Great Basin National Park
September 27 – October 4, 2008

 

Join us for a NEW Naturalist Journeys adventure as we explore one of our newest national parks, Great Basin, in Nevada. This 77,000-acre park encompasses high mountains, caves, ancient trees, and habitats ranging from desert to pine forest. The surrounding area includes sites of both geological and historical interest.

We begin in Elko, Nevada, from which we explore Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, a wetland oasis in Nevada's high desert. More than 200 springs feed Ruby Marsh and over 220 species of birds have been observed on or near the refuge. The pristine marsh, meadows and grasslands provide habitat for both nesting and migrating waterfowl. Ruby Lake has more Canvasback than any place west of the Mississippi, outside of Alaska. Two hundred pair of White-faced Ibis have a nesting colony here along with numerous other water-dependent birds.

Adjacent to Elko and Ruby Lake rise the Ruby Mountains, home to the elusive Himalayan Snowcock. It’s a bit late in the season to find this large partridge near the road in the wonderfully scenic Lamoille Canyon. But if we get a tip on their presence near Island Lake, where the 10,000-foot elevation is home to these birds during the summer months – we’ll certainly give it a try!

Great Basin National Park has spectacular mountain scenery. The centerpiece, Wheeler Peak, stands just shy of 10,000 ft. rising 8000 feet above the valley floor. Such an elevation range provides a lot of habitat variation, which offers great opportunities to see signature Great Basin species, such as Golden Eagle, Greater Sage Groue, Pinyon and Western Scrub Jays and Juniper Titmouse.

There is a lot to see in Great Basin National Park – flora, fauna, scenery, geology, and even ‘dendroglyphs’, art carved in aspen trees by early Basque sheepherders.. Sweeping vistas abound as we drive the scenic highway through the park. We visit Lehman Caves, a cavern system with outstanding limestone formations. Not only do the caves have the usual cave bacon, cave popcorn, stalactites and stalagmites, but they also have one of the best displays of shield formations. A signature of the park is the Bristlecone Pine. Not only are these the oldest trees in the world, but the oldest single living organism on earth is thought to be a Bristlecone Pine. These photogenic survivors, with their gnarled and twisted trunks, populate the slopes of Wheeler Peak.

By this time of year most summer migrants have moved on, but there are many resident species to see in the park. In the lower reaches, we look for Greater Sage Grouse, Northern Harrier, California Quail, Horned Lark, Black-billed Magpie and Black-throated Sparrow. Near the Baker Campground we search for American Dipper in the fast moving stream, and late migrant songbirds in the cottonwood and willow trees of the riparian zone. At Upper Lehman Creek Campground, we are in lush Ponderosa Pine forest, where we may find Red-naped Sapsucker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee and Green-tailed Towhee. At upper elevations we find beautiful Quaking Aspen forests that should be ablaze with color. In intermingled stands of Limber Pine we look for Clark's Nutcrackers, Steller's Jays, Townsend's Solitaire, Bushtit, and Cooper's Hawk. Even Red Crossbill has been reported here! Rock Wrens, Common Ravens and, hopefully, Black Rosy-Finch await us near the last remnant glacier at the end of the scenic road – quite close to 10,000 feet!

We think you’ll enjoy the history and distinctly western ambiance of the area. The town of Baker, our base for three nights at 6000 feet, is home to only 65 permanent residents, a quiet place surrounded by sagebrush grassland. Ely, a town we pass through en route to the park, is home to the Nevada Northern Railway Museum, a National Historic Landmark. We plan to visit the museum and to ride the historic train! South of Ely, are the Ward Charcoal Ovens built during the silver mining heydays of Nevada in the 1800s. Built of quartz-welded tuff quarried from the nearby hills, the kilns are beautifully preserved and rival those seen at Wild Rose Peak in Death Valley.

The Great Basin region is a little known treasure, which has riches of space, solitude and incredibly dark night skies. In our days of exploring, we plan to hike full mornings, then explore by vehicle or on the scenic road, taking in all that we can in this beautiful mountain realm.

ITINERARY

Sat., Sept. 27 Arrive in Elko / Northeastern Nevada Museum
Arrive in Elko today, a high desert community bounded by the Ruby Mountains to the south and east and by Great Basin desert to the north and west. This town is home to the original Cowboy Poetry Festival (http://www.westernfolklife.org/site/) and is known for its Basque shepherd legacy. Those arriving by 2:00 PM can start the trip’s exploration with a visit to the Northeastern Nevada Museum. The museum will give us the background on biological, historical and the cultural aspects of the area that we will explore during the next week! The beautifully iridescent Black-billed Magpie should be seen wandering the grounds of the museum.

Anyone arriving after 2:00 PM can take the hotel shuttle directly to the Holiday Inn Express. We meet at 6:30 PM in the hotel lobby to go to one of the Basque restaurants still offering delicious family style food for our welcome dinner tonight!
Accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express in Elko, NV (D)

Sun., Sept. 28 Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a lush oasis located in the Great Basin area of Nevada’s high desert. The pristine marsh, grasslands, meadows and shrub-steppe uplands provide critical nesting and migratory stopover habitat for thousands of passerines, waterfowl and water birds. This 17,000-acre marsh is a remnant of Pleistocene-era Lake Franklin. Home to the largest population of Canvasback in the continental U.S. west of the Mississippi River, we’ll start the day searching for some of the 220 bird species that inhabit this NWR.

The South Marsh provides some of the best waterfowl nesting-habitat in Nevada. We may see Trumpeter Swan, Redhead and other ducks, and possibly Sandhill Crane. Resident Northern Harrier patrol the marsh looking for a meal as they sidle through the air on tilted wings. Up to 200 pair of White-faced Ibis nest here and we should get some outstanding looks at this iridescent water bird. Water levels at the South Marsh attract lots of birds, so bring your binoculars and camera.

Our next stop will be the East Marsh, where concentrations of 25,000 waterfowl could hold an Eurasian Wigeon or some other rarity. Bald Eagles take advantage of the weak and can be seen perched on snags as we follow the auto tour route. Both adults and immature birds use the refuge for roosting and foraging. The chatter of resident Marsh Wrens should accompany us as we search for Common Moorhen and large flocks of the stunning Yellow-headed Blackbird. Black Tern nests in this area and there should be numerous individuals hawking insects above the water’s surface as we spend the day surveying the refuge. Dinner tonight is at your choice of local restaurants in Elko.
Accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express in Elko, NV (B,L)

Mon., September 29 Lamoille Canyon / Himalayan Snowcock
The Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway is a 12-mile drive into Nevada’s Lamoille Canyon Scenic Area found in the Ruby Mountains. This paved two-lane road winds up a glaciated canyon starting at an elevation of 6200 feet and climbs to 8800 feet at the road’s end. Along the way we will search for some of the wildlife that inhabits Nevada’s “Alps”. The steep slopes are home to Mountain Goat, Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer and Elk, along with some of the bird species we’ll be looking for today. Mountain Bluebird (perhaps better described as ‘Azure-winged Prairie-Hoverers’) nest on these slopes and winter in the valleys below. Chuckar prefer the fringes of rocky slopes and it is always amazing that such a distinctively marked bird can blend in so well with the granite covered slopes.

The Ruby Mountains are home to the Dusky Grouse, a recent split from the Blue Grouse. We should find this bird feeding under their favored forage - fir trees. Cryptically colored, these birds are very easy to approach even when the local Steller’s Jay squadron creates an uproar. Feeding along side the grouse should be mixed junco flocks and groups of adult and immature Chipping Sparrows.

But our goal today is the Himalayan Snowcock, if any have been recently reported. At this time of year these birds are usually seen at higher elevations such as Island Lakes, a string of lakes on a granite shelf at 10,500-foot elevation. If birds have been sighted, we will climb the slopes and attempt to see this 27-inch transplant from the Himalayas. Along the way we will also be on the lookout for those residents of western rocky cairns, the Black Rosy-Finch. Birds or not, the views from this area are stunning! Dinner is at your choice of local restaurants in Elko.
Accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express in Elko, NV (B,L)

Tues., Sept. 30 Ghost Towns / Ely, NV / Historic Train
Today as we climb over Secret Pass on our way to Ely, we will stop and scan the adjacent cliffs for Prairie Falcon and Golden Eagle as they ride the thermals. These birds of prey find numerous prey items associated with the Great Basin sage as they soar against a backdrop of steely-blue mountains. It is migration time, so we should also be able to find Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk and other diurnal raptors utilizing this corridor.

After dropping down into the Ruby Valley, we head southeast towards Ely to visit at least one of the over 50 ghost towns in the area. Our stop at Cherry Creek (established in 1859 and located at the end of State Route 489) will give us more information as to why and how this area was developed. With three separate mining booms, history can be traced at a museum found in the old schoolhouse. Cherry Creek was one of the pioneer cities associated with famous Pony Express (the Pony Express lasted only 19 months, but had a remarkable effect on the development of the west) and is part of the Historic Pony Express Trail.

Time permitting, we will climb over Success Summit into Duck Valley for additional opportunities to bird and photograph fall-colored aspens. Once in Ely we will enjoy lunch and then it is off to the Nevada Northern Railway Museum. Here we have the opportunity to ride through the desert on one of the museum’s wings of steam. The museum’s numerous operating engines and cars should give us an outstanding yesteryear experience!

We arrive in Baker in late afternoon and get settled in for our next three days of exploring the wonders of Great Basin National Park! Enjoy a group dinner at the local eclectic café.
Accommodations at Silver Jack Inn, Baker, NV (B,L,D)

Wed., Oct. 1 Great Basin National Park / Visitor Center / Mountain View Nature Trail / Lehman Caves
It is fall and the air is crisp. Before us, we view the Snake Mountains rising out of a sea of sagebrush as we head to the Great Basin National Park Visitor Center. Here, we find background information on what we will be seeing, as well as the latest wildlife and bird sightings. Just outside the Visitor Center is the David E. Moore Bird Sanctuary where we should have the opportunity to locate Long-eared Owl, Burrowing Owl and maybe a tardy migrant Blue Grosbeak.

Then, we head up to the Mountain View Nature Trail. This trail winds through pinyon pine woodland and should afford us great opportunities to see and hear marauding flocks of Pinyon Jays. Other pinyon forest inhabitants that should put in appearances are Juniper Titmouse and the downward-tail-flicking Gray Flycatcher. The advantage of birding Pinyon Pine forests is that at 100 years old, the trees are rarely over 30 feet in height. This makes for much better views of the various birds we will be observing.

After lunch at the Lehman Day Use site we walk over to the entrance to start our hike into the wonderful underworld of Lehman Caves. Actually a single cave of limestone and marble, it has taken hundreds of thousands of years for the various speleotherms to form. Draperies, flowstone, stalagmites and soda straws will be explained on our ranger-led hike into this cool (50º) cavern. You will be awed at what the mixing of minerals and water can create under ideal conditions. Our cave walk will last a minimum of 90 minutes and should bring us back to the surface during late afternoon. A slow drive back to Baker will allow us to bird the sagebrush flats while looking for an early-rising Common Nighthawk. Dine at your leisure in Baker.
Accommodations at Silver Jack Inn Baker, NV (B, L)

Thurs., Oct. 2 Great Basin National Park / Bristlecone Pine Trail / Alpine Lakes Trail
After a hearty breakfast we head to the high country. Our morning hike is going to take us up to a grove of trees that haven’t just survived for centuries, they have survived for millennia! Individual bristlecone pines have hung onto this piece of rock for over three thousand years, incredibly old! The high resin content of the sap prevents rotting and leaves even older pieces of trees scattered among the living. Few birds venture up to this 11,000-foot elevation, but the few that do, should be easy to spot. Common Raven, Clark’s Nutcracker and Black Rosy-Finch may put in appearances during this 2.6-mile hike.

After a picnic lunch, we start out on a short 2.7-mile hike that takes us past two beautiful high elevation lakes – Stella and Teresa. Bring the cameras as the views of Wheeler Peak and the lakes are outstanding! There is always the chance that a goldeneye or some other waterfowl will be visiting the high country before the lakes freeze over!

We’ll finish the day searching for dendroglyphs (art left behind on aspen trees by early
Basque sheepherders). The Basque used aspens in the park during the mid-1800’s and Peruvian sheepherders and recreationalists during the mid-1900’s. You never know what we will find written, but an Euskara dictionary might be helpful.

Beyond the dendroglyphs, it is fall, and the aspen should be as colorful as a palette of paints! We will be searching through their orange, yellow and green for western migrants whose plumage matches these same colors: Townsend’s, Hermit and Orange-crowned Warblers.

We head back downhill at sunset looking for any late-day migrants moving through!
Accommodations at Silver Jack Inn, Baker (B, L,D)

Fri., Oct. 3 Great Basin National Park / Lexington Arch / Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park
We drive south from Baker towards Lexington Arch and search for Greater Sage-Grouse in the sagebrush flats that define the Great Basin. This large bird has adapted to the harsh conditions of the high elevation desert and can subsist on a diet of sagebrush leaves and seeds. Cryptically colored like its high elevation relative the Dusky Grouse, it will take a sharp eye to pick these individuals out from the desert floor. Other inhabitants of the flats that we should see include Sage Thrasher and Mountain Bluebird.

Lexington Arch is unusual for many reasons but what makes it so different from most other arches in the west is that is comprised of very hard limestone. The arches we are familiar with in other national parks are comprised of a softer material – sandstone. There is some remnant flowstone at the base of the arch, which leads to the speculation that this was part of a very old cave system that has been exposed through further erosion. It is a 1.7-mile hike up to the arch and we will be looking for western migrants along the way. Brewer’s Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow and Green-tailed Towhee should make appearances on this hike.

Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park is at the center of the Ward mining district and the six ovens were used to create charcoal for local smelters. The ovens were built from welded tuff mined near the park and were operated by Swiss-Italian “carbonari” immigrants up until 1879. This final chapter in the silver mining of the area was written with the over-harvest of junipers and pinyon pines for charcoal and the playing out of the mines. White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee and Plumbeous Vireo can be seen in this habitat.

Our drive back to Elko for our farewell dinner should provide opportunities to see migrating groups of Swainson’s Hawk, Western Meadowlark and maybe an early-rising Short-eared Owl.
Accommodations at Holiday Inn Express, Elko, NV (B, L, D)

Sat., Oct. 4 Departures from Elko, NV
The Holiday Inn Express has an airport shuttle for departures at your convenience. (B)

 

COST OF JOURNEY The cost of the journey is $1850.00 from Elko, NV. This cost is based on double occupancy and includes: all accommodations, most meals as specified in the itinerary, group airport transfers, transportation during the tour, park and preserve entrance fees, and miscellaneous program costs. This cost is based on a minimum group of 8 persons. If there are fewer than 8, a small group surcharge (typically $100-$300.00) may apply. It does not include items of a personal nature such as beverages from the bar, porterage, laundry, phone calls, or gift items. Single supplement is $TBD. PACE OF THE JOURNEY This journey is moderate in pace, as we will be hiking on several days over uneven terrain, typically 1-5 mile options for hiking being available. Great Basin National Park is at high elevation, with hikes ranging from 6500ft. at our base in Baker, to near 10,ooo ft. in the realm of bristlecone pines. TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS: Elko is served by, Delta / Skywest, which code share with Northwest and Continental. Most flights hub through Salt Lake City. Please arrive prior to dinner on Sept. 27. Please plan to depart any time after NOON on Oct. 4. Photo Credits: Clark’s Nutcracker, Richard Becker; Wheeler Peak, Nevada Commission on Tourism; Trumpeter Swan, www.trumpeterswansociety.org; Bald Eagle and Hairy Woodpecker, Tony Beck - www3.sympatico.ca/beck.tony/; Tahoe Aspens, Charcoal Kiln and Sooty Grouse, Greg Smith; Lehman Caves, NPS photo; Western Grebe, Wheeler McDougal, Jr.; all other photos by Peg Abbott.

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