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The Last Frontier: Nevada 200 Trail Ride
| | | The stars I was seeing were not in outer space, they were sparkling lights emitted by the mixed signals from the pain receptors in my brain. I’d just taken another digger, my body was aching, my mouth full of dust and I was only a few miles from the end of the trail. Hurting, embarrassed and a wee-bit ticked-off, I staggered over to my still-running bike and hit the kill switch. I can’t remember the last time I crashed on a fire road, but then again, it’s been a while since I’ve been riding where the scenery caused me to lose concentration like this. I had been moving along at about 20-30 mph, standing up and surveying the ridge adjacent to me, with its rough red rocks in contrast to the bristling blue sky and the dark, snow-capped mountains on the distant horizon. It would’ve made an awesome picture. The truth is that the sun was setting on our final day at the 26th Annual Nevada 200 Trail Ride and I was trying to soak in all these epic desert vistas before calling it a wrap.
After being off a dirt bike for almost six months I didn’t mind the aching parts so much. It was just great to be back on the trail, riding with friends, visiting yet another location I’d never ridden and participating in an event that had eluded me for many years. The Nevada 200 is considered one of the top trail rides in the US of A, but it’s more than just a ride. It’s an opportunity to take advantage of access to the Nevada wilderness that is normally reserved for Best in the Desert off-road races. It’s a hell of a ride, and it’s been fulfilling the lives of a few lucky off-road riders for over a quarter of a century. The story behind the 200 is that longtime friends Scot Harden and Casey Folks came up with the event as an excuse to get out of the office, return to their roots and hang out once a year in one of their favorite riding areas throughout the
The Nevada 200 only accepts 200 invitations, and those lucky enough get to choose between the A-course or the C-course. Clover Mountain Range outside of Caliente, Nevada.
This i s a place that was once the hub for railroad traffic connecting the coasts. Over the years it has slipped away from the public eye and evolved into a throwback of sorts, small town USA. For off-road riders though, this town...
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