The Nevada Plan

I was going to go be riding around Denmark with my nephew this year, but COVID-19 thoroughly derailed those plans. All international travel was off the table for spring and summer. As the months of isolation dragged on, I got obsessed with finding some way to still make a bike trip happen, and eventually the government restrictions loosened up enough for me to put this plan together.

This is what I drafted:

The pins represent scraps of civilization.

And in the end, this is what I ended up riding:

The route I ended up riding.

Ever since my ride across the Oregon scrubland in 2009, I’ve wanted to make another bike tour through a hot, dry climate. The isolation, the intensity, and the alien feel of the terrain appeal to me. This summer I need to keep human contact to a minimum anyway, so why not do it outdoors in the blazing sunlight, in an environment hostile to germs?

A flurry of preparation. Don't try this at home folks: You need to be very careful on those hardwood floors!

I packed up the same touring gear that I used for Iceland – an extremely cold climate – but I left out my thick sweater, hiking socks, hiking shoes, and wool hat. Add in a giant thermos and another extra water bottle, pull the extra liner out of my sleeping bag, and I was good to go!

Except for one thing: My cute nightlight needed repairs. Gotta have that!

Temporary workspace while I attempt to repair my highly customized night-light candle.

It's fixed, but its new name is Peg-Leg Pete The Night-Light.

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