Saturday, June 20, 2015

Great Basin Escape

Over the past few years Kent and I have spent a lot of time exploring the area in and around Great Basin National Park in Nevada. This past week we stayed in a cabin near the park, it was perfect; within minutes we were hiking & fishing the streams. One day we headed for Gandy, Utah; it was an experience in itself. After 26 miles of dirt road, we arrived at the Ranch, unbeknownst to us it was home to a Tropical Fish Hatchery. The Rancher gave us a private tour of Crystal Ball Cave, it was a neat experience. Gandy is also the home of Gandy Warm Springs, a natural spring that flows from a cave at a delightful 81°....Need I say more.... It was the perfect way to end our escape to "the middle of nowhere."

Chuck & Reita were our hosts at The Get Away Cabin in Baker, Nevada

This is Chuck's firewood stand, he sells on the honor system

We arrived early Wednesday afternoon and had time for a hike

This has to be one of the tallest little trees I have ever seen

We are headed for Teresa Lake and the Bristlecone/Glacier Trail

Lehman Creek flows as we hike along

At 13,063 ft. Wheeler Peak is seen from everywhere in the Park

Theresa Lake

We are entering the Bristlecone Forest

The trees are all different & unique

Bristlecone Trail

This plaque tells about the tree in the next picture

Can you imagine being 3200 yrs. old & still alive?

If only these trees could talk

Colorful Bristlecone bark

We continued on towards the Rock Glacier

There was still a little snow along the trail

The Rock Glacier is directly behind us

Spiny phlox

Hiking is much easier when one uses the trails

Heading back down the trail

We are amazed at the abundance of streams in the Great Basin

Water is precious and Las Vegas (SNWA) wants Great Basin water

Which way shall we go . . . to the left, of course

Beautiful sunrise from the cabin

Horse with no name or mane, which ever you prefer

Fence art is popular at the Great Basin

This one grabbed my attention

Ranching & farming are important to the local economy

Lewis flax

We are off to hike & fish along the Baker Creek Loop

Baker Creek is really flowing fast

Colorful foliage

This hen turkey was calling to her chicks

We continued along the South Fork of Baker Creek

I caught this Brook Trout

Parry's Primrose growing on a rock along the stream

Enjoying the scenery


The trail heads back into the aspens

We weren't expecting to find this beautiful meadow

Ladybug hiding in the grass

A strange looking aspen

Colorful Dark-throat Shooting Star flowers in the meadow

There were a few streams flowing throughout the meadow

Kent is fishing the South Fork of Baker Creek

Success . . . a Bonneville Cutthroat Trout

One of many footbridges along the trail

Firecraker Penstemon

Crimson Columbine

We drove 26 miles of dirt road to reach Gandy, Utah

Never would have thought we'd find a fish hatchery that raises African Tropical Fish clear out here, but we did

Warm Creek flows through the ponds and tanks

Colorful fish

I guess you could call this a Fish Ranch

Our destination is Gandy Mountain . . . home of Crystal Ball Cave & Gandy Warm Springs

Jerald Bates leads us up to Crystal Ball Cave

We first read about this place a few years ago

Jerald unlocks the little door

Cave popcorn

Our first glimpse of the formations we will see in this cave

Stalagmite

Ladder up one of the chimneys

Wedding cake . . . stalagmite & flowstone

The Calcium Carbonate glows differently with LED and regular light

A Column, Stalagmites, Stalagmites, Soda Straws and other fromations

The cave was named after these Crystal Ball like formation found in the cave

Stalagmites

We did have to stoop in a few places

We went up and down through the cave

Beautiful crystals

Horse hoof and bones found in the cave

We are about to exit on the north end of the cave

You must be able to bend over to enter and exit the cave

Heading back down the trail

Next stop . . . Gandy Warm Springs

What an unbelievable sight in the desert

The water flows into the pool from three different directions

Our own private oasis

Complete with a fern grotto

Kent heading into the cave

I'm inside the cave looking out

View from inside the cave looking out a small opening

Kent enjoying the Caribbean like water

Peek-a-boo I see you

The cave continues back quite a ways, we opted to stay safe & stay out of the tunnel

The spring is about 82 degrees & fabulous

What a relaxing way to end our stay at the Great Basin

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