0x14a3ff5e8bccd9b6!2m2!1d-123.2067863!2d46.1012219!3m4!1m2!1d-123.2027278!2d45.8436049!3s0x5494f6c0a43a87d5:0xa17f8fa79075ecdc!1m25!1m1!1s0x54eaa7d81be20d83:0x3f0cf3d12c451470!2m2!1d-123.3170472!2d44.9192844!3m4!1m2!1d-123.4032499!2d44.7939455!3s0x54c01f2e856fb993:0x83be473c2969fefb!3m4!1m2!1d-123.4319516!2d44.6612309!3s0x54c03c82cea396ff:0xdb7adc7bdb525ec!3m4!1m2!1d-122.7885448!2d44.4485895!3s0x54c062fec52e7549:0x3f395aa713764e47!3m4!1m2!1d-122.8035045!2d44.2668404!3s0x54c0f2c23eb59711:0x3cd1710238fbd5d3!1m5!1m1!1s0x54c119b0ac501919:0x57ec61894a43894d!2m2!1d-123.0867536!2d44.0520691!3e0


day 2: ride the best parts of I-5 and enjoy it. then bugger off into the wilderness.... O-Brien ( fuel) to Happy Camp is totally remote, ridiculously twisty. 96 flows. Scott River Rd is more of the Happy-Camp-ishness but narrower and twistier. CA 3 is an absolute gem! wild, tight, and fast. the Hayfork cutoff will have you laughing out loud in your helmet. and you finish with arguably the best bits of 36...

775 kms 11hrs - a BIG day! (p.s. ignore the weird google map jog left north of Happy Camp )

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Eugene,+OR,+USA/Grants+Pass,+OR,+United+States/Happy+Camp,+CA,+USA/Weaverville,+CA,+United+States/Hayfork,+CA,+United+States/Red+Bluff,+CA,+United+States/@41.6432719,-123.2318077,11z/data=!4m78!4m77!1m20!1m1!1s0x54c119b0ac501919:0x57ec61894a43894d!2m2!1d-123.0867536!2d44.0520691!3m4!1m2!1d-123.0840292!2d43.9765954!3s0x54c121e5ad114399:0xf6758b4a94cf1417!3m4!1m2!1d-123.2354035!2d43.9278566!3s0x54c13d6436d7e0ed:0xcde7d07f215cfe44!3m4!1m2!1d-123.3042289!2d43.6767053!3s0x54c14ea3da685e57:0x1dbde5ddfa9f62f3!1m15!1m1!1s0x54c57a231cfb16a5:0xcba25ba08e5112d4!2m2!1d-123.3283925!2d42.4390069!3m4!1m2!1d-123.6957053!2d42.0768655!3s0x54cffc5af82315ef:0xb6071587d91c1070!3m4!1m2!1d-123.6708278!2d42.0672217!3s0x54cffced2c1db94f:0xdd116dce01a01c59!1m20!1m1!1s0x54cfd78c6db8054f:0x611b1868ba10b4e0!2m2!1d-123.3785705!2d41.792654!3m4!1m2!1d-123.0126306!2d41.7283094!3s0x54ce323f0167efeb:0x42ab43db52145518!3m4!1m2!1d-122.6922251!2d41.2640487!3s0x54cdffede504f095:0x94a662d1361a8e41!3m4!1m2!1d-122.7965343!2d40.8805144!3s0x54d2419db5d2e551:0xa23c35a95d22cf93!1m5!1m1!1s0x54d25052db466a73:0xf5e198a5fc75beec!2m2!1d-122.9419708!2d40.7309778!1m5!1m1!1s0x54d3a074063cfbb3:0x8d4afc7cd21590d8!2m2!1d-123.1830839!2d40.5543106!1m5!1m1!1s0x808283b010b9754b:0x290a04be8736765a!2m2!1d-122.2358302!2d40.1784886!3e0


day 3: tough! the best riding is west of the Sierras, but you gotta get across one of the passes. and it's early in the season. these are 8000 and 9000 ft passes, not 5000 ft like the North Cascades, so weather is chancey. and the higher passes may be closed and/or snowed up.

(drinkin wine and thinkin.... I'll post more as it comes to me...)

how 'bout this: Feather River to Quincy: fast, fast, fast, and superb. La Porte Rd ( Race Track in the Sky). Downieville. south to Monitor Pass (CA DH #1). Ebbetts Pass (maybe open, maybe not). overnite in Sonora - Rodeway Inn, right downtown. eat at Diamondback Grill - excellent!

860 kms 11 1/2 hrs - full on day! you're gettin' weary by now!

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Red+Bluff,+CA,+USA/Quincy,+California,+USA/La+Porte,+CA,+USA/Downieville,+CA,+United+States/Carson+City,+NV,+USA/Markleeville,+CA,+United+States/Jackson,+CA,+United+States/Sonora,+CA,+USA/@38.6984449,-119.8852051,11.25z/data=!4m60!4m59!1m10!1m1!1s0x808283b010b9754b:0x290a04be8736765a!2m2!1d-122.2358302!2d40.1784886!3m4!1m2!1d-121.9370731!2d39.8366257!3s0x8082dc5b1f6178b1:0xcb64c2b9197f9dd2!1m5!1m1!1s0x809c5c6208c3e323:0x4ebc03dabe13d11!2m2!1d-120.9471764!2d39.9368363!1m5!1m1!1s0x809c8b7c6b87c7fd:0xd7754e3387f425ce!2m2!1d-120.9841206!2d39.6821146!1m5!1m1!1s0x809c7c41cdae79bd:0x40135b83b246986!2m2!1d-120.8276966!2d39.5595198!1m10!1m1!1s0x80990aa1f8deb471:0xf79c6c82bde23828!2m2!1d-119.7674034!2d39.1637984!3m4!1m2!1d-119.6009122!2d38.6773312!3s0x8099d0a99011f55f:0x5527aa36c63439a!1m5!1m1!1s0x8099dd522483273f:0xe08a270c2e34d299!2m2!1d-119.7796826!2d38.6937227!1m5!1m1!1s0x809a7bc31e72dfa7:0xb66697faff09f746!2m2!1d-120.7741018!2d38.3488023!1m5!1m1!1s0x8090c5d00be20bf9:0x16d807f676254777!2m2!1d-120.3821724!2d37.9829496!3e0

day 4: can't be done! 1050 kms 13 hrs. south along the Sierras. out thru Death Valley. LV.

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Sonora,+CA,+USA/Oakhurst,+CA,+USA/Auberry,+CA,+USA/Trimmer,+CA,+United+States/Dunlap,+CA,+United+States/Wofford+Heights,+CA,+United+States/Death+Valley+National+Park/Las+Vegas,+NV,+USA/@36.7892324,-118.9172406,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m75!4m74!1m5!1m1!1s0x8090c5d00be20bf9:0x16d807f676254777!2m2!1d-120.3821724!2d37.9829496!1m5!1m1!1s0x809427a27f5dbc67:0xd0683ed7bb7d8d81!2m2!1d-119.6493154!2d37.3279997!1m15!1m1!1s0x8094358c640a1945:0xfc68863753bda15b!2m2!1d-119.4854113!2d37.0807823!3m4!1m2!1d-119.4134414!2d37.0765726!3s0x8095b54a39704f37:0xeb9ce07d1d29b6e4!3m4!1m2!1d-119.3727031!2d37.0521828!3s0x8095b4f66eb28d6f:0x7d953ac961e8cb5!1m5!1m1!1s0x8095aec3f81f7f03:0x49aaac69dd3297f1!2m2!1d-119.295278!2d36.905!1m20!1m1!1s0x80950dcb6631aae5:0x2222376272b3e601!2m2!1d-119.1209469!2d36.738281!3m4!1m2!1d-119.0177242!2d36.6714446!3s0x80956ceb9583be63:0x349f2c6a30def9cd!3m4!1m2!1d-119.1042437!2d36.598516!3s0x8095145b2be502c3:0x21a54cd0feb25246!3m4!1m2!1d-118.721059!2d35.722767!3s0x80ea80f8f2416a9d:0x1845f602af42d3cb!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c1cd9d10e47bb7:0xe6cd50048d45b3fe!2m2!1d-118.4561967!2d35.7068961!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c74b7776ae8a47:0xccc9f07c7bf2b054!2m2!1d-117.0794078!2d36.5053891!1m5!1m1!1s0x80beb782a4f57dd1:0x3accd5e6d5b379a3!2m2!1d-115.1398296!2d36.1699412!3e0

the route's OK, it's just the distances are too big... I think so anyway... push on a bit each day, and get to Oakhurst 3rd nite and it might work... (Oakhurst Lodge recommended; Di Cicco's across the back serves great Italian food) or eliminate some of the earlier stuff and get to say Three Rivers CA 3rd nite and you'd be OK. apparently Comfort Inn is the spot there, and the Mexican diner across the street comes recommended. ( thank you Tim Mayhew at pashnit.com tours)

 

[mongoose]

good to know.... I've been trying to work out a good route down to reno for the air races..

 

[doser]

coming home: how much time do you have? 4 days to get there, maybe 5. 2 days there? that leaves 2 days home for a full week plus a weekend. whew! see why i'm saying to fly?

but if you really wanna ride, and you don't want to just take the 'easy' route up to and across I-84, I say leave one afternoon / evening and ride 4 hrs to get to Ely NV. nothing there, it's just a spot to get some ground covered and put your head down. and then's it's 2 big but vaguely do-able days home...


https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Ely,+NV,+USA/Las+Vegas,+NV,+USA/@39.8719118,-117.9039336,7.25z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x80b0498e569347fb:0x262857a90224004!2m2!1d-114.8886296!2d39.2474393!1m5!1m1!1s0x80beb782a4f57dd1:0x3accd5e6d5b379a3!2m2!1d-115.1398296!2d36.1699412

Ely to Grangeville via Boise: full-on desert to I-84 (altho I'd slip in NV 225 / ID 51 to add interest); great riding north of Boise. but a long, long day, even at desert speeds: 1000 kms 11hrs

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Ely,+NV,+USA/Elko,+NV,+United+States/Mountain+Home,+ID,+United+States/McCall,+ID,+USA/Grangeville,+ID,+USA/@41.9822468,-116.1323786,11z/data=!4m32!4m31!1m5!1m1!1s0x80b0498e569347fb:0x262857a90224004!2m2!1d-114.8886296!2d39.2474393!1m5!1m1!1s0x80a604b5190c8f0d:0xd855b1e9c405f689!2m2!1d-115.7631232!2d40.8324211!1m5!1m1!1s0x54a928c8145d6c3b:0xd709085cb48a3abc!2m2!1d-115.6911975!2d43.1329504!1m5!1m1!1s0x54a659e630979ba1:0x63b51760e0318a36!2m2!1d-116.0987364!2d44.911006!1m5!1m1!1s0x54a0c1784b5a468d:0xc1b554fc4611c93c!2m2!1d-116.1223654!2d45.926552!3e0

then home: another 900kms 10 hrs: this is just too much to keep up day after day, I know! you need more time...

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z8Dm3mAE_66U.kduZtEth47ac

 

[michael]

447 from Reno up into NE CA is a good desert road that's completely different that what we're used on the west coast. The highlight is probably the baker/café in Cedarville though. Fresh baked goods and locally sourced ingredients.

Because that road is an (almost) annual ride for me I'd probably ensure I get Lassen Volcanic National Park into either the out-bound in home trip. Look at CA routes 89, 44 and 70.

Oh, and Big Pine (on 395) to Oasis on CA 168 is awesome. Spits you out into western NV for a straight shot in Las Vegas. If you have the time, and the snow is off the road, zip up north on White Mountain Road to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine forests.
Oldest living trees on the planet. No smoking, please and thanks.

 

[doser]

hey Michael, any advice about Death Valley?

 

[michael]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sorry for the delay in my response....I don't get here very much lately.

I am not an expert, as I've only traversed it a couple of times but will be -hopefully - by June of this year as it's a destination on my return leg from elsewhere in the southwest. Of interest, and recall the only few times I've been there are a couple of things:
1/ carry water and a flat repair kit.
2/ do not soil yourself when the military jets practice their low speed maneuvers in very close proximity to you, and the road and the surrounding countryside. I've been told by a knowlegable source "they like to do that."
3/ roads are good (no frost heaves!) and the valley's tend to run in a north south direction, so getting to the curvy bits means riding east/west.
4/ can't comment on "off asphalt," riding as I've not touched any dirt or gravel there.
5/ go in fully fueled. it's expensive in there.
6/ I'm told CA178 from Furnace Creek to Shoshone is interesting, although it appears to merely follow the west side of the mountains that abut the valley. But. There touristy things along the route.
7/ Clem Salvatori wrote an article about Death Valley some time in the last 12 months for Rider magazine. He was on - if I recall - a Honda F6B. Doesn't matter, he gives some low and high lights that are worth checking. Try rider magazine online.
8/ there is so, so much cool stuff between here and there Doser that space or time doesn't allow me to write. Mt. Hood. Crater Lake. Hole in the Ground. Crack in the Ground. Mt. Lassen Volanic. Anywhere along the Sierra's in CA. Literally weeks worth of riding.

 

[Commuter Boy]

I've got a conference in Vegas May 13th as well, but I want to be there Wednesday night, leaving on Sunday morning. Should be a quick trip down and back.

 

[Talonz]

By the sounds of it, you should skip the conference and go riding.

"Sorry, got lost."

 

[Commuter Boy]

By the sounds of it, you should skip the conference and go riding.

"Sorry, got lost."

And lose the opportunity to have an all expense paid trip to Vegas, entertaining clients on a healthy marketing budget? I don't think so.....