Bristlecone and Glacier Trail, Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Wheeler Circque and Peak, from Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive Viewpoint

The end of the hike will bring us to Wheeler Cirque, a glacier hollowed valley enclosed by sheer cliffs as shown in the above picture. Halfway of the hike, we will be passing the ancient bristlecone pine grove. The bristlecone pines are the oldest single living organisms known in the world.

An Ancient Bristlecone: Gnarled but Very Much Living the Testament of Life 

These ancient bristlecones have so much to tell us, having witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, survived changing climates and persevered through major developments of world's history. They live several thousand years in the harshest conditions, a living testament that longevity is not so much about having all the luxuries of life, but it is about the will power to thrive in the harshest conditions. With gnarled limbs, they stand strong. Seeing their twisted and convoluted limbs, seeing them looking up to heavens, it was like hearing them whisper....."LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL AND SO MUCH WORTH LIVING!!" Despite their limbs may look bizarre from all the twisting and contortions, they are VERY BEAUTIFUL to me. How I wish I could sit there longer with them, to listen to their soft whispers about Earth's history and about how beautiful our life is TO LIVE.

Alpine Lakes Loop Trail, Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Stella Lake (with Mt. Wheeler in the background), Great Basin National Park, Nevada

( if you've seen my previous post about Lehman Cave, could you imagine underneath this alpine lake and mountain peak is that beautiful marble cave with all those rare cave formations? Earth is beautiful, inside and out! )

Great Basin National Park, in Baker, Nevada, is a land of great diversity, where hot desert valleys meet cool mountain ranges. It is home to ancient bristlecone pines, rock formations, fossils, springs, caves, creeks, and even a lone glacier in Nevada. At the time we were there July 1- July 3 this year, the desert valley was at 115 degree Fahrenheit ( 46 Celsius), yet Lehman Cave, the first place we explored was at 50 degree Fahrenheit ( 10 Celsius). After exploring Lehman Cave, we hiked Alpine Lakes Loop trail, where the temperature was 72 degree Fahrenheit ( 22 Celsius).

Here are some basic information regarding Alpine Lakes Loop Trail:

Trailhead: Bristlecone Parking Area.

Aspen Grove at the Trailhead

 ( I could imagine how much more beautiful this trail would be with vivid yellow aspens in the fall)

Mileage: 2.7 miles loop trail, 600 ft gain that starts at 9,800 ft elevation (which means you will reach 10,400 ft elevation). There are various trails that can be continued from this loop, such as Bristlecone Pine and Glacier Trail and Wheeler Peak trail.


Alpine Lakes Loop trail connects two lakes, Stella Lake and Teresa Lake, both totally freezes in the winter. We hiked in the counterclockwise direction, so the first lake we saw was Stella Lake. In the very first picture above of Stella Lake, notice the reflection, the wind was a little bit calm when we got to the lake, so there were not much ripples then. After taking a few pictures, we could feel the wind strongly blowing on us, and slowly, the reflection disappeared for more ripples on the water.

Us Taking Memories of Stella Lake ( reflection in the water here slowly disappearing because of wind)

Lehman Cave, Great Basin National Park

"The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time." -Henry David Thoreau

Lehman Cave, Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Lehman Caves is the first place in Great Basin National Park that we explored during our visit this summer. It is a beautiful marble cave decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, flowstone, popcorn, and over 300 rare shield formations.

There are two types of tours offered to explore the cave, and we chose The Grand Palace Tour which runs for 90 minutes. The Grand Palace tour cost $10/person for adult, and $5/child (15 years or younger). The Grand Palace Tour travels 0.6 miles. This probably is the largest and most beautiful cave in the U.S. that I've explored so far. The path for visitors is very well maintained, allowing for a very easy walk that anyone 5 years or older could explore.

Below are some pictures of Lehman Caves, all pictures in this post taken by hubby.

 Various Formations Inside the Cave

 Parachute  Shield Formations

 Stalactites ( hanging), Stalagmites ( rises from the cave floor ), among other formations

 More Stalactites, Stalagmites and Helectites 
( helectite starts growth as stalactite, however, it seem to defy gravity by growing and curling in different directions from the vertical )

 Easy To Navigate Pathway Inside Cave
 ( though some trails are wet and slippery )

 More Stalactites and Stalagmites

More Flowstones and Stalagmites

 Straws, Drapes, Columns and more...

 Popcorn

 Shield

 Water Inside Cave

Death Valley National Park: Behind the extremes

The Mesquite Sand Dunes at Stovepipe Wells Village, Death Valley NP, CA

Death Valley.....does it really describe its name? Or does it show the other beauty of life we oftentimes neglect to see?