Wheeler Peak hike
A dayhike of this 13000 foot peak
Bristlecone Pines
A short hike to the oldest trees in the world
Baker Lake
Part 1 of this alpine backpack
JohnsonLake
Part 2 of this alpine backpack
Great Basin National Park is in a remote place in eastern Nevada, an 800 mile drive from home. The specific appeal is alpine terrain with snow already melted, when such terrain at home is still weeks away from normal hiking. So when I found I had a number of days off in early July, off I went. I stayed at a cheap hotel each way. It was sunny and hot when I arrived, though moderated by the altitude. The valleys around the park are between 5000 and 7000 feet. The lower campgrounds are 8000 feet in altitude, and everything is up from there. It's also famous for Lehman Cave, but I did not see that this trip. I was there to hike and most tours were booked up in advance. And as the days went by, thunderstorms gradually developed. The second day just got cloudy and on the day I left there was a biblical downpour as I was driving out of the park. So my timing was pretty good.