in summer.
Winter. Oh yes, it gets cold. And
it snows. But not continually. The
high and dry desert of the Great Ba-
sin often offers up achingly clear,
crisp days of winter riding on dry
pavement. Difficult to count on and
I wouldn’t advise planning a winter
trip to Nevada just to ride Highway
50. But if you find yourself in the
western states, in winter, with your
bike, watch the weather forecast.
Maybe you’ll get lucky.
Travelling the roughly 400 miles
(650 kilometres) across the state also
feels different depending on your di-
rection. East to west takes you from
emptiness and desolation at the Utah
state line to the busy, crowded, out-
door playground of South Lake Tahoe
just inside California. You ride from
nothing to everything. From west to
east, civilization melts away behind
you. When I have the choice, I ride
TRAVERSE 73
from west to east.
Either way, take your time. Slow
down by embracing the kitschy-but-
lovable Highway 50 Survival Guide.
Getting all the stamps in your High-
way 50 passport only requires stops
in eight towns. In the process, you
are guaranteed at least a short chat
with a local at each stop and a longer
one if you’re inclined toward a deep-
er, richer conversation.