Today, I escaped from Fallon and headed into the heart of Nevada. Before leaving town, I stopped at Starbucks and met two young people who looked nicely dressed but ready for an adventure. It turned out they were U.S. Government employees conducting a wildlife survey. Knowing that at least a few people doing good work had escaped DOGE was reassuring. They said they were trying to stay under the radar!

Fully frappuccinoed, I hit the road and headed into the Nevada desert. The stretch of Highway 50 I’m on is famously known as the Loneliest Road in America, and now I understand why. I’d go minutes without seeing a single car in either direction. In the morning, I listened to Hermanos Gutiérrez, a Mexican guitar duo, setting the perfect landscape tone.

Today’s ride was about 120 miles, with my intermediate charging stop at Middlegate Station. This route was once used by the Pony Express, which had stations every so many miles to house riders and horses, enabling them to carry mail across the country. Middlegate was particularly interesting because it’s had several lives: Pony Express station, brothel, bar, and motel, and now... a Tesla charging station.

As a bar and restaurant, it’s been a popular watering hole for Top Gun pilots. The restroom walls were covered in hundreds of squadron patches from U.S. and foreign pilots trained there. It reminded me of the bar from The Right Stuff. The whole place is off the grid, running on a big diesel generator (shhh... don’t tell the Tesla crowd).

*I asked if they wanted my Orinda Junior Police Officer Badge*

Construction and mine workers were inside, a couple from Kansas, and two old ranchers. The Kansas couple asked where I was from, and when I said “California,” the man deadpanned, “Why?” Things warmed up after I told them both my parents went to KU, and my dad was raised near where he is from. The woman, a former management consultant, and I talked shop. They hung around until my unicycle was fully charged because they wanted to see how it worked. They took videos, and after I took off, they passed me on the road, giving me a friendly wave.

About 20 miles later, I stopped at Cold Springs Station to top off the battery before tackling mountain passes. When I walked into the bar/restaurant, the Owner’s son, Nick, said before I could say a word, “Hey, Middlegate just called—they’ve got your selfie stick. If you don’t mind hanging around, I can drive over and pick it up for you. My daughter’s school bus stop is there, so I can grab it when I go.”

*Nick from Cold Creek Station: Nicest guy in Nevada*

It was a $12 backup selfie stick, so I told him not to worry. Instead, I got a tour of their extensive taxidermy collection and heard stories about some animals. Later, the guy said, “You know, I saw you yesterday in that construction backup outside Carson City, riding behind the pilot car.” We laughed, talked about his military service, and then I headed off.

*Best close up elk nose I have ever seen in central Nevada in May*

Although the road was long and empty, the scenery was gorgeous, and every now and then, an F-18 Super Hornet would roar overhead. As I approached Austin, NV, I saw a range of snow-covered mountains jutting out of the arid landscape with more snow than the peaks I had passed through in Tahoe! My only thought was: “Shit, I better not have to ride through those tomorrow.”

Visited Teacup Sally’s Former House and Talked Taxidermy

Are we there yet?

From Falling to Fallon