Alpine Lakes Loop

I've been planning a summer road trip for several months with the main goal of checking another national park off my list -- Great Basin in Nevada. 

I'd hoped to summit Wheeler Peak, but the ranger I spoke with called the ascent "extremely challenging" due to snow and ice remaining near the top.  Since I didn't have the right gear to deal with those conditions, I decided to stick with just hiking the Alpine Lakes Loop instead.

Solid choice, as the first lake I reached was gorgeous.  Stella Lake was crystal clear and fairly still.

The overcast skies didn't detract from the beauty of the scene very much, if at all.

Next up was Teresa Lake, which while not quite as striking as Stella was still quite pretty.

Downed trees along the lake's shore added to the appeal.

I covered the 3.15 miles of trail in a little less than two hours, including stops for pictures at the two lakes.  That left plenty of time to stop at various overlooks on my drive back down the mountain, including this one looking back to the summit of Wheeler Peak.

The Great Basin from which the park gets its name covers more than 200,000 square miles and parts of six states, including most of Nevada.  It's considered an "endorheic watershed" since it has no outlet to the ocean.

I'm not exactly sure how far across this fairly flat and featureless plan to the northeast once can see, but at least a hundred miles seems like a fair bet.

One day and one hike down!