Pinto Summit.
 When
bicycling on US50 across Nevada, two little
towns take on greater importance, than little
towns usually do, Austin and Eureka. The reason
is not only curiosity about what it is like to
live in such relative isolation. it's also
practical, you have to eat and get water. In my
experience Eureka was more practical than
Austin, ie you could still afford to buy some
basic groceries here. Pinto Summit is
immediately east of this important little town.
Approaches
From West. US50 reaches a low point, west
of Eureka and east of jct Ut278 - US50. A tiny
initial climb reaches Eureka. The town boasts two
gas stations, one grocery store which also likes
to advertise itself as a wild life museum due to a
multitude of stuffed animal heads protruding over
the twinkies. The town even has a Chinese
restaurant (but if it was closed when I was
there). But the biggest most elaborate building in
town by far is the fire station. It even makes the
old hotel and court building look small. The climb
itself to the top is not much in the scenic
department, in my opinion, tree speckled hills
quickly leading the top. From here you can barely
make out the next ranges to the east and west, but
it is not a good view.
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1.(5950ft,mile00.0)
START-END EAST: jct US50 - Nv892
2.(6330ft,mile04.9) jct US50 - Nv379;
profile continues on US50
3.(7350ft,mile10.1) TOP: Pinto Summit
4.(6480ft,mile16.9) Eureka: jct US50 -
Clark St
5.(6140ft,mile18.1) START-END WEST: jct
US50 - Nv278, west of Eureka
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left: there is another store in
Eureka to buy food, besides this one. This one is
closed
right: reaching the bottom on the east side of
Pinto Summit
From East. (described downwards) The more
interesting stretch of road, in my opinion, comes
after you descend this side. It comes when you
emerge from the gap between the Fish Creek Range
and the Diamond Mountains, and let the eye wander
along the latter, seemingly to infinity somewhere
up north. After the view appears the road keeps
rolling down an alluvial fan, loosing several
hundred more feet in altitude. Then it starts
climbing again up appropriately named Pancake
Summit.
A Dayride with this point as
intermediate summit is on page: Little
Antelope Summit
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