Estimated arrival time: TBD
The stage concludes at Highway 95, 15 miles south of Fallon
It's a great morning to be a biker, as the route steadily descends 1800 feet over the first 8 miles, following Six Mile Canyon through a series of old mining sites. Just before crossing US 50, the route leads through a series of old housing developments--the site of the Comstock Lode's discovery--before reaching the northeastern outskirts of Dayton. Continuing east on Fort Churchill Road along the Carson River, the accurately-named road leads to Fort Churchill State Historic Park and then joins US 95A to cross the river (passing south of Silver Springs), before forking left and carrying on eastward.
A long, exposed haul follows along Simpson Rd. This is the historic Pony Express route and at one point you'll pass the remains of the Hooten Wells Pony Express station. Eventually, the ADT forks left off Simpson, onto a fainter track--still the historic route, but sometimes harder to spot. The trail here is more circuitous and includes the lone ascent of the day, though it's just a few hundred feet. You'll know you're close when you can see the Top Gun Raceway. Soon after, you'll hit Highway 95, where your work will be done.
Support: A support vehicle will be accessible at Dayton (8.1 miles), Fort Churchill (23.7 miles), and (IF POSSIBLE) Hooten Wells (37 miles). Water will be available to top off bottles, along with all necessary participant gear. However, you should be prepared with enough water/food to carry you through, especially if the support vehicle cannot reach you at Hooten Wells.