Further South - Great Basin

Salamander
Sun 20 Oct 2019 18:28

It is really not going so well, looking for warmer weather. We visited Great Basin again as we wanted to do a higher altitude walk as training for our Columbian trip. We got to about 11,300 ft up Mount Wheeler when the wind gusts built up as we lost all shelter from the trees once we hit the all stone trail. This wind was so bitter and cold that the walk became unpleasant. The only other 2 walkers we met had also turned around long before the peak, although one was wearing shorts!! Again, snow and ice partly covered the trial; we turned around. The following morning we woke at 0500 to find thick ice inside the windscreen, with no water as the pipes had frozen and it was so cold. Overnight the temperature had dropped to -10C, our coldest night so far. So we had to leave again, but we did manage to get some pine nuts before the tree in our campsite was stripped of cones by someone while we were walking. They were delicious in a pasta dish, bearing no resemblance to the often bitter pine nuts we bought in England. Great Basin always has charming rangers and we are sure to call again.

Further
          South

Further
          South

Further
          South