Woohoo! After months of research and testing two gravel bikes, I fell in love with the 2022 Trek Boone. Eighteen months (!) to get it in Cali; but Hunter found the exact bike I wanted in a Salt Lake City bike store –> ROAD TRIP!

The Plan

Saw this rare bike Sunday night, bought it the next morning, scrambled to plan and take work days off… we were on the road Thursday morning.

The plan was Simple Enough.

We’d take five days, bring Hunter’s 2021 Trek Boone in the car, and find fun places to stop, change clothes and ride for a few hours. (We’d rent a bike for me on each of the 2 days of the drive out). It would nicely break up the long driving hours and we’d bike places we’d never get to normally or likely again. We’d snowboard on the middle day.

First up, challenges finding rentals (covid 19 Worldwide Bike Shortage, Exhibit A, Your Honor). Finally found a place right next to “American River” between Sacramento and Tahoe.

Highway 50

Next up. I’ve driven the US coast-to-coast five times, mostly interstate 80, mostly four days each way, mostly solo.

This time, it was time to try the longer more scenice state highway 50 – “The Loneliest Highway in America”

Wow, is it something. High desert, driving from one ring of 8,000 foot mountains into 30 mile dead-straight valleys, back up and out the mountain ring. Rinse, repeat.

Snow, temperatures down to 17F, wild horses, almost no water, almost no stops, no people, no cars. We had blankets, food, and water with us just in case – for those slightly anxious zero cell coverage areas.

We finally made it to one-restaurant town Austin, Nevada for a beer and pizza, and then to our beautiful little hotel (pictured left, above) further on in Eureka, Nevada.

Eureka - a cute small frontier town which made its history in mining.

Let’s go!

Stopping at a ghost town outside of Ely, Nevada.

We made it! Interstate north to Mad Dog Cylces in Orem, Utah, part of the greater Salt Lake City area.

O·M·G!

Months of research, long test rides on Hunter’s 2 gravel bikes, weeks of dreaming, two days of travel – and it’s finally in my hands! I’m over the moon… I love it immediately in 30 minute ride around the town with a few grassy and dirt dips over off the side of roads.

• Lightweight (18 lbs 11oz)
• Beautiful
• Carbon + rear seat post dampers for smooth rides
• Off-road capable
• 40c wide or MTB tires
• A climbing Dream!

Snow, Sun & Salt

Next up, a couple fantastic nights visiting college roommate Rick and his wonderful family in Park City. We all had mountain biked together for Rick’s 50th Birthday last September in Sun Valley, Idaho. We all got to visit another college roommate, Sach, and his family for dinner in Salt Lake, too.

“Like riding a bike” – retrying snowboarding after twenty five years!

Heading Home

Now for two more driving days home, taking interstate 80 back to Tahoe. We snuck our car out onto the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats Speedway.

First Big Ride! 👻

Found an interesting history mining ghost town, Tunnel Camp, way out in the high desert, nowhwere, Nevada. We started out just before sunset.

The perfect maiden voyage gravel ride, about 15 miles “out and back”, for the new gravel bike.

Blocked off mining tunnel entrance – which was likely part of how they were trying to drain water-filled other tunnels, to get to more of the gold.

About 8 people lost their lives when a damned waterway collapsed and flooded the town, ultimately dooming it.

An ore “stamping” mill. Ore was crushed here to smaller pieces, then taken to cyanide pools to separate out gold.

It honestly felt like this could have been something straight out of Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles.

2021 and 2022 Trek Boones - having the adventure of their lives.

Tahoe and Fast Ponies

We stayed overnight at the edge of Sparks/Reno, took a river walk, then off around western side of the always amazing Lake Tahoe.

Found a great lunch spot right on the water.

Final driving and bike-stop day.

This time, the legendary historical Pony Express, where we found (you guessed it) another great hilly gravel road.

Crews were still working to remove dead/dying trees in the valleys next to us, from the recent California Caldor Fire – but the areas we could see still had decent tree cover in most spots.

We finished the trip on some back roads through Lodi and Rio Vista (alongside some of the Sacramento River). There’s some achingly pretty countryside and rolling hills there – and the spring green was gorgeous.

❤️ 🚴‍♀️ ❤️

The video (at the top) shows most of our bike rides, including a “bonus” of our ambitious weekly morning neighborhood, pre-work, on/off road, 15-20 mile, Oakland bike ride. Both of our Boones are doing great, and I’m so so glad we had this amazing trip and memories, while fetching just the bike I wanted. 😊