From MAD Maps fan G. Pedro Kinner of Lake Tahoe, NV…
Wouldn’t consider leaving home without my Mad Maps–I think I almost have them all now. We took off from Lake Tahoe using the Sierra & Northern Nevada map as we headed down 395 to Independence, CA for our first day. After meeting Henrietta, our innkeeper at the Mt. Williamson Motel, we couldn’t stop after all the tips she gave us and 3 hours of daylight left to burn. So, off to Manzanar, Mt. Whitney Portal road and the Alabama Hills to play Lone Ranger and Tonto–this is where all the early Westerns were filmed. Then, to end it all, we watched the sunset during a casual dinner at the Seasons Restaurant in Lone Pine (right on the corner–can’t miss it.)
Off to Death Valley the next morning for a full day of touring the National Park. It was 105 degrees at Badwater and warm all day, even in late April. Don’t forget to take lots of water or you’ll have chicken legs when you get off the bike. Seriously–ask anyone. Picking sections of the loops provided by MAD Maps led us a Red Rock Canyon ride the next morning at 6am. Get there early for the morning colors; this was a great 13-mile loop (one way, the only way to see while riding). And all for only $2.
Then the wind started. Avoiding traffic on US95 the next day, we rode by ourselves for 6 hours on US93 north to Ash Springs, and then it was E.T Highway to the Lil Ale’Inn in Rachel to check out the latest sightings from Area 51. It was too bad the crosswinds were 35mph all day because the were no stealth fighters overhead. Oh, well, no worries as we had the road to ourselves all the way to Tonopah north to Hawthorne, Walker Lake, Yerington, Wilson Canyon and back to Lake Tahoe.
1,144 miles in 4 days. Love it.
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- This rocky road's might tasty
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- Who--or what--is that?
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- Cold mountains--even cooler bike
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- Badwater: How low can you go?
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- Salt flats: check your blood pressure
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- There's that darn penny
