Henderson Summit by Bicycle - Velo

Henderson Summit

Arriving from the more southerly parts of Nevada, I first missed the dramatic landscapes and the rich imagination in shapes and forms, provided by courtesy of all those crazy cactus species, enriching the landscapes down there. But this northern part of Nevada has other good points, as far as gravel biking is concerned. This is ranching country. This means a few more fences, but also a greater amount of nicely surfaced dirt roads, that are fun and fast to cycle. These roads string all those ranches together. Gone are the days of pushing through long sandy stretches in the blazing heat (I hope).

1.START-END NORTH:shallow point on Nv278, where it crosses Hot Creek, coming up from Elko
2.profile turns west on gravel road
3.TOP, Henderson Summit, 7165ft
4.major junction with roads near Roberts Creek Ranch
5.START-END SOUTH: profile turns east onto US50
6.START-END SOUTH ALT:jct US50 - Collingwood Lane, west of Eureka

Approaches

From South. The profile includes the Nv278 approach up towards Garden Pass to the turnoff to Garden Pass Road. However - in a day loop, like the one I rode, it is pretty much inevitable to approach this turnoff from the south, crossing gentle Garden Pass in the process. The turnoff is not signed, and it comes up without any real prior visibility from the road. There is a sign there about the Roberts Mountains, and with a little interpretation one can deduce that this is the right road.

A perfect surface leads up a gentle grade. The Roberts Mountains are not much more than a kind of crusty shell on top of the landscape, albeit snowcovered this end of May 23. The road climbs into juniper forest and there are no more real views, including from the summit. There is a spur leaving from the high point, that I did not explore to the end.

From North. (described downwards) A surface like this should make for a lightning fast decent. It should and it does. Where the road emerges from the forest into the highest of the sagebrush, my favorite section starts. The views are endless in three directions, and an old historic road, very close to the old Pony express route, gives rise to historical visions of stagecoaches with horses, speeding through this endless country. Solitary trees punctuate the landscape with exclamation marks.

The profile reaches a four way intersection. None of them are marked as going anywhere, but with a map the directions are clear. The profile follows Roberts Creek Road south, heading straight as a ruler to intersect with US50 at a right angle. The road is hard medalled and a joy to speed along on. The traffic is perfect. I saw two cars, just the right amount to provide a cushion of safety, just in case something completely unexpected should happen, and you are dependent on outside help. The map shows other short cut connections towards US50, but they don't have a fast surface like this.

Roberts Creek Road reaches a low point before it climbs back a minute amount towards US50. But it keeps going downhill ever so slightly to the first possible turnoff towards Garden Summit, heading back up north.

Dayride with this point as highest summit

PARTIALLY PAVED / UNPAVED

( < FR489 Simpson Park Mtns s(u) | Bailey Pass > )

Henderson Summt , Garden Pass : near jct Garden Pass Rd - Nv278 > up Garden Pass Rd > Henderson Summit > Roberts Creek Rd south > US50 east > Collingwood Ln north > 3rd st east > Nv278 north > Garden Pass > jct Garden Pass Rd - Nv278 <> out and back on Nv278 north << with turnaround point at ~6300ft, just before turnoff to Bailey Pass >> back to starting point near jct Garden Pass Rd - Nv278: 64.2miles with 2310ft of climbing in 5:41hrs (garmin etrex32x m5:23.5.27)
Notes: LOOP with short additional out and back; great weather with some favorable wind, except for a short windstorm on Nv278