2015 Stream Insects BioBlitz

 This year's BioBlitz at Great Basin National Park featured Stream Insects. Dr. Boris Kondratieff from Colorado State University came as the lead taxonomist and gave the opening workshop.

Then it was time to head out to Upper Lehman picnic area to practice catching stream insects.

Those who had never seen them before were quite surprised.

We also had experts who were trying to find unusual specimens.

One of the most entertaining aspects was watching Dr. Kondratieff and Dr. Nelson speak Latin as they batted species identifications back and forth. 

With some specimens collected, it was time to sort.

Then we split up into a couple groups to tackle different streams.

Despite the rain, everyone persevered and found a variety of critters.

The next day the sun came out. Some groups hiked up high into the snow, others drove to remote locations in the park, and our group traveled along Snake Creek. We started at the end of the road.

We were missing the picnic tables from the day before!

As we moved down the stream we encountered different organisms, particularly in the springs, where the number of juicy cranefly larvae were quite numerous.

The afternoon brought some interpretive programs, which the kids just loved. I was so grateful to my mother-in-law for sharing the experience with them.

They enjoyed making their own insect in an activity called Frankenbug.

Sunday was also a beautiful day, with short morning field trips.


Then it was time for lunch and wrapping it all up with the preliminary results. Many stream insects were identified to species level, and some larvae were taken back to the lab to see what they would hatch into.

It was a fascinating BioBlitz, and I'm sure some people will never think of streams in quite the same way again!

Red Rock Canyon - Spring Break 2015

After Valley of Fire and visiting friends at Lake Mead, we headed to the Red Rock Rendezvous, a climbing-oriented weekend at Red Rock Canyon sponsored by Mountain Gear. The event sold out, so we were expecting a big crowd at the campground at Spring Mountain State Park, and we found it. Someone commented on how many of the tents looked the same, and it's true, they were remarkably similar! I guess climbers think alike.

My friend Randi joined us, and the next day we headed off early for a climbing clinic while my brother Ed watched the kids (thanks, Ed!). It's been awhile since I've climbed, so I felt really rusty. Nevertheless, I was ready to get on rope and climb some rock! I really appreciated Randi for talking me into attending.

Climbing instilled some fear in me, but also reminded me why I like. It feels really good to conquer a slab of rock.

Next it was Randi's turn, and she did a fine job of getting reacquainted. She's done some cool climbs, including a 16-pitch one in Yosemite that I'd love to do someday. It took her and her climbing partner 15 hours to do it. It turned out that one of our instructors held the speed record for that climb: 52 minutes. Whoa!

Here's Randi before she disappears around the corner.

It seemed like the right spot for a selfie!

We did a couple more climbs and then headed back to the parking lot. It took awhile to get back to camp, and when we did we found Ed relaxing in the shade by himself near the tent.

"Where are the kids?" I asked.

"Oh, they're playing in the creek." He pointed in the general direction, and I couldn't see them at all.

Um, should I be worried? Was I a helicopter mom or just reasonably cautious? I eventually went over to take a look.

Sure, enough, they were down in the ravine, happy as could be, playing in the creek that was at most a couple inches deep. They had had a great time with their uncle.

It was getting hotter, so we decided to take a walk and see if we couldn't find a swimming hole. Google maps showed a nice body of water nearby. Soon we found it.

 But we also found out no swimming is allowed, as it's the home to the endangered Pahrump Poolfish (which used to live near Pahrump, but all the springs there went dry).

So we went back to the creek, where we had a good time.

The next morning we went climbing with the kids (something I managed not to get any photos of!), and that was fun until it got hot. So we wrapped it up and Randi headed home. We let the kids choose where to go for a late lunch, and they chose Indian food. I think I've trained my kids right! It was delicious.

Then it was one more activity before heading towards home: bowling.

Wow, it's been awhile since I've bowled. And bowling after rock climbing isn't exactly the best idea. But the kids had a fantastic time and it was air-conditioned, so it was good all around.

(The kids have decided it's really fun to stick out their tongues for photos.)

Then it was time to head home. Except I got tired, so we spent one more night out...

Lake Mead National Recreation Area - Spring Break 2015

 After visiting Valley of Fire, we headed to nearby Lake Mead National Recreation Area. We just had a few hours to get a taste of it before we met friends. So we ate a picnic lunch by Rogers Spring and then went down to Echo Bay so we could see the lake.

We spotted a road runner, and even the kids were excited to see this neat bird.

Echo Bay was really interesting. It used to be extremely busy, with a restaurant, lodge, convenience store, RV park, campground, and more. Then the lake levels started dropping. And no longer could you motor in and just saunter up to the restaurant or lodge. It was a longish walk in sweltering summer temperatures. Visitation started dropping. And the lake levels kept dropping, so the restaurant (below) and lodge closed.

Before long the marina closed. New islands appeared.

Fuel was no longer offered, although people could still launch boats at the boat launch, over a mile from the developed areas.

In the photo below you can see the old boat launch in the center of the photo, far back, and the new one on the right.

So Echo Bay, although still larger than where I live, almost seemed like a ghost town. It was a little surreal. Okay, a lot surreal. I kept looking around, wondering where everyone was, imagining how it used to be. In the 1980s, this place was rocking. The reservoir was at capacity. Probably very few people imagined that the lake levels would drop a little bit, and almost none to the extent that it has.

I still can't wrap my head around it all.

We were also fascinated by the 18-inch high fences along the road. We figured out they were to keep the tortoises from getting squashed. They looked ever so funny, though.

Further down the road we turned into Callville Bay. It's faring better than Echo Bay. Boat rentals are still available--and sure would be fun! Nevertheless, the telltale lake rings and increased distance from the developed areas made it seem like a place past its prime.

Next we went to Boulder Beach, where we swam a little. We were hesitant because there was green algae in the water, but hoped that if so many other people were swimming, it would be okay. When we left, I got a photo of the Southern Nevada Water Authority straw into the lake. This is where Las Vegas' drinking water comes from, a place called Saddle Island that is now a peninsula.

Soon after we met our friends, took showers, and had a nice visit. An unfortunately I didn't take any photos! It was a very nice short trip to Lake Mead, and we'd sure like to go back and explore more.

Next up: Red Rock Canyon

Wilson Hot Springs and the Boyd Pony Express Station, West Desert, Utah

On the way from Fish Springs NWR to Callao, at the north end of the Fish Springs Range, there's an old bus upside down on the side of the road. Next to it is a dirt road. We took it about a quarter-mile, until it ended. I had heard there were hot springs out here, but I had also heard that lots of people get stuck getting out to them. Fortunately the temperature was below freezing and I could hear the gunshots of hunters, so I didn't feel too isolated.

We parked and checked out the nearby hot spring. The kids were not too interested, so they went back in the truck while I hiked around it and to another old, abandoned bus. I wonder what the stories are about the buses being there! The land is actually the southern edge of Dugway Proving Ground.

Near the bus was the hot spring the refuge biologist had mentioned, with some tubs. The circular tub was only about half full and the water wasn't particularly warm. Nearby was a bathtub with a rusted edge that was full of water but didn't look too inviting.

I could tell by the color of the hot spring itself that it was really hot. In fact, it's about 142 degrees Fahrenheit. You definitely want to be careful around it.

Here's a link to a brief Utah Geological Survey page of water quality for the spring. 

The link shows a map, and then when you click on a spring, you get a listing like the one below:

Id	2081
Mapno__cou	TO-109
County	TOOELE
Region_loc	Fish Springs
Source__we	Wilson Health Spr.
Location__	(C-10-14)33c
Quad__usgs	C
Township	10
Range	14
Section	33
Qtr_sectio	c
Idname__us	395423113254900
Type	Spring
Temp__°c	60.5
Class__hig	SPRING HIGH
Depth_of_w
Flow
Rate_units
Longitude_	113.4303
Latitude__	39.9064
Utm_eastin	292251
Utm_northi	4419986
Depth_to_w
Status
Date	12-Jul-67
Reference	USGS/NWIS; 2000
Ph	7.4
Conductivi	31200
Sodium__mg	7090.0
Potassium_	18.0
Calcium__m	740.0
Magnesium_	224.0
Aluminum__
Iron__mg_l
Silica__mg	33.0
Boron__mg_	2.600
Lithium__m
Bicarbonat	180.0
Sulfur__mg	1600.0
Chlorine__	12000.0
Fluorine__	4.00
Arsenic__m
Total_diss	22900
Total_diss	21700
Cations_an	100

I couldn't find much else about Wilson Health Springs. Apparently Northern Arizona University did a study back in the 1990s and found many different microbes living in the hot springs, but it doesn't look like they followed up on the initial studies. Their preliminary report (link above) shows the layout of the several hot springs and warns that access to some of them is treacherous, with a thin crust.

I was glad that the ground was frozen, as it made it easier to stay up high. I could see that if the ground was warmer and wetter, it would be very difficult to move around.

Frost on the salt grass.

Looking back towards the truck was very scenic. If you like isolated hot springs, this is a neat place to visit.

I could imagine a bus full of hot spring afficionados on their way...

Before the buses traversed the area, this was the route of the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway in the United States. What a route they chose! And the reason they chose part of it was because it was previously part of the Pony Express Trail, used to deliver mail by horseback from St. Louis to Sacramento in 1849-50. We stopped to visit the Boyd Pony Express Station, which has some nice interpretive panels. Not much of the station is left, but the view of the Deep Creek Mountains is still gorgeous.

We headed south, but I had to stop for a couple more photos. This is the Weiss Highway. Watch out for traffic. (This highway had a bit of notoriety back in the 1990s.)

And this has to be one of the most complete but remote signs out in the West Desert. It actually makes things seem so close. What it doesn't mention is that the nearest gas is over an hour away. And that if you see more than two vehicles in that hour, it will be considered a lot of traffic.

Ready for a visit? Wilson Health Springs are something I don't cover in my book,  Great Basin National Park: A Guide to the Park and Surrounding Area (affiliate link). However, I do have chapters on Fish Springs, Callao, the Confusion Range, and many other places of the West Desert. So if you'd like to learn even more about this fascinating area, check it out!

The New Little Horse Canyon

 During August and September we had exceptional monsoons. Meaning more frequent than usual, and in some places, more precipitation than usual. Unfortunately quite a lot of that rain came on areas that had just burned, causing a lot of erosion. However, many places in the landscape have evolved to adapt to change (it's just that now we have a lot of non-native species that screw things up!). Regardless, seeing the flood damage gives you an awe of the power of Mother Nature.

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to go hiking up Little Horse Canyon in the North Snake Range in Nevada. We could see new drainage channels heading to the east. They flowed right over the Gandy Road, which is still in poor shape. Whole trees were carried across the road.

We could see why when we got down into the bottom of the canyon. Places thirty feet high were scoured.

some of the rocky banks continue to collapse.

We kept gawking as we walked along, finding debris in trees far above our heads. It would have been so amazing to see this flood. It actually wasn't just one flood event, but at least four.

When we rounded one corner, we could see that the streambed ahead was fifty feet lower. What had happened here?

It turned out the stream had cut down to bedrock and washed everything off it.

On the left side of the photo below, you can make out the old stream channel, which had been cutting through the limestone. It was only a couple feet wide. Now the stream bed is tens of feet wide. It will be so interesting to see what grows back in this area.

The raging creek snapped trees off at their base.

We don't get a whole lot of flash floods in this area, they're more common to the south. But this summer was definitely the time for them. Fortunately very few people live in this area, so although the amount of land moved was immense, the damage done to infrastructure was minimal.

As we left the canyon, we reached the debris flow, where the water slowed down and debris fell out of the current. Trees littered the bench as far as we could see.

It was a really cool hike, and I hope I can visit some of the other places that were flooded this summer. There's something about seeing massive landscape transformations that puts me in my place. Ha!