Caves, Frogs, Snow, and a Train

 I wanted to share a few more photos from my friends' visit to show what else is here in the Great Basin Desert, including some things that might not normally fit the stereotype of a desert!

 My friend Andrea accepted the challenge route in one cave. Visiting caves reminded us of the fun times we had while we were in graduate school and the great caving friends we made there.

 A good snow melt has left extra water in some of the area caves.

 Stopped by the sump! The kids did really well in the cave.

 Afterwards they went on a search for more caves and found one! Okay, it was really just a different entrance to the same one we had been in, but they enjoyed "exploring" it and naming it.

 A quick visit to a wetland provided an opportunity to see some frogs.

 We don't see frogs often out in the desert, so they're a fun treat.

 And who could resist walking over the old, dead tree? I couldn't--I followed them!

 Frog watching turned into frog catching--almost. Desert Boy couldn't quite catch a frog, which is probably a good thing.

 We went up to 10,000 feet and took the sled, which was used frequently on the snow patches. There's something special about sledding in July.

 We also had a special stop at the Nevada Northern Railroad to ride the train. The steam engine was pulling the train that day, which gave us an added taste of history and embers in the hair.

Oh my goodness, what a great visit!