Day 12: Touring Great Basin National Park

May 10, 2010

Today I will ride the unloaded bike up into Great Basin National Park. The lowest attraction in the park is 1500 feet above Baker. The road climbs relentlessly, with a good morning view of the mountains when the clouds cooperate. The weather is unstable today. Possible thunderstorms, especially high in the mountains.

I left the motel at 9:05 and went to the Great Basin visitor center 1/2 mile away, but it doesn't open until 10. So I started climbing up to the park. The first thousand feet of climbing is in open desert with panoramic views of the big mountains ahead.

Morning view of Great Basin National Park from the east, near Baker.

The climb to Great Basin National Park is much steeper than it looks.

I finally get to the first national park on day 12 of the tour.

My first stop was at Lehman Cave which is also the visitor center. I paid $80 for an annual pass. Because I bought an annual pass they gave me free admission to the cave, normally $10.

The cave was fine. 50F and damp inside. I was cold because 90% of the tour is standing still while the ranger lectures, while only 10% of the tour is walking.

After the cave tour I had lunch at the tiny snack bar attached to the visitor center. Then I started climbing towards the high country, hoping the weather might clear up. It was partly cloudy at Lehman Caves but the high mountains were more stormy.

Once a tourist cabin, now a museum. Just outside the visitor center.

The road climbs along the Lehman Creek drainage. Never close to Lehman creek until up to the Lehman Creek campgrounds. I went as far as the top of Upper Lehman Creek campground, 7900 feet elevation in a lush forest with the cascading creek meandering through the campground. It's hard to believe this mountain island is in the driest portion of the driest state in the US.

Lehman creek at nearly 8000 feet elevation.

It started to rain as I climbed, and at Upper Lehman Creek the rain turned to snow. I had the energy to climb another 1500 feet to the Mather Overlook for a closer look at the glacier. But the entire climb looks like it would be in snow, and I probably couldn't see much at the overlook because of the storm. So I reluctantly went back down towards the sunny basin. The snow quickly turned to rain which quickly stopped during the descent. Most of the 2000 foot descent was dry.

Budding cottonwood trees along Lehman creek.

Two scarecrows, Bob Wire and Barb Wire. Barb needs new pants.

It wasn't in my destiny to see the high country of Great Basin National Park. The weather will be even worse tomorrow. I definitely won't try again tomorrow. I might not bike at all tomorrow.

In the evening I had dinner at the Electrolux Cafe. $37 for pizza, 3 microbrews, brownie and tip.

Tomorrow's weather forecast calls for rain and high winds with a high temperature in the 40's. I paid to stay a third night in Baker.

Distance: 20.0 miles (32 km) all without panniers

Climbing: 2866 ft (870 m)

Average Speed: 6.3 mph (10.1 km/h)

Maximum Speed: 37.5 mph (60 km/h)

Today's ride: 20 miles (32 km)
Total: 621 miles (999 km)

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