Night Skies part two!

After the beautiful scenery at Great Basin National Park, it was time to say goodbye to St. George, Utah where I had called home for two weeks. I went there for the easy access to multiple national parks, but also to figure out if it might be a possible landing place once I really retire. After watching the thermometer in my car hit 109º a couple of times in early June, I have decided great place to visit but not for me. I like green and cool crisp mornings!

So off I headed to Steamboat, Colorado. When I arrived Sunday evening, I met with Doug Labor, a high school classmate and fellow trumpet player. We had a great dinner together along the banks off the Yampa River watching the tubers and kayakers go by. It was a fun visit. He invited me to their house the next evening for dinner and a chance to meet his wife Mary, his youngest daughter and also his (and his daughter's) four-legged members of the family. So after walking through downtown Steamboat Springs the next day, I headed up the mountain. Doug and Mary have really carved out a wonderful life with a great family and a fantastic home to escape the craziness of the everyday world. From their home you can see across the valley to the slopes of Steamboat and the surrounding mountain peaks. We had a great dinner, very nice visit and they gave me some ideas as to where I might do some night photography. So after saying goodnight, I headed to Rabbit Ears Pass. Once there I realized I would not be able to get Rabbit Ears peak with the Milky Way so I decided to use the Pines instead. What do you think?

Have you ever heard of "The Great Basin?"

This region includes most of Nevada, half of Utah, substantial portions of California and Oregon and small areas of Idaho, Wyoming, and Baja California, Mexico. This large region is named such because any precipitation in the area has no access to either the Pacific or the Gulf of Mexico. Any precipitation that falls (usually in the form of snow,) flows into rivers, lakes and the groundwater - all contained in this huge basin. The area has a number of smaller basins and many diverse ecosystems.

The Great Basin National Park in Nevada is a great place to explore some of the unique features of this vast area. Amongst its list of unique features is the centuries old Bristlecone pine. The National Parks service describes this unique tree as, "the oldest non-clonal species on the planet. This strange tree, shaped by the wind, snow, and rain has survived over thousands of years, overseeing the rise and fall of great empires, growing through ice-ages and catastrophic volcanic eruptions."

Great Basin National Park is also the home to the 13,063-foot summit of Wheeler Peak, the tallest peak of the Snake Mountain Range, one of many north-south ranges that split the Great Basin Region.

While at Great Basin NP, I hiked to Teresa Lake, a beautiful alpine lake high above the valley floor.

While hiking to Teresa Lake and the Wheeler Peak Bristlecone Pine Grove, I saw many of the Bristlecone Pine's close neighbors - the Limber Pine. This pine can also live for over 2000 years!

Another reason for visiting Great Basin National Park - it is listed as one of the Dark Sky regions in the US. I have been wanting to do some Milky Way photography for awhile - now was my chance. After doing some research, and attending a very informative night sky lecture at the park that evening, I felt I was ready to give it a try. I was partially successful. I couldn't get the Milky Way over the mountain because I was not prepared to stay until 4am! But the following are my first attempts. What do you think?

Stay tuned for another attempt at Rabbit Ear Pass in Colorado!