Great Basin National Park

From South Lake Tahoe we bopped on over to Reno where we attended a Neil Diamond Tribute Concert at Harrah's.  We tried motorcycle riding but the rocks were too plentiful and too loose so that didn't work out.  We looked at running the Truckee river, but the water was too low.  So we left and headed on to Ely, NV. Here we did some motorcycle riding and visited the Ely Ward Charcoal furnaces. 

They would stack wood into these hives then light it up.  Using vents at the bottom they would control how hot it got.  After several days they you plug it up, let the fire die, then open it up and pull the charcoal out.  They sold the charcoal to the railroads.

 

There was a lot of OHV trails and forest roads in the area so we did a little riding.  Had a great time until we encountered "the hill".  It was short but very steep and had lots of loose rock on it.  Barbara was quite uncomfortable with it.  So we spend a lot of time here and eventually had to turn around and head home.

It was a short drive from Ely to the Great Basin National Park.  We stayed at the Border Inn.  The weather was turning cold and iffy so we took the truck into Great Basin.  As we climbed the temperature dropped.  We were glad to have the protection of the truck after our hike. 

Like most national parks Great Basin has two faces, tourist access and back country.  We did not have enough time to get into the back country.  Our destination was Mt. Wheeler.

The road up was steep and twisty, making us doubt our non-motorcycle decision. The Aspens along the way had just started to turn to their fall colors.

The main attraction for us was the hike into the Bristlecone Pine tree grove.  Hardy little pine trees that live in this high altitude snow laden area, and thrive. The trail into the area was a little rocky.

At first the trees themselves are somewhat unassuming. 

Then you start reading the information about them.  Over 3000 years old, growth rate very small.  Quite a contrast from the giant Redwood National Park so recently visited.

Gives a bit of different perspective to these little tough trees.

The pinnacle on the mountain draws the climbers eye, but too far, too high and too cold.

So we visited this little alpine lake on the way down, Theresa Lake, 10,230 feet. 

From desert floor to above timberline.  There are many unique and diverse ecosystems.  A person with a naturalists heart could spend a great deal of time here.