Story goes like this, when we left West Yellowstone yesterday, we learned about heavy snow fall in the California Mountains and a cold front moving across the country. We felt this AM Day 5 and all day 6. The big plan was to just head south as quick as possible, interstates and skipping whatever between there and Reno. What this meant was The Bonneville Salt flats would be missed along with the Loneliest Hwy in America. Sad, but needed to be done. We were looking at a day or two of lost travel time if we didn't make some good choices quick. Heading south seemed to be the best bet, looking back, I think heading due west would have been better cos the snow/ice never went above Nevada or Cali. so Oregon might have been a better choice, however, anytime you think snow, ice, and freezing temps, you just think, head south.
So we decided to find a decent size town somewhere in Nevada in case we were stranded for a day or so. We choose Elko, NV Pretty decent town, and we stayed at a casino so we knew there would be plenty to do. Next morning we wake up and the temps are below freezing, so we make a quick call to wait till the sun comes up. We start packing up around 10am or so and by 10:30 or so we are trying to head west, thinking me may have to enter Cali via death valley since we know there will not be snow or ice there.
Well, we certainly didn't have luck on our side, as we left Elko we start up this mountain pass, and as we are up some what, it starts to snow, then more snow, it's a freakin blizzard I say, where do i turn around, yea, good luck with that, then the sleet starts.... OMG! We are gonna crash and these big trucks are gonna run over us killing us for sure. I start to think, I could pull over, but will george see me? what about brakes? will i slide and crash? This isn't good... more and more snow, I'm wiping my visor every 10 seconds or so cos the sleet build up and can't see thru it. we are down to 30mph, trucks are passing us about 35mph, we are gonna die, I thought Nevada was flat and desert like, WTH! we gonna die... This is it....hope it's quick. I had been very vocal with God the whole way on this trip, seems I talk to God everytime I'm on my bike. I resisted the urge to bargain with God. I didn't want to say, "if you get me thru this I will....whatever" Just asked for guidance thru this mess and whatever happened, would happen...
well, since your reading this and i'm writing it, you know we made it, we just pushed on, cos it didn't seem any worse and idea than anything else, all choices seemed to be about equal. But as soon as we got off that mountain, we pulled into a rest stop to calm me down. Ice built up all over the bike, I wrote my name on the wind shield. I told George, If we see any thing else, Ice or snow, I will stop in my tracks at the first flake and I meant that.
We stop in at a town called Battle Mountain, NV for some lunch and to discuss our options, we decide that the safe bet to enter Cali is going to be death valley and so we head south. About 30 miles south, Snow/Sleet again. I stop and although George thought it would be over quick, there was no way I would be going any further in that direction. So we turned around, back to Battle Mountain and hit the interstate headed for Reno. Again, if we get stranded for a day or so, it best be in a good size city. The rest of this day went off without a hitch and we arrived in Reno and Stayed at the Nugget that the San Jose Hells Angels president was killed, shot in the back 4 times just a few weeks prior.
While we are sitting in the Casino, I ask the bartender where the shooting took place, he came from behind the bar and walked me to the end of the bar and started telling me blow for blow of what took place, he was working that day and had first hand knowledge. In short, this is the bar "Trader Dicks" where he was killed.
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