NEVADA 200

Mileage for the weekend would total 199 miles. That's 1,050,720 feet. But I only made it to the first obstacle, just 12 feet, blocking 140 riders behind me. The event in question was the Nevada 200, an invitation-only off-road rally organized by Scot Harden, Casey Folks and a cast of friends and family. This was the 24th year that they have invited a select group of off-roaders to join them in Lincoln County, Nevada, for the event.

Maybe he was a bit groggy from pre-ride festivities, but CW Marketing Director Corey Eastman managed to bring the annual invitation-only Nevada 200 to a standstill just 12 feet from the start!

Harden is known from his off-road racing and rally efforts as well as Harden Off-Road, a service that specializes in offering participants a once-in-a-lifetime off-road riding experience. Harden grew up in Nevada, and Folks was his first sponsor through his shop, the Sportsman Cycle Center. That started a partnership that endures to this day. Folks is the driving force behind off-road racing in Nevada with his Best In The Desert series. His no-nonsense approach means things run smoothly with maximum fun.
Perhaps this pair's most enviable trait is that they remember every trail they have ever ridden and that includes nearly all of Eastern Nevada. Together, they have perfected the art of knowing exactly how much is just enough. The 200's route runs through deep sand washes until you can't stand any more sand, followed by endless piles of rocks that make you wish for more sand. And the ride goes on: long single-track sections, tight canyons and off-camber hill climbs. All great fun set amidst amazing scenery.
This was the third year that my brother Jay and I were lucky enough to be invited to the 200. Since our first NV200, we have told anyone who cared (and many who didn't) about the ride that Harden and Folks stitch together in a tapestry of off-road bliss, so a few of our riding buddies wanted in on the fun. Luckily, Harden and Folks found space for them. I felt it was my duty to give the newbies a good-natured hard time and psych them out with tales of imminent death and peril, which left some of them a bit apprehensive. I continued to give the new riders something to worry about, unaware that karma would soon exact its toll.
On Friday morning, we lined up with our fellow invitees, and Folks sent us off one by one. The opening section looked easy: Up over a bank, down into a little ditch and up the bank on the other side. Finally, I was given the go-ahead. As I crested the first bank I saw a little stream running through the ditch and a rut forming on the far bank. "No problem," I thought. "Just go a bit to the left." Simple enough, right? Well, it wasn't. My front tire hit the bank and shot left faster than free beer flying out of a cooler. As luck would have it, Harden's wonderful wife Kristi was kind enough to photograph the entire event, including my brilliant start.
At the end of three days, everyone was still alive and talk of next year's Nevada 200 had already begun. As for me, I plan on being nice to new riders. Hopefully, I will be out of camera range before doing something stupid again.
source : http://www.cycleworld.com