Great Basin National Park

 My friend always talked about Great Basin National Park and we wanted to see it but winter had closed the mountain peaks, lakes and bristlecone pine hikes and only one campground was open but oh so beautiful! Aspen, rosehips, ice laced rocks...

 We thought everything was closed but by serendipity we were down at the Visitors Center before 9am and able to go into the Lehman Caves with a small group and a ranger and see this incredible feat of nature. You see the jelly fish shaped things in the shot below? The round flat top is called a Shield and no one has yet figured out how they are formed.

 The limestone features of stalactite, stalagmite, pillars, drapes and the whole fairy tale reality is formed by water, weak carbonic acid and time. Apparently Las Vegas wants the water from these northern Nevada valleys so the caves themselves are at risk. I'm reading a novel based in these valleys and the survival of ranchers and the water war is the underlying topic of the book... because of the book I had an inkling but the thought of this living wonder dying compounded my anger and sadness. Northern Nevada and Northern California have these two threats in common.

 Last night we camped at Cleve Creek in the Schell Creek Range and Michael processed veggie oil (35 gallons.) Great clouds formed to give him the honor he deserves.