Lured by fantastic pictures of high mountaintops covered with ancient Bristlecone pines, I thought Great Basin National Park in Baker, NV, (just over the border into Nevada) was something we should not miss. It was a long way, so we called first to make sure the park was open - they said "yes." Sausage, egg and cheese biscuits were right on the way and it is always a good idea to do some carb loading for a long trip.
The road was excellent - smooth and wide with few curves and gently sloping grades. It did follow a desolate path through the high desert that was, at times, a bit intimidating. Signs saying the next services were in more than 80 miles did not provide much comfort and I was glad we filled up the tank!
Two and a half hours later (and after seeing only a few cars along the way) we made it to the park. At the Visitor Center, we learned that "open" was a bit subjective. The road into the park (with all of the scenery I had previously seen) was closed due to snow, but Lehman cave and the Visitor Center were open. Reviews said the cave was well worth seeing, so we signed up for the long tour and asked what we should do in the two hours while waiting.
The road to the campground was pretty much our only option. It led into some higher elevations and provided nice scenery along a mountain stream. Alpine meadows and stands of Aspens made great subjects for a few photos. I think the ice-coated twigs near the water give a pretty good indication of the temperatures.
What were the chances - wildlife where it was advertised. There were a lot of squirrels and chipmunks too, but they didn't get their own sign.
Including our Ranger guide, there were 20 of us in the cave group. It seemed like a pretty small group until we got inside and found out just how tight some of the passages were. Like almost every cave we have been in, the entryway was carved into the rock to avoid scrambling down the arduous natural entrance.
This is looking up at the original "Natural Entrance" (the blue is daylight). A relatively small hole about 60 feet overhead.
Flowstones are composed of sheetlike deposits of calcite typically found in a limestone "solution cave."
When Mr. Lehman charged $1.00 for tours (over 100 years ago) the rule was "if you can break it off, you can take it with you."
This was the end of the tour 100 years ago and reaching this room involved crawling on your belly back then. It was accepted custom to use your candle to write your name in soot. It's called the "Inscription Room."
This room was called the "Grand Palace."
There are over 300 shield formations throughout the Lehman caves.
I captured a couple cave sprites in this photo! Ok, maybe they are drops of water reflecting the flash.
Way overhead the ranger is shining his flashlight on these delicate formations that form over a bubble.
They do remain hollow.
I think David and I agree, this was the most impressive cave we've visited so far. Even with the previous policy "break it and take it," the density of formations was amazing.
The ranger pointed out the hole in the ceiling way overhead.
This support column was added when the above crack looked suspicious. The ceiling was later determined to be stable on its own. Now they call it the column of moral support.
The cave sprites have a thing for David. They seem to follow him around. If you zoom in on the one to the right and above his head, it is quite pretty.
Over 100 years ago this was the "Lodge Room." They held dances with a live band.
Not the original exit, but at least no ladders and ropes were necessary.
On the highway home, we stopped for a few pictures. During the five minutes I spent outside the car, the desolation was eerie. The birds and a few ducks made the only sounds I heard. No telling how long you might have to wait for someone to pass by if you had trouble out here and there was no cell coverage.
These are the mountains they wouldn't allow us to explore. Maybe next time.
Once we were back in Utah, we drove past two cowboys on horseback attempting to heard these four - two cows with two calves. Sam wanted to help!
