Mt. Washington

After watching the Annular Solar eclipse, and allowing Tom to have his cup of coffee, it was time to load in the Can-Am and traverse the scary switchbacks back to the base of Mt. Washington.  Part of the "fun" of this hike is the 6-mile road from Wheeler Peak Mine to the Bristlecone Pine Grove parking area.  It's amazing to think it was constructed by two men in 1948 so they could reach the St. Lawrence Mine.  We were thankful that it is still accessible and able to shave off 3,500 ft of elevation gain on our way to the parking area where we would begin our hike! Oh, yeah, and we were thankful for Tom's Can-Am!

Looking back to where Tom parked his Can-Am
You're probably thinking why didn't he drive up further . . .
Because it appeared the Park Service had it closed off!

 

It was a short but steep ascent of 200 ft

Mt. Washington has a rugged limestone cliff face that abruptly drops off 

What a view! We are standing on top at an elevation of 11,658 ft
  Wheeler Peak (13,063) is directly in front of Kent . . . we hiked this in 2012 . . .
We were just kids back then!

This is one of those hikes where we ascend (200ft), descend (500ft), ascend (500ft) and descend (200ft) again!

This panorama shows Mt. Washington on the right and Wheeler Peak on the left
(Click on the picture to enlarge for a full screen view)

Which one of these is older?
 Hope you guessed the Bristlecone . . . by a few hundred years!

Signage for a new trail system in Great Basin National Park  

We have entered the Bristlecone Pine Grove

 Rain, wind and freezing temperatures cause both living and dead Bristlecone trees
 to erode like stone, rather than rot, resulting in their unique shapes

This is the famous Great Basin Bristlecone!
(Used in the Park's pamphlet and also on the back of the 2013 Great Basin quarter)

A picture of us to document this special hike

Tom showed us these little claw-like bristles on the scales of the cones . . . thus the name Bristlecone! 

An example of a windswept tree

Someone must have been bored or enjoyed a long rest here . . .
We think it was meant as a directional arrow to the Bristlecone forest and Snake Divide Trail

We are headed over to the top of the gray bump for a break before heading back

A much deserved lunch break with a view of the Snake Creek drainage

Almost back to Mt. Washington . . . where the fun of the ascent will begin!

Yep, it was a little steep!

Over the first bump . . . now for the final push to the top!

Time to sign the register

Mt. Washington stats in the log book

Today was a special day!

Are they coming or going?
On our final descent, to the Can-Am, Tom's hamstring cramped up . . .
Walking backwards helped to relieve some of the pain . . . who knew!
(To us it just looked as if Tom wanted to show us he could moonwalk!)

Tom made a video, using his drone and GoPro, to capture our time spent watching the annular eclipse and hiking and exploring the Mt. Washington area.  Please take a few minutes to watch our posts "come to life" in video format . . . thanks, Tom!

What a perfect weekend!  We were able to accomplish all that we had planned . . . and then some.  If you would be interested in hiking Mt. Washington and locating the famous Bristlecone pine, you can click here for a link to Tom's Peakbagger.com post that will give you a topo map and our GPS tracks.  Round trip for this hike was less than 2.5 miles and about 700 ft total elevation gain.

  

St. Lawrence Mine

Mt. Washington is located in the Great Basin National Park and our plan was to hike it on Saturday.  However, getting to the Great Basin from our home is a half day trip.  So, we decided to meet Tom, along with John & Mary, at Pole Canyon where we made a base camp on Friday afternoon.  Arriving early, and with still plenty of daylight left, we set out to inspect the road to the trailhead that we would be using the next day.  Along the way we took a spur road to the St. Lawrence Mine and had fun exploring the Bristlecone pine cabins that dot the area.

Mt. Washington
Our base camp is located on the western side (in the sage flats) of this very blocky limestone mountain
Believe it or not there is a steep 4WD road that goes all the way to the top!

The turnoff for Pole Canyon (the road that will take us to the top) is opposite the Pickering Ranch 

After setting up camp, Tom took us up Pole Canyon Road to the St. Lawrence Mine located at 10,200 ft

We found John and Mary exploring the mine remnants

Built in 1881 from Bristlecone pines, some of the cabins are still in great shape

Notched and stacked without nails

The miners weren't very good at recycling!
They must have traveled a long way for food and supplies 

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This beautiful Bristlecone was still alive!

The Acropolis can be seen off to the south
(To read Tom's trip report of when he climbed this peak, in 2020, click here)

After exploring the mine, we continued on to the end of the road (11,400 ft)
This is the parking area for Mt. Washington, which we will hike tomorrow
(Looks like we're standing on top of the world, doesn't it!)

Looking down the eastern side of the Snake Range

On the way back down, Tom stopped at this viewpoint to fly his drone
(To view his video, that capsulizes our trip, click here)
These are some rugged limestone cliffs and easily drop a thousand feet below our feet

The arrow points to our camp site back on the sage flats

Kent was a little nervous standing here . . .
He has a fear of heights . . . especially those you can't see the bottom of!

The setting sun brings an end to a great day . . .
We are excited for tomorrow . . . the Annular Eclipse of the sun is going to occur before our hike!

What a great day!  We weren't planning to get all of this in today, but we're so glad we did.  It will allow us to "sleep in" and enjoy the eclipse before we head out to Mt. Washington to try and find the Great Basin Bristlecone pine that appears in the Parks' pamphlet and on the 2013 Great Basin quarter . . . looking forward to tomorrow!

Exploring Pole Canyon

It was time to leave Ely, Nevada and return to our home in Utah.  We had some extra time and thought we would spend a few hours exploring the west side of the Snake Range before hitting the road.  Kent has always been intrigued with a rugged road that leads up to the top of Mt. Washington (11,658), but was unsure were it began (no signs).  So we took what looked like the correct road (across from the Pickering mailbox . . . in case you were wondering!) and headed up Pole Canyon.  After about five miles of a good gravel road we discovered the abandoned Mt. Wheeler Mine . . . we later learned the mine last operated in the 1940's.  Yep, we were on the right road, but didn't have time to complete the remaining six miles of a steep and narrow 4WD road to the top.  That'll have to be an adventure for another day . . . oh, don't worry, it will happen!

We spotted this beautiful bull elk near Connors Canyon south of Ely, Nevada
(Click on the picture for an enlarged photo)

Mount Washington towers high above the Mount Wheeler Mine

Mine car tracks from days gone by 

There was a lot of  crystal clear water flowing from the mine adit

Pole Canyon adit is about 1 1/2 miles long!

Beryllium minerals were discovered here in the 1940's . . .
in case you were wondering (I know you are) . . .
 the road continues up to the saddle on the skyline . . .
bring your nerves and a good 4WD if you're going to continue on!

A hay farm thrives below in Baking Powder Flat

View of the Schell Creek Range . . . from the inside out!

Wheeler Peak Mine ore bin clinging to memories of its past

A different view of the Snake Range . . . the majestic mountains of Great Basin National Park

In October of 2023 we finally made it up the switchbacks to St. Lawrence Mine and Mt. Washington.  Click on the links to see the continuation of our adventures.

Berry Creek in the Schell Creek Range

Just east of Ely, Nevada lies the Schell mountain range . . . one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the Great Basin!  We have hiked here many times in the past and have summited North Schell, Unita Peak and South Schell.  This time we decided to "take it easy" and explore the several springs that come together and form Berry Creek.  We enjoyed a gorgeous day all to ourselves as we took a five-mile hike along this beautiful aspen lined stream. A new trail (not on any maps) was discovered and plans for a future hike began to formulate in Kent's mind.  I have a feeling it won't be long until we will be back to continue our exploration of the Schell range!

It's a great day for a walk among the aspens

The hands caught my eye

We have never heard of this trail before . . . 
Now it's on our list of things to do!

An old snow survey cabin

Just think of all the possibilities beyond this gate . . .

The old barn and corral

Looking back at the cabin and the barn . . . 
You can see why they built them here . . .
it's a beautiful spot!

Interesting outhouse . . . never seen one with a Dutch door before!
What a great idea!  

Don't you wish you were here with us?  You could be . . . we love company!

Little springs bring life to the Great Basin

Springs lead to streams . . . 
I could sit all day and listen to this babbling brook 

Bright yellow aspen branch . . .  a taste of Fall yet to come

Living in the desert we don't take water for granted

Not too sure how big this little tree will get . . . hmmm

This hillside will be gorgeous when the leaves show their fall colors

It's so quiet and peaceful in the forest . . . 
Except for an occasional deer or a trickling stream . . .
Welcoming sights in this crazy, busy world we live in . . . don't you think?!