Date: Sunday, January 1Meet time: 10:45 a.m.
Ride-out time: 11:00 a.m. sharp
Meeting place: Fiesta Henderson, 777 W. Lake Mead Pkwy. (map)
City: Henderson, Nevada
Rain policy: Rain, ice, or snow cancels
Category: Open pace; all are welcome
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills with some steep climbs
Miles: 40
Description:
Visiting Las Vegas for New Year's? Bring your bike with you! Part of the Vegas ALC crew? Join us! Las Vegas' very own official ALC training ride leader, Aaron Otte, will be one of your leaders today.
We're going to start 2012 in grand style with a scenic loop ride through the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. As we descend about 600 feet to lake level, we'll have picturesque views of the lake and (for out-of-towners) an up-close look at the receding lake level and its effect on the area's geology.
Then we'll join the River Mountains Trail to take us up the big hill into and through Boulder City. (Depending on whether there have been any recent rains to flood the combination bike path and drainage channel, we might have to ride part of this leg on the shoulder of Highway 93.) After climbing about 1,400 feet from lake level, we'll reach the high point of the day and then have 10 miles of gentle downhill back into Henderson.
The Lake Mead NRA charges $3 (or a valid national park pass) for bicyclists to use the road. Food and water are very limited along this route, so plan on bringing enough to get you through the entire ride. Convenience stores are located in the first couple of miles and again just off the route near Mile 26, but there's not much of anything before that. Because this is a somewhat long ride with limited services, it's not suitable for beginning cyclists, but Aaron promises plenty of beginner-friendly Las Vegas training rides in 2012. You'll have a little more than five hours of daylight to complete the route, so pace yourself accordingly.
We will meet in the rear parking lot of Fiesta Henderson, across from the parking garage. Look for crazy people with bicycles. Plenty of free parking, and there's a Starbucks inside. (What? You thought I'd have a ride without a Starbucks?)
If the mid-morning temperature is expected to be below freezing, we won't ride. Please RSVP so we can keep you informed about any weather-related developments.
This is a renegade ride, not an official part of AIDS/LifeCycle, but we will follow ALC safety rules.
RSVP required for this ride. 
