2024 Reno Road Meet - September 21, 2024

[Scott5114]

An abandoned interchange sounds pretty cool.

[Max Rockatansky]

I told Jessica (my wife that several of you have met) about this meet given she's mentioned wanting to explore Reno and Virginia City.  I'm not quite 100% confirmed yet, but I'll more than likely be at the Reno Meet. 

I'll probably try to find a hotel this week and just drive over the 20th.  Fair chance that we'll split off at the Geiger Point Lookout given that puts us right by Virginia City.  That likely is contingent about Jessica wanting to go on the meet itself or me having to pick her up after in Reno. 

[Alps]

I told Jessica (my wife that several of you have met) about this meet given she's mentioned wanting to explore Reno and Virginia City.  I'm not quite 100% confirmed yet, but I'll more than likely be at the Reno Meet. 

I'll probably try to find a hotel this week and just drive over the 20th.  Fair chance that we'll split off at the Geiger Point Lookout given that puts us right by Virginia City.  That likely is contingent about Jessica wanting to go on the meet itself or me having to pick her up after in Reno. 

you mistyped "pick up after her" at the end there

[cl94]

4 weeks out, I'm updating with a time/ lunch place.

Date/Time: September 21, 2024, 11 AM
Lunch location: Brothers Barbecue, 618 S Center St, Reno, NV 89501 https://www.bbqreno.com/
(If you don't want barbeque, there's a great chicken place next door, plus nearby fast food options).

Brothers is a counter-serve place with legit Texas-style BBQ. Service is generally quick and, if we get there at opening, we should be able to secure seating for everyone. Parking is on the street, but the lot I was planning to have people drop cars at is only a few blocks away.

If there is a desire, we could have a pre-meet somewhere or do the walking tour before lunch (as a pre-meet?). I doubt daylight will be much of an issue for us if we do lunch first.

[Max Rockatansky]

Our plan is to hit the road in Fresno at 4:30 AM and drive across the Sierra. 

[cl94]

I'm going to consider these meet tour notes final unless there are new developments in the next 3 weeks.

Meet notes here.

[oscar]

I can't make this meet, too busy with stuff in other time zones this month. If I ever make it back to Reno, I'll consult your meet notes for tips on things to check out while I'm there.

[gonealookin]

I can't make this meet, too busy with stuff in other time zones this month. If I ever make it back to Reno, I'll consult your meet notes for tips on things to check out while I'm there.

As oscar the Hot Springs guy probably knows, if at "Stop 3" they were to walk less than 10 minutes upstream along the Truckee River on the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail they would come to a warm spring soaking pool between the trail and the river.  It used to be a relatively "secret soak", but since the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail was completed through there a number of years ago, people walk their dogs on that trail and it's anything but a secret now.

[cl94]

By now, I assume most of you are aware of the Davis Fire burning south of Reno. As I write this, it is sitting at around 6,000 acres with no containment. A PDS red flag warning was issued for tomorrow, and it looks like the next 30 or so hours will be critical as far as how much they can keep the fire from spreading.

As of now, the meet is still on, but its status is questionable. A decision about whether or not to have a formal meet should occur by this weekend, as we will have a better sense of what will happen with the fire.

The safety of meet attendees, regional residents, and first responders comes before hosting a meet, and I do not want to do anything that either harms the response or puts any of us at risk. Similarly, I'm not holding a meet if an additional 10,000+ people are forced to evacuate, as those hotel rooms will be needed for evacuees. I live about 3 miles from the current evacuation zone, and an expansion north would have me evacuating, so me evacuating would obviously result in a cancellation.

I will not hold it against anyone if people wish to back out of the meet as a precautionary measure. It's quite poor timing for the immediate Reno area's worst fire in many decades, but fires happen on their own schedule. I will likely be around that weekend regardless (unless I'm evacuated).

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm obviously used to the deal with fire season by now give I'm out in Fresno.  That being the case I'm not particularly worried about smoke.  Outside of the hotel cancelling on my reservation I plan on being in the area.

[cl94]

I'm obviously used to the deal with fire season by now give I'm out in Fresno.  That being the case I'm not particularly worried about smoke.  Outside of the hotel cancelling on my reservation I plan on being in the area.

Oh, I'm not canceling on account of smoke. We can work around smoke and modify the plan as necessary. A cancellation decision will be based more on risks to the regional population and important infrastructure, as well as how many people are evacuated. Nicer hotels are definitely filling up.

[Scott5114]

In the event that the meet can't go forward as planned, perhaps we could postpone it rather than cancel it altogether? (Obviously that would depend on how much you're personally impacted by the fire.)

Stay safe and keep us updated!

[cl94]

In the event that the meet can't go forward as planned, perhaps we could postpone it rather than cancel it altogether? (Obviously that would depend on how much you're personally impacted by the fire.)

Stay safe and keep us updated!

Postpone, definitely.

[cl94]

Thanks to some great firefighting over the past few days, the Davis Fire is surrounded by lines and hasn't really escaped the forest. Still waiting on containment numbers, but because of that good news, next weekend's meet is still on. A realistic scenario had the fire expanding well into Reno with yesterday's PDS red flag warning had it jumped the lines.

As of now, SR 431 is still closed over the summit, but they're hoping to reopen ASAP. All other major roads have reopened and most evacuation warnings/orders have also been lifted.

I look forward to seeing everyone next weekend! Early forecast is calling for some great September weather.

[Max Rockatansky]

That's good news.  I'm trying to figure out what new stuff I can see on the way back Sunday after the meet.

[cl94]

For anyone coming in early or planning a circutous route, a couple of major recently-announced and extended road closures people should be aware of:

- In California, US 395 between CA 182 and CA 108 will now be closed through at least 5 PM on Saturday. Weather over this weekend and more rain/snow expected later this week have delayed construction of wildlife underpasses.

- In Nevada, US 95A will be closed over the Carson River, between NV 339 and US 50, all day Saturday and Sunday for railroad crossing replacement.

Despite the rain/snow and cool temperatures expected Wednesday and Thursday, this weekend is looking beautiful, with highs around 80 in Reno and clear skies. Mountains should be in the 70s. Expect temps in the 70s at most of our stops, and the lunch spot has a patio we could use if desired. Really looking like the best conditions we could expect in September. I cannot promise snow will be visible, but I can say that there was visible snow on the Sierra both yesterday and today, with more coming over the next 48 hours. NV 431 has reopened over Mount Rose Summit after the fire closure.

For anyone coming in early: there is a winter weather advisory above 8,500 feet through Thursday evening, with a few inches of snow expected. Very early storm that follows the one yesterday.  Carson, Tioga, Sonora, and Ebbetts Passes in California are above this elevation, as is Mount Rose Summit in Nevada. Tioga, Sonora, and Ebbetts will typically close for early storms until they are able to send plows through, while Carson and Mount Rose may be subject to chain controls (almost always R2). Caltrans/CHP do run chain checks over Carson Pass to make sure people have AWD/M+S tires or chains. I expect any restrictions/closures to be lifted by Friday evening unless the storm overperforms. US 50 and I-80 should be all rain.

Safe travels to everyone coming in from outside of the region!

[Max Rockatansky]

Ran these maps just now on my phone.  Leg 4 map is duplicating Leg 1.

[cl94]

Ran these maps just now on my phone.  Leg 4 map is duplicating Leg 1.

Fixed. Thanks for checking that. If any leg was going to be wrong, that's probably the best given how short it is.

[Scott5114]

I'll see you all there this Saturday! I'm planning on running through all 17 counties this weekend (Carson, Douglas, Mineral, Esmeralda and Nye on the way back and the rest on the way there)—we'll have a good laugh if this ends up being stupidly ambitious.

[Techknow]

I'll be coming as well! I have to come in early Saturday because I have plans the night before but the weather seems to be pretty good by then so I should be fine.

[jeffandnicole]

Been out here since Wednesday evening. Drove around Lake Tahoe went to Donner Memorial State Museum yesterday, and drove up to Lassen Volcanic National Park today. Beautiful areas. Looking forward to the meet Saturday!!

[cl94]

Thank you to everyone who came out to Reno for this meet. I was not expecting a double-digit number to venture here, but we had a great 11-person crowd for lunch and 10 for the tour. Weather couldn't have been much better for September, and we were able to wrap up the formal part of the tour by 5. Some new faces for me and plenty of old ones, and I know it was the first meet for a couple of attendees. No major mishaps along the way, either, which is always a huge plus.

I don't know when the next meet in the Great Basin will be, but I have a few ideas for Nevada and eastern California. Lots of uncharted territory for road enthusiasts in these parts, and as we like to say in the hobby, it only takes 3 people to have a meet.

[roadfro]

Thanks for arranging this! Even with this being local for me, we got to see some stuff that was new to me. And it was nice to put a few more names to faces. Looking forward to the next meet in these parts!

[Scott5114]

It was a lot of fun, thank you for hosting!

[moabdave]

Thanks for organizing this. It was great to meet a few of you. I do have a group pic on my phone. Is that ok to post to this forum? Sorry I'm still a relative noob to these forums and don't know if posting pics of members is proper decorum or not.