PASSING THE TORCH

Fathers, sons, and grandsons take on the Motion Pro Nevada 200 Trail Ride, and reaffirm the fact that roosting in the desert with 200 friends and family is muy caliente.

BY JOHN BURNS WITH THAD WOLFF
PHOTOS: MIGUEL SANTANA

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably heard of the Motion Pro Nevada 200 Trail Ride. It’s been in every magazine (including this one) at least once since it began in 1985, and Dirt Bike once ranked it “The Best Trail Ride in America.” Famed off-roaders and old pals Casey Folks and Scot Harden (main photo) ginned up the first Nevada 200 just so they could ride with each other the way they’d done as youths growing up in Las Vegas, with a select group of friends. In the ensuing 39 years, this AMA-sanctioned event has taken on a life of its own. It’s typically close to 200 miles spread out over three days of riding, and involves about 200 participants — which keeps the gathering intimate. Ish.

Caliente, Nev., about 150 miles northeast of Las Vegas, serves as base, since the area around the town offers up a unique combination of high desert and mountain terrain that Harden says is perfect for the tight, technical riding he and Folks liked most. High desert, sage, mountains, Juniper and Ponderosa pines, sand washes, single track through the trees – there are thousands of miles of single track and jeep trails running through the historically rich yet sparsely populated Lincoln County.