I left Ely at 0635 local, after a hotel breakfast and topping off the tank at a Shell dealer. I head south on US-50/6/93, one of which is the Grand Army of the Republic Highway; I presume likely US-6 since US-50 is the Lincoln Highway, at least in some places. The road starts out flat. I see what appears to be a herd of bison – it turns out to be a bunch of stubby scrubby junipers. Then, it’s my first pass of the day, Connors Pass (7722’).
The next valley has its own wind farm. I wonder, “Does the topography here create wind tunnels?” I start up the next pass, passing a farm gate encrusted with shed elk antlers. This is Sacramento Summit (7154’), leading into Snake Valley. Snakes are not obvious; I see none. I arrive at the Great Basin National Park main visitor center at 0742, 20 minutes before it opens. The brochure is available so I read that after cleaning my windshield of accumulated gnats. The ranger on duty at the info desk was a newbie, only 6 weeks out of New Jersey.
The park has two major attractions, the Lehman Caves and the Wheeler Peak drive. I check on the cave tour – the next 30 minute one available for walk-ups doesn’t start until 10. I’m already short of breath hiking in from the close-in parking at 7000’, so I settle for a tour of their cave museum, then head up the Wheeler Peak drive.
It takes a while to wind up the mountainside to just short of the tree line, at over 10,000 feet (the peak is a 13er). Definitely a white-knuckler for a somewhat acrophobic flat lander. Still, you have to go where the pictures are:
I survived the round trip and left the park at a somewhat more comfortable 5300’. The Utah line and Mountain Time is just ahead; the sign on UT-21says “next services 75 miles.” The purple flowers along the roadside are the only color as not even sagebrush is present to add some green. I climb into and drop down from Halfway Summit (6253’) to a valley with a large white playa. The next summit, unnamed, (6460’) leads to a valley with one green (irrigated) area.
Another unnamed summit (6460’) shows signs of an old railroad road bed; a sign says there were silver mines in the area. I can see mines as I enter the ensuing valley; I also see clouds building to the east. The valley holds a town, Milford, a little oasis. Rodeo rough stock fans may recognize it as the home of the multi-champion Wright family. The valley appears to grow enough grain to have its own elevator & RR spur.
A short hop over some low hills takes me to Minersville. I stop at a gas station/c-store for a comfort break 5 hours after leaving Ely. I’m now on UT-130 heading southward. The road passes through another unnamed summit (6570’), then continues on relatively flat ground. I find the Parowan Gap road.
It leads to some excellent rock art panels.
Gap Road continues to Parowan, passing Little Salt Lake (yes, it’s a playa, too). A couple of big rain drops hit my windshield. I pick up I-15 and its traffic to Cedar City and my HIE at 2:30 local, just ahead of a nice thunderstorm. This place hasn’t just grown since last visited in 2012, it’s exploded. Supper at a Golden Corral, possibly my first since Sedalia’s one closed.
For the day: 250.7 miles, for the trip 3237.8
Tomorrow: Torrey & Capitol Reef via Cedar Breaks National Monument.
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