The Radavist

Avi Kwa Ame is the West’s newest National Monument and was just designated by President Biden. Situated in the pointy end of Nevada and south of Las Vegas, these lands are sacred to a dozen tribes along the lower Colorado River. The 700-square-mile designated Monument creates a much larger interconnected expanse of federally-managed lands with special protections (see the detailed map here). Advocacy for the Monument in recent years brought together a uniquely diverse coalition of tribes, communities, conservation organizations, outdoor groups, and even motorized recreationalists. A wintery three-day ride through the area in January opened my eyes to the beauty of this unfamiliar-to-me area, but basic aesthetics only scratch the surface when trying to unpack the meaning of this landscape.

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Today’s Readers’ Rides features Casey from Campandgoslow‘s Crust Evasion with words by Casey and photos by Sarah Lillegard…

The Great Basin region of the western US stretches from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Wasatch range, and from the Columbia Plateau all the way down to the Mojave Desert. This expansive, high elevation desert has a nickname, the Sagebrush Sea, and I live right on the beach. I’m tucked away in a rural area at the northern end of the Eastern Sierra.

Niner continues its jaunt into the lesser-known regions of Nevada, the state with the most public land in the lower 48, and plenty of gravel roads to boot! Here’s episode two, which looks at Manhattan, Nevada.

Join three of Niner’s gravel racers as they embark on a journey throughout the high desert in Nevada, inspired by the tales of an old prospector named Charles Breyfogle…

Remember that trip we took at the end of the summer last year in Nevada? Well, James from Drop Media finished up the video, which features all the trails we rode. Check it out above and see the galleries from the trip in the Related column on the left.

In a related note, the registration for Fears, Tears, and Beers, the oldest enduro MTB race in the country, has opened! This is the big event for Great Basin Trails Alliance to raise money to go towards building new trail. The race has equal payouts and is known for being a good, challenging time. The event caps out at 200 registrants, so get on it!

This is the tenth layout of the Radavist 2018 Calendar, entitled “Toiyabe” shot with a Canon 1DXmkII and a 24-70mm lens in Kingston, Nevada.

“The Toiyabe Crest Trail is one of the most underrated mountain bike experiences in the American West, but not without reason. This rugged place is difficult to get to and will require the utmost of navigational skills, but the reward is quite wonderful.”

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right click and save link as – The Radavist 2018 Calendar – October. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month is from Southern Utah. Click here to download October’s Mobile Wallpaper.

… and I can’t wait to share these stories with you. If you’d like a preview, hop onto our Instagram and follow the #RideHWY50NV hashtag! If you’ve ridden along Highway 50, you might recognize a few of these spots!

I’ve been looking forward to this week for a long time. A handful of us is embarking on a trip across highway 50 in Nevada, dubbed “the lonely highway;” this beautiful high desert road is anything but that – especially when it comes to outdoor activities like mountain biking. We’ll be hitting various towns along the way, riding trails both old and new, all while soaking in the rich history and environment that is central Nevada…

… this time, from a little town called Austin. I can’t wait to ride these trails this week!

Next week, I’ll be embarking on a MTB tour across Nevada, hitting various trail networks along the way, including Ely. Never heard of Ely? Check out this video by Drop Media.