Great Basin National Park

By mid September the smoke and forest closures had us fleeing California for places to hike. Our first stop on a multi-state adventure was Great Basin National Park in far eastern Nevada. Typically one of the least visited and quietest parks in the US, it was pretty busy as we weren't the only ones fleeing smoke. Luckily most were only sightseers and campers, so the more difficult trails were relatively unaffected. We spent most of a week there, day hiking and backpacking.

With good weather and only occasional hazy skies, we set off right away for a three day loop trip through the only part of the small park that allows overnight backcountry camping. Our first day was a 5+ mile ascent from the trailhead to the tiny Baker Lake at 10,600 feet elevation.

Birding at Baker Lake this late in the year was slow, but we did have two fantastic birds - a Dusky Grouse wandering through the forest, and an American Three-toed Woodpecker working a pine tree - both just yards from our tent.

Hike track link

eBird list Baker Lake

Baker Lake, mostly dried up this late in the season

On our second morning we ventured cross-country to bag Baker Peak, only a little over a mile away but up over fifteen hundred feet of nasty talus. 

Morning light on the ridge above Baker Lake

Starting up the talus to Baker Peak

Looking back down to Baker Lake

The final summit

Wheeler Peak from near the summit of Baker Peak. We would be there in a few days.

A panorama from the summit of Baker Peak. Wheeler Peak dominates the scene.

Day three was get out day, but there was still plenty more to see. From Baker Lake we hiked over a pass to look down on Johnson Lake. The trail down from the pass was loose and tricky. Johnson Lake is the site of a historic mine, along with the cabins and other historic stuff that comes with it. From there we travelled down canyon before ascending to another pass that would get us back in the Baker Creek drainage and down to the car. 

It was a fun little loop, with some great scenery. And best of all, no horrific smoke to contend with!

The climb up to the pass above Johnson Lake

Starting down from the pass

Johnson Lake below

Johnson Lake

Historic cabin from the mining days

Finishing up the loop back to the car

We had two more days of adventures planned. The smoke haze and wind forecast was better for the second day so we put off our ascent of Wheeler Peak. Instead we did a casual hike, in freezing wind, to the small Bristlecone Pine grove below Wheeler Peak and the Wheeler Glacier. Our destination for the next day, Wheeler Peak, would dominate our view.

Our final day in the park was our hiking climb of Wheeler Peak, the second highest peak in Nevada at 13,063 feet elevation. It's a popular hike, rising 3,000 from the trailhead to summit in 4 miles. While the wind forecast was better for this day, it still wasn't calm, especially on the intervening ridge below the summit. The ice cold wind whipping over the ridge was brutal (40+ mph), nearly causing us to turn around at one point. But we pressed on and had better conditions for the final thousand feet to the top.

Wheeler Peak, our destination for the day

From the summit

The summit register, a well used mailbox

The overlook slightly below the summit

From the overlook, Jeff Davis Peak above the Wheeler Glacier bowl

Finished with Great Basin National Park, we were off to central Idaho and more hiking!