Fresno-Great Basin National Park trip

[Max Rockatansky]

My wife and I got home yesterday from a trip from Fresno to Great Basin National Park.  Said trip involved pretty much the entirety of US 6 through Nevada and the "Loneliest Road" segment of US 50 from Ely west to Carson City.  There were some significant other road items that we drove through along the way:

-  The new Olancha Bypass along US 395 in Inyo County, California
-  The 163 mile long gasoline desert between Tonopah and Ely (US 6) is about as quiet of a US Route segment you'll find.
-  Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive in Great Basin National Park (the highest road in Nevada at around 10,200 feet above sea level).
-  A descent westward over the crest of the Siera Nevada via Sonora Pass (CA 108).  This was extra nice in early fall weather. 

I don't really have time to break down the photo album, but it does have a lot of highlight photos (numbered 1-55).  The full album is up on Flickr and has about 900 road photos:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD6S7r

[ClassicHasClass]

Always loved the segment between Tonopah and Ely. There's a lot out there, but what there isn't is many cars or indeed much civilization of any sort.

[Max Rockatansky]

Always loved the segment between Tonopah and Ely. There's a lot out there, but what there isn't is many cars or indeed much civilization of any sort.

Several ghost towns like Warm Springs and Currant.  You can see where the gas stations "were" at one point. 

Speaking which I figure now is a good as time as any to start breaking down the highlights of this trip.  Starting things out this is the view on northbound CA 14 in Red Rock Canyon:

1 CA 14 Red Rock Canyon by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

The relatively new Olancha Bypass along US 395 in Owens Valley.  The views of the eastern Sierra along this segment are actually pretty nice.

2 US 395 Olancha Bypass by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 6 eastbound approaching CA 120 in Benton:

3 US 6 Benton by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 6 at the ghost town of Mount Montgomery in Nevada.  This was once a siding of the Carson & Colorado Railway.

4 US 6 Montgomery Pass by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 6 eastbound descending from the Montgomery Pass area:

5 US 6 Montgomery Pass area by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US Routes 6 and 95 approaching the community of Tonopah:

6 US 6 and 95 Tonopah area by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US Routes 6 and 95 in downtown Tonopah in front of the Hotel Mizpah:

7 US 6 and 95 in Tonopah by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

The "163 miles no gas" sign along US 6 east of Tonopah.  To my knowledge this presently is the longest signed "no gas" zone in the continuous U.S.

8 US 6 Tonopah-Ely Dead Zone by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 6 descending Saulsberry Summit:

9 US 7 Saulsberry Summit descent by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 6 approaching the ghost town of Warm Springs and NV 375:

10 US 6 Warm Springs by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

The kind of famous NV 375 Extraterrestrial Highway sign.  People like to tag this sign and nearby shield with stickers:

11 NV 375 ET Highway by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Eastbound US 6 at Blackrock Summit:

12 US 6 Blackrock Summit by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 6 approaching NV 379 in Currant.  Currant essentially is a ghost town with a row of abandoned businesses.  Farmers and ranchers still live in the area:

13 US 6 Currant by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 6 along a winding segment east of Currant:

14 Currant area by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 6 eastbound entering Ely. Originally the highway entered downtown Ely to the left on Murry Street.  Now it bypasses downtown via Veterans Boulevard:

15 US 6 Ely bypass by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[ClassicHasClass]

When I got into town in 2006 it was storming pretty hard. Harrowing drive at that point.

[Max Rockatansky]

It was -14F back in 2013 when I drove from Cedar City westward to Great Basin and Ely.  Fortunately, the roads were recently cleared, and it warmed up to the low 20s by midday.

Here is the next set of 15 notable road photos from this trip:


Some photos from US 50 along Aultman Street in Ely:

16 US 50 Ely by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

17 US 50 Ely by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US Routes 6, 50 and 93 descending from Conners Pass to Majors Place.  US 93 splits southward at Majors Place towards Las Vegas.  US 6 and 50 continue eastward towards the Snake Road in the distance towards the mining ghost town of Osceola.  I suspect Osceola Road once carried early NV 14 but I'm not certain:

18 US 6 50 93 Conners Pass area by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Modern US 6 and 50 bypasses Osceola and sticks to the foothills of the Snake Range:

19 US 6 and 50 Osceola ara by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Westbound NV 488 terminate at the Great Basin National Park sign and has a decent view of Wheeler Peak:

20 NV 488 Great Basin NP by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive in Great Basin National Park is the only paved road in Nevada which crests 10,000 feet above sea level.  This road was opened in 1971, has a sustained 8% grade and has a peak elevation of 10,161 feet above sea level.  It also happened to have some great fall season color:

21 Wheeler Peak Scenic Dr by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

22 Wheeler Peak Scenic Dr by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

23 Wheeler Peak Scenic Dr by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

24 Wheeler Peak Scenic Dr by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

NV 488 eastbound descending back to Baker:

25 NV 488 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

NV 487 in "downtown" Baker:

26 NV 487 Baker by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 6 and 50 heading westbound over the Snake Range via Sacramento Pass:

27 US 6 and 50 Sacramento Pass by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 50 departing Ely westbound alongside the Northern Nevada Railway.  It is a long way ahead from here to Eureka:

28 US 50 Nevada Norther Railway tunnel by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Westbound US 50 descending from Robinson Pass really illustrates why they call this corridor the "Loneliest Road in America."  The reality is there is a lot more traffic on US 50 versus US 6:

29 US 50 Robinson Pass by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Westbound US 50 passing through Eureka:

30 US 50 Austin by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[Max Rockatansky]

Moving onto Part 3 of the trip highlights with more US 50/Loneliest Road stuff.

US 50 through Devil's Gate west of Eureka:

31 US 50 Devils Gate by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 50 at Hickson Summit:

32 US 50 Hickson Summit by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

The Old Lincoln Highway at Austin Summit overlooking US 50:

33 US 50 and LH Austin Summit by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 50 overlooking Austin:

34 US 50 Austin by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 50 through downtown Austin:

35 US 50 Austin by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

36 US 50 Austin by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Stokes Castle Road approaching the namesake castle.  This house was completed in 1897 above Austin:

37 Stokes Castle Road by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 50 entering Reese River Valley west of Austin:

38 Reese River Valley by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 50 at New Pass.  This routing replaced the earlier Eastgate Canyon alignment (now NV 722) in 1969:

39 US 50 New Pass by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 50 approaching Sand Springs and Fallon:

40 US 50 Sand Springs by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[gonealookin]

Moving onto Part 3 of the trip highlights with more US 50/Loneliest Road stuff.
...
US 50 at New Pass.  This routing replaced the earlier Eastgate Canyon alignment (now NV 722) in 1969:

I thought the date was a bit earlier than that.  The US 50 routing through New Pass first shows up on the 1967 State Highway Map:  https://www.dot.nv.gov/home/showdocument?id=1243

[Max Rockatansky]

Moving onto Part 3 of the trip highlights with more US 50/Loneliest Road stuff.
...
US 50 at New Pass.  This routing replaced the earlier Eastgate Canyon alignment (now NV 722) in 1969:

I thought the date was a bit earlier than that.  The US 50 routing through New Pass first shows up on the 1967 State Highway Map:  https://www.dot.nv.gov/home/showdocument?id=1243

It could be, I haven't quite dug into the history on it yet. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Continuing one with the highlights of this trip along US 395 in Nevada and California.

US 395 in downtown Gardnerville:

41 US 395 Gardnerville by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 395 near Carter Springs:

42 US 395 Carter Springs by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 395 approaching the California state line at Topaz Lake:

43 US 395 Topaz Lake by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

US 395 in the Walker River Canyon:

44 US 395 Walker River Canyon by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

45 US 395 Walker River Canyon by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[pderocco]

I drove down eastern NV today. I would have loved to go into the NP, but they closed most of it for the season on the 10th.

Nice pix, by the way.