Carson City, NV to Ely, NV

We have now traveled from near paradise to the land that time forgot....if you don't have Verizon cell service. For the past few days there was no TV and only carriers on the radio. Thank goodness for John Wayne videos and XM radio. (Sat dish wouldn't work, too close to mountain)

On Thursday I made my first century ride, actually 113 miles. As I rode along between Fallon and Austin I was entertained by the Navy top guns out dog-fighting.

I spotted a rattlesnake in the highway yesterday(dead of course) ,but I didn't have anything to cut the rattles off. I put some scissors in my pack today but there were no rattlers to be found today.

The route I am following is the old pony express route. When they were hiring riders they posted the following ad

Wanted: Young skinny,wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert rider willing to risk life daily.Orphans preferred. $25 per week.

Most of the Indian trouble the riders had was in Nevada and I think I know why. The Indians were so mad at having to live in such a desolate place they took their anger out on anyone they could find. Lucky for me they are gone.

There are many ruins from the 1860's on this route. In addition to pony express stops I have also seen a Butterfield stage stop and the Stokes Castle.

The Butterfield stage stop consisted of walls of stacked rock and would have had a willow roof. This stop was on the Salt Lake City to Genoa, NV route. It opened in 1861 and closed in 1869 a victim of the transcontinental railroad.

The Stokes Castle was built in 1896 for Ansom Stokes a prominent mine developer and railroad magnate from the east. He built it as a summer home for his sons. It had 3 floors each with plate glass windows and fireplaces. There were balconies and a roof top terrace. They had the most modern plumbing of the day and it was sumptuously furnished. They lived there for 2 months in 1897 and then never returned. It has been unoccupied ever since, Weird huh?

Next stop Utah!