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I think this is one of the better known out-and-back road climbs in Nevada. However - the ratio of normal people to cyclists being what it is, and the sparse population in this area means I still didn't see an other bicycles on this ride.

This climb just screams out to be compared to the nearby out-and-back climb up Lamoille Canyon. They both reach similar elevations, starting from similar elevations. But the differences outweigh that singular similarity. The road to Angel Lake climbs up grassy face of a ridge, a prime location for far views. The Lamoille Canyon Road stays inside - you guessed it - a canyon, all the way to the top, without any real far views. During my visit the road to Angel Lake was free of snow, while parts of the top of Lamoille Canyon were still under yards of snow drifts.

1.START-END EAST:just south of western I80 exit to Wells 2.intermediate high point,6840ft 3.turnoff to Angel Lake NF campground 4.TOP: end of road at Angel Lake, 8400ft

Approaches

From South.From the western exit of I80 in Wells, a sign points to Angel Lake. Furthermore, there is another unusual sign, I have not seen yet in Nevada - a sign saying "bicycle route". Immediately after that sign, you have to turn off right towards the west, and there is no sign at that junction telling you to do so. So after the scenic detour through the gas stations of Wells, its grocery stores (there is a surprisingly good one - at least it had some good sales when I was there), its variety of housing opportunities , it is time to start the ride to Angel Lake from the western I80 exit.

The climbing gets serious right away, as the grid patterned streets of Wells quickly become a real life map in the background below. There is a refreshing absence of real estate developments in this area - only a few big old retirement houses on the first hill and that's it. After that the attention belongs to the Humboldt Range. For now it is still just a wedge of white, cut off by a steep grassy hill, that has to be crossed first.

The road climbs this grassy mole hill and descends down the other side. A National Forest campground sits in this high valley behind the mole hill. It is only a descent of about two hundred feet. But the climb ahead to the top looks huge. This is because of the scale of the giant white peaks behind the road, that make the upcoming meanders seem so endless in comparison. Once climbing resumes, complete attention goes back to that linear range, and its various peaks, the pros and cons of different vantage to take pictures from, as the road climbs in large meanders up the bare grassy slope. Clouds accumulate into thick pillows, stuck on those sharp, pointed peaks - a sign of potential thunderstorms a little later.

After all that, the lake comes up fairly fast. It does not lie at the end of a fairy-tale canyon, but sits in a kind of dimple near the face of the range. The parking lot is frequented by fishing people and talk turns around fish species.