13 days
4276 km / 2657 miles

Early July 2018 Jayne and I started on our Nevada motorcycle trip. Due to work restraints (again) I had to do it July/August, which is NOT the best time to ride in Nevada because of the heat. We rode from Portland, Oregon south-east to Prineville. From there we went further south-east to Frenchglen, where we had reserved a room at the historic hotel. Further south on gravel roads over Steens Mountains and on into Nevada. From Winnemucca we rode south to Austin, NV but couldn't avoid a short stretch on I80. In Austin we turned east and continued on Hwy 50, The Lonliest Road In America, all the way to Great Basin National Park. From there we rode further south to Rachel, NV, with a very short and unplanned trip to Las Vegas. West again past Tonopah and north towards Reno, but not actually going there. We took a small road towards Gerlach, NV, close to the site of Burning Man, which was a few weeks after we passed through. Riding further north we came trough a little bit of California before entering Oregon again. We had planned to visit Crater Lake again, but due to the heat and a wildfire we skipped it, camped at Odell Lake and then rode back home. On our motorcycle trips we usually tent camp most of the time, but on this trip we stayed most nights in motels due to the overwhelming heat during the day and little relieve at night.

The road conditions are generally good. Even most of the gravel roads are in decend conditon. Paved roads got very hot in the sun, therefore we rode with higher tire pressure than normal to reduce the risk of the tires overheating on our loaded down bikes.

In terms of safety wild animals and wildfires are probably the greatest thread (besides other drivers). Not only bears can be dangerous, but mountain lions and even racoons can be dangerous. We always left our food in locked aluminum panniers when camping. In regards to wildfires it is advisable to ask at ranger stations about current conditions and expected fire direction. There are also many phone apps out there to show wildfires, but cell coverage in the middle of nowhere is spotty at best.