HOME
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
CLASSIFIEDS
CALENDAR
NEWS
SPORTS
OPINION
OBITUARIES
By Gina Smith
October 17, 2012
Where else can you hear 100 cyclists clipping in their bikes in unison than at the Park to Park Extreme Nevada 100?
This event was put on by Nevada State Parks in cooperation with the Lincoln Communities Action Team (LCAT). ?Riders enjoyed breathtaking scenery as they started out at Kershaw-Ryan State Park on a cool?Saturday?morning. The riders weaved through four of the five state parks in Lincoln County, with support vehicles following or leading them.
Participants enjoyed the beautiful rock formations of Cathedral Gorge State Park. ?They were challenged with climbing Pioche Hill, had fun on the downhill runs through Pioche, viewed unusual rock formations through Echo Canyon State Park, and stopped at Spring Valley State Park to have lunch while they took in a scene of breathtaking, fall colors.
The 40-mile ?double helix? riders rode the first part of the 100 mile route, stopped at Cathedral Gorge State Park and then turned around and headed back to Kershaw Ryan.
At the end of the day, riders were treated to a dutch oven dinner with all the trimmings. Dinner stories floated around with personal experiences of the ride, whether it was blown or flat tires along the way or inner comments of ?shut up legs, and do what I tell you to!? The riders accomplished quite a triumph, climbing a total of 4,931 feet.
?I had so much fun,” said rider Claudia Jones.?”The food is awesome, and everyone is so friendly, and the support is great.?
Some other comments from a survey handed out to riders stated that the canyons were “wonderful and “beautiful”.?A Las Vegas rider expressed gratitude for “clean bathrooms” and “no porta potties?.
Turnout increased considerably over last year. ?Many riders came from out of state, including California and Texas. Locals joined in as well. This included Kathi Hunt from Panaca, who had just finished the St. George Marathon one week prior. In asking her how she trains for such a grueling schedule she said, ?I really just trained for the marathon, and that covered me for this event.? Hunt rode the complete 100 miles without clips, which is a way for riders to secure their feet on the pedals. She ?is now turning her focus on a triathlon next month.
Many made it a family affair. ?This included the Smith family who had six members participate, many traveling from California and Utah.?Waiting for family to come into the lunch spot at Spring Valley gave the Smiths a perfect opportunity to visit, fish and enjoy the scenery.
Dawn Andone, Park Interpreter and this year?s event planner, said ?I wanted to thank all the volunteers at this year?s event. We couldn?t have done this without you!?
Officials expect even more interest next year when the 3rd Annual Park to Park Extreme Nevada 100 takes place. Make sure you reserve your spot early for next year?s event slated for October 12, 2013 before all the spots fill up.
View more photos on Lincoln County Central’s Facebook Page