2005 Nevada Passage Archive
The inaugural Nevada Passage competition took Nevada by storm and opened the doors of adventure to the Silver State.
STAGE 1 Rock Climb - Red Rock Canyon (near Las Vegas)
Step outside the rush and glitter of Las Vegas to discover this preserve, known as Vegas' best-kept secret. Located just ten miles from the city, Red Rock offers more than 30 miles of hiking trails, incredible camping, horseback riding, mountain biking and a variety of climbing areas for all levels.
PhotosSTAGE 2 Jet Ski Trials - Lake Mead - Ely, Nevada
Lake Mead offers year-round water activities for outdoor lovers, with beautiful deep canyons and distant mountain ranges. Nevada Passage explores the wonderful scenery, where three of America's four desert eco systems (Mojave, the Great Basin, and Sonoran Deserts) meet. The result is a variety of plants and animals, some of them found nowhere else in the world.
STAGE 3 4WD Rally & Treasure Hunt
The "Ghost Train" still rumbles through the center of this 120-year-old town. Filled with visitors from around the world, the antique restored locomotives of the Nevada Northern Railway provide one of the many truly unique adventures to be found in Ely. It is also home to Ward Charcoal Ovens and neighbors the Great Basin National Park. Ely offers excellent lodging selection close to the park's incredible hiking, caves and scenery.
STAGE 4 Bike and Trek - Lamoille Canyon (near Elko)
The Lamoille Canyon outside Elko is the heart of the Ruby Mountains. Scenic beyond description with peaked mountains and wildlife everywhere. Athletes will not have time to sightsee because they will ride 12 miles of twisty road that climbs 3,000 feet. At the end of the road they will Trek up and over passes that are part of the Ruby Ridge trail to Lamoille Lake and back. The fittest will win today.
STAGE 5 Sandboard Contest - Sand Mountain (near Fallon)
Sandboard? A mountain of sand? Truly one of Nevada's most unusual features is the million year old, 400foot high sand dune known as Sand Mountain just east of Fallon. The latest in extreme sports is boarding down the steepest sides of the dunes on a hi-tech sandboard. Athlete's will have to negotiate a slalom course down the dune twice and average their times to determine a winner. Fall? Yes they will and if you think sand is hard - try hiting it at 20 mph.
STAGE 6 Whitewater Kayak - Reno
The Truckee river can be a slow, lazy stream or a raging torrent. In the spring the Truckee is a fantastic place to do some whitewater paddling. Our teams will have to work together in a tandam kayak and negotiate the river from Verdi along 7 miles of Truckee and finish in the spectacular Wingfield White Water park in the middle of Reno. Will mother nature give us a pleasant paddle or the terrifying Truckee? In either case our winner will be crowned today.