Wheeler Peak - Nevada's 2nd highest point

A quick shout out for the highest point in Nevada that's entirely in Nevada: Great Basin National Park's Wheeler Peak, 13,000+ ft., part of the Snake Range. The actual state high point, Boundary Peak, is a mountain that is partly in California.

I'd been wanting to visit this remote national park for a few years now and finally had the chance during our leisurely cross-country road trip back to California. (We are taking mostly secondary highways, with less than 200 miles on interstate so far, and having a blast!)

On a scale of 0-10, Wheeler Peak ranks a 10, with awesome campsites, beautifully and thoughtfully built trail, and lots of wildlife, including a half dozen mule deer, a family of turkeys at 11,000 ft(!), and just below the summit, a sagebrush vole, which looked like sort of a cross between a mouse and a pika, that is to say, adorable. There were only 10 hikers on the mtn. yesterday, and the basin-and-range, basin-and-range view from 13,000 ft. was awesome.

If ever you get the opportunity, check out this park and peak. More info at Summit Post:

http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150191/wheeler-peak.html

Now to climb Mt. Charleston...

Enjoy Charleston. That one's on my short list for this fall.

Hey, nice report, Sue. Did you get any views of whatever remains of the ice mass in the cirque on the north side? And, by any chance do you have a photo looking down that cirque towards Brown Lake? And, does Brown Lake appear to be enclosed by a moraine?

Sue,
I know a few other hikers who would also rate Wheeler Peak as a 10. My brother-in-law and niece hiked Wheeler Peak in July this year; as they are hiking the county highpoints in Nevada (where they reside). The hike was awesome (along with the pictures they sent us) and the overall trip at Great National Basin was fantastic. Definitely a park we would like to check out on our next trip to visit the relatives.
Enjoy the remainder of your "roadtrip"!

Donna

Charleston Peak

Hokay. I may have to downgrade Wheeler just a notch, to 9.9 because Mt. Charleston was even better!! We did the whole 18+ mile loop, and it was absolutely beautiful, with near perfectly groomed trail. Bristlecone pines, THE oldest living things on Earth, were everywhere. If ever you're near Vegas and want to get a good, long, high-altitude (almost 12,000 ft.) dayhike--or run--in, DO THIS PEAK. I would put it on the "Do again and again" list. Kevin, you're in for a real treat.

IMHO, the State of Nevada is THE biggest untapped resource for the backcountry hiker/adventure seeker. Have heard that it has more mountain ranges than any other state, many in the 10,000+ ft. range. Just remember to bring water.

Dr. D., yes, there was some snow remaining of Wheeler Peak's "Rock Glacier," seen from the Scenic Drive up to the trailhead. Some, but not much. Sorry I can't be more specific; was amazed to see any snow up there at all given the basin temps. Alas, I have no photos, nor could it be seen from the summit. We also did not do the Lehman Cave tour though I was sorely tempted: how many places can you climb a 13,000+ foot mountain AND descend into a complicated cave in the same day? Ooh, a reason to go back!

Stinkyfeet said:

Dr. D., yes, there was some snow remaining of Wheeler Peak's "Rock Glacier," seen from the Scenic Drive up to the trailhead. Some, but not much. Sorry I can't be more specific; was amazed to see any snow up there at all given the basin temps. Alas, I have no photos, nor could it be seen from the summit.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Stinkyfeet. Turns out we do have a 10Be dataset from boulders that suggest that the morainal ridge upslope from Brown Lake is around 11,500 years old, which is much younger than I expected. But, given that there is still glacial snow and ice lingering on that mountain, perhaps the younger age for the moraine makes sense.

Here's another shout out for those wonderful desert peaks that march along the CA-NV border, from Mount Patterson and the Sisters in the Sweetwaters, to the White Mountains and bristlecones to Westgard Pass near Bishop. I envy you "locals".

Thanks for the heads-up, Sue.

I have 3 peaks on my short list that I hope to do before heading east in a couple of weeks. Barcroft Lab is having an open gate day tomorrow (speaking of Westgard Pass) - they usually have 2 a year - and that cuts 3-4 miles off White Mtn (the White Mtn across the Owens Valley from Bishop). I plan on doing Whitney towards the end of the week and Charleston next week.

By the time I get back to CA in early Oct, all bets are off in terms of doing high peaks. Once there's one good storm, it's a whole different deal.