Great Basin National Park | Lehman Caves

PART SEVEN: The Road to Somewhere

Wednesday - 26 June 2002: Ely, Nevada - Already on Part Seven? I need to divide this trip into sections. This is the section where we have no idea where we are going. Lisa is coming home on July 18, so I know we will be home before then...

At least today's trip did not start with a dead or injured animal - only a no-physical-injury traffic accident. Someone was taking the term "drive-through banking" a bit too literally and put their car through the Wells Fargo branch in Hurricane (Home of the Tigers), Utah. Several tow trucks and police officers were covering this incident and I am sure it will live on for years in the memory of two-traffic-light Hurricane.

By ten o'clock this morning our "circle" was complete - we were back on I-15, south-bound, just outside of Hurricane. The last time we had crossed this point was May 24th! Seems a life-time ago, or five minutes ago... or many National Parks ago... We were only on I-15 for a few miles today. We exited at St. Georges, home of Brigham Young, and headed north on highway 18 - a scenic byway in the Red Rock Reserve to join highway 56 towards 319 in Nevada. We have learned many things about Mormons on this trip. They are forbidden to drink alcohol. They seem to have strong families. They are commanded to marry. But, just in case none of this works out, Utah is bordered by Nevada, where anything and everything is legal, cheap and no one will recognize you. As you cross into Nevada via 58/319 you notice two things: 1) the roads in Nevada are smooth as silk - thank goodness for those gambling revenues and 2) this must be the only state-line WITHOUT a casino/liquor store at the border.

Today, we were truly in the middle of nowhere. DT's count today: Deer: Alive 2, Dead 4. Badger: Alive 0, Dead 1. Turkey Vulture: Alive 2, Dead 0. Hawk: Alive 2, Dead 0. Ravens: Alive: 1,000,000, Dead 3. Rabbit: Alive 0, Dead 1.

Just after crossing into Nevada we drove though a high pine forest, but most of the day was spent in sage brush. ACHOO! At the last minute, we decided to head east on Highway 50 and visit yet another National Park. (Another day, another National Park, ho hum...) A 99%-female highway crew was busy re-paving Highway 50, and traffic was stopped for 30 minutes. This gave us a perfect break. We had time to rest and have lunch before we visited Great Basin National Park! The short drive to the park from Baker, Nevada, has been "decorated" by a "old, hippy rancher". Many of the fence posts are topped with "art": such as an owl mask built on a shovel face, a grave with headstone - complete with (mannequin) legs struggling to get out of the grave, a rubber ducky; a backboard complete with ball and gloved hand ready to shoot; a rusted car with a steer skull at the helm; a Santa made from a mop head; E.T. with a ranger hat; E.T. with a chef's hat; shoes; and a hula dancer with breasts, lei and grass skirt. Free entertainment on your drive through the sage brush! We spent the afternoon in Great Basin National Park and had a 90-minute tour of the fabulous Lehman Caves. 

 
Lehman Caves and The Parachute Shield

Absalom Lehman was an interesting man. He was from "back east" and came out to California to make his fortune in the gold rush. He didn't get rich, so put himself out as a day-laborer. He heard about a gold rush in Australia and worked three jobs to earn the passage by ship. While in Australia he made a fortune, married, and had a daughter. They decided to return to the States, but he found California too crowded for his tastes and bought a big ranch near Baker, Nevada. There are two stories about how he discovered the caves. The most reasonable story is that he was up in the mountains, rounding up cows, when he stopped for lunch and a pack rat made-off with one of his sandwiches. Lehman chased the rat down a hole and discovered the caves. The "other" story says he was out searching for his cattle and he, and his horse, fell into the caves. This TALL TALE also says: "He lassoed a tree and managed to hold on until rescued 4 days later. The hard part was keeping his legs wrapped around the horse to prevent it from falling."

Yeah, right, whatever.

Rangers lead groups through under-ground chambers filled with intricate formations. It is $8 for a 90-minute tour. The tour was fascinating, scary and so cool - 50 degrees! Totally dark. At one point the ranger turns off his flashlight and you cannot imagine anything so dark! Or quiet! We were taken into huge chambers with such names as the Gothic Palace filled with columns, draperies and stalactites. We also visited the Lake Room (or swamp room) and saw huge shields (pictured above). Lehman caves is the only known place in North America where shields grow. We went over 1/2-mile deep into the caves and then wove our way back out. Visitors are not allowed to bring purses, backpacks, fanny packs - nothing, except a camera and a jacket. This is to protect the growths in the cave from injury. (The cave is alive!) It is a most interesting tour. Lehman was into making money and let people chip-off formations and leave their names carved in the stone. He also rented out a rather large part of the cave for parties - especially popular during prohibition.

There are 65 miles of hiking trails at Great Basin and we didn't hike even one mile! This park may require another visit. There are beautiful alpine lakes and a glacier in the park - all the greenery and pine trees seem very out of place in the Nevada desert, but at this elevation - over 10,000 feet elevation, all things are possible. Great Basin is a strange National Park. It IS in the middle of no where, but there is no admission fee and they didn't even ask for our Parks Pass. Also, there is no "official" collector's pin! I always buy a pin when I visit a National Park - so my collection is now incomplete!

We stopped to send postcards from Baker, Nevada. The Post Mistress personally hand-cancelled the card for me. She put the Virgin Post Mistress to shame! The Baker post office was a model of efficiency - everything in order, neat as a pin!

Be still, my heart.

So, it was now after 5 pm, and we headed our way back to Highway 50 - having to stop again for the road construction and then AGAIN for different road construction near the summit (west of the 93 interchange) at Conner's Pass (7000+ elevation). DT was out of the motorhome and chatting with the guy in front of us. The boy amused me by snaking his way out of the driver’s seat - making his way to the roof of his van in one smooth move! He was at least 6'5" and must have weighed an amazing 150 lbs! (Someone FEED him!) He confessed to at one time being a Beaver, but has reformed and is now a Longhorn. He was "out west", with his dog, on a rock-climbing trip. He asked DT a lot of questions and commented after each answer with "SWEET".

So, this evening finds us in Ely, Nevada - camped in Ely (in an okay-for-overnight campground) next to a same-age couple from Salem, Oregon. I made "breakfast for dinner" and we are watching the Mariners on the satellite. Plans are to continue west tomorrow.

RV Park: Valley View RV Park