I thought this ride might give some insight to a hundred miles on a gravel bike. I still can’t comprehend how people are racing 100-250 miles on a such terrain. I let Brandon Anderson know I was interested in a longer ride and Jungo Road would provide a quality out-and-back ride with unlimited mileage (90 miles to Winnemucca, therefore unlimited mileage for a day ride). I first rode a bit of Jungo during a staff retreat and have had it on my to-do list ever since.

Jungo starts off the pavement just a couple of miles south of Gerlach, NV. Gerlach is famously the home of the Black Rock Desert, an ancient lake bed or playa that has seen numerous land speed records and now hosts the Burning Man art and music festival. I can also recommend Bruno’s Country Club (bar and diner) as well as Planet X Pottery as great businesses to check out in the area. Gerlach is also the gateway to numerous recreational public lands such as High Rock Canyon and Soldier Meadows to the north.

The road follows the south eastern edge of the playa. You start between the Selenite and Granite Ranges. The air was clear and crisp and now with the sun much lower in the sky the eroded mountains had so much more contrast. The Frog Pond and Trego hot springs are worth checking out even if you don’t take a soak. You pass Old Razorback and Dry Mountains. Between the mountains are the Kumiva Valley and lava beds. There are roads to explore to the south as well. The heavy winter took its toll on the local roads but land managers have done a great job to mitigate the damage.

My eyes keep going back to the Black Rock Desert. I love seeing the dust storms on the playa. My eyes scan across to the Calico Hills and Black Rock Point. One ride I have on my list is to ride down the middle of the playa and camp under the huge dark sky.

Brandon and I made it out to a prominent basalt feature about 30 miles down the road. We had been fighting a headwind so our progress was not as impressive as we anticipated. We could see Sulfur and the Allied Nevada-Hycroft Mine in the distance. This became our turn around point for a 60 mile gravel tour. We are still a far cry from a 100 mile ride but it will come soon.