Day 86: Lehman Caves
June 28, 2011
Even though today was a day off, we woke up at the same time as usual. We wanted to say our goodbyes to Tom and Mark. Unfortunately, they were headed in different directions, so we all went our separate ways.
We still ate our usual oatmeal and then changed into our hiking gear (don't be fooled, it's the same as our biking gear). We walked to the road that leads to Great Basin Nat'l Park and stuck our thumbs out. It only took us about 10 minutes to catch a ride. We stuffed ourselves into an already-full van with a family from Salt Lake City area. It was only about 6 miles to the Lehman Caves Visitor Center (Lehman Caves is now a part of the Great Basin Nat'l Park).
We were hoping to do a little hike around the park, but all of the trailheads were far from us. Also, the trail up to the highest point, Wheeler Peak, was closed because of snow. We decided to take advantage of the nearby cave by going on a tour. We chose a 1-hour, $8 per person tour. It ended up being a small tour, which was great. We were able to see some extra things in the cave that larger groups often miss. The cave itself was amazing. We all loved how intricate the stalactites and stalagmites were. There were so many different formations (popcorn, bacon, drapery, shields, straws, etc). Our tour guide, Robb, was very laid back and sarcastic, making for a fun time!
After the tour, we hiked a 0.3 mile nature trail to get a view of Wheeler Peak. We then met up with the same family from Salt Lake City and got a ride back down to Baker. Back at the Whispering Elms Campground, we showered and relaxed until dinner. We all ate "super burritos" at the little restaurant near us, but didn't appreciate the un-friendly, rude service there.
Once again, we tried to get to bed early. Tomorrow will be a big day of 60+ miles, 2 passes at over 7,000 ft, and potentially strong winds...
We still ate our usual oatmeal and then changed into our hiking gear (don't be fooled, it's the same as our biking gear). We walked to the road that leads to Great Basin Nat'l Park and stuck our thumbs out. It only took us about 10 minutes to catch a ride. We stuffed ourselves into an already-full van with a family from Salt Lake City area. It was only about 6 miles to the Lehman Caves Visitor Center (Lehman Caves is now a part of the Great Basin Nat'l Park).
We were hoping to do a little hike around the park, but all of the trailheads were far from us. Also, the trail up to the highest point, Wheeler Peak, was closed because of snow. We decided to take advantage of the nearby cave by going on a tour. We chose a 1-hour, $8 per person tour. It ended up being a small tour, which was great. We were able to see some extra things in the cave that larger groups often miss. The cave itself was amazing. We all loved how intricate the stalactites and stalagmites were. There were so many different formations (popcorn, bacon, drapery, shields, straws, etc). Our tour guide, Robb, was very laid back and sarcastic, making for a fun time!
After the tour, we hiked a 0.3 mile nature trail to get a view of Wheeler Peak. We then met up with the same family from Salt Lake City and got a ride back down to Baker. Back at the Whispering Elms Campground, we showered and relaxed until dinner. We all ate "super burritos" at the little restaurant near us, but didn't appreciate the un-friendly, rude service there.
Once again, we tried to get to bed early. Tomorrow will be a big day of 60+ miles, 2 passes at over 7,000 ft, and potentially strong winds...
Posted by the girls.
