Back in September, I posted that the Bike and Brew Tour was leaving Brooklyn, NY, and that they’d be touring the country, stopping at as many breweries along the way as they could. The crew has finally reached Nevada, and will be in Reno/Sparks this Friday!
On the morning of Wednesday the 21st, they were in Battle Mountain, setting their destination for Mill City (not really even much of a town…), or further down the road to Rye Patch Reservoir State Park, a more desirable place to camp.
One of the problems with crossing Nevada is the great distances between towns. The best destinations to camp and get water may be too far for a day’s ride, or the opposite, they might not be a long enough ride for the day, putting you too far away from the next day’s destination.
Cyclists aren’t the first to face this dilemma, and actually have it pretty easy compared to early settlers of the 1800s. One particular section of the route, which today is along the I-80 corridor, is called the forty mile desert. According to the Nevada Historic Preservation website,
Starvation for men and animals stalked every mile. A survey made in 1850 showed these appalling statistics: 1,061 dead mules, almost 5,000 horses, 3,750 cattle and 953 graves. The then-value of personal property lost was set at $1,000,000.
Luckily, today’s non-motorized traveler can expect much better odds!
The Bike and Brew Tour heads to Fernely, NV on Thursday (10/22), and I hear they are still looking for a place to stay. If you have a floor or yard where they can camp, that would be great. On Friday, they plan to ride to the Great Basin Brewery for a tour and tasting. If you have the time, go join them! If you’d like to ride with them for part of their journey, there’s an invitation for that as well. They’ve found a place to stay in Stead Friday night, and from there, the journey continues over the mountains to the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico.
To check on the Bike and Brew Tour’s latest progress, check out their Twitter Page twitter.com/bikeandbrew.
