I went out to Battle Mountain to check on Highway 305 conditions and markings for Jonathan on  September 4, 2005. The mission was to see what the new surface was like after the resurfacing earlier this year and to see if the survey markers are still in place. The course is several miles on 305 outside battle mountain. You know you are there when the road levels (sort of) and you pass a bridge with large metal guard rails.  The start is about 5 miles up where there are large trucks and large gravel piles to the east.

I could find plastic survey markers for the end, the 200m and the 500m. These looked like the following picture. There were also stake markers still standing for these points, either off the highway before the bushes or near the fence. (Click on the pictures for a larger view. Warning, they are 1.15MB each.)

I couldn't find a survey marker for the 1000m but I did find where is should have been located as evidenced by the 1000m outline below the new surface in the pavement.  Off the road was a wooden stake which I wedged into the fence for future reference.

I found a metal rebar stake for the 1 mile point. Off the surface I found a fallen wooden stake which I wedged in the fence for future reference.

The easiest way I found to see the markers is drive by and look for the spray-paint outlines in the road. I did not see the markers riding my bike by them, nor did I see them by looking for the wooden stakes.

The new surface I would describe as a layer of thick paint. It didn't really seem to do much to the road for better or worse. In fact, it was thin enough to see the spray painted outlines of the survey markers. The new surface is visible below.

Sadly the road condition is deteriorating.  There are several cracks that seem to be widening. While fine at 25mph on my pantour suspended recumbent I worry about the future suitability of the course for record breaking. Note, while the pictures look bad they are selective of some of the worst conditions on the course. Some of the cracks are filled with tar, some aren't.

Jason