Wheeler Peak Cirque, Great Basin National Park

On our 3 day adventure last week, we were planning on hiking Wheeler Peak. We were told by 3 different rangers that the peak was not hikable with standard hiking gear, which we figured they were just trying to scare us, much like the Zion rangers do. So we decided to resort to the Bristlecone and Glacier Trails, which lead to the base of Wheeler Peak, and dead ends in the Wheeler Peak Cirque (glacier carved). The hike in itself was quite the adventure with 3 feet of snow in the shade. This made for lots and lots of "postholing" on the hike back, once the snow was warmed up.

 Scarlet viewing the Cirque on the hike out. Gotta love those stinking airplane trails!

 The Cirque with Wheeler Peak being the point on the right. By this time, the ice was beginning to thaw, and every few minutes, you could hear rockfalls up canyon.

 A pinnacle on the east slope of Wheeler Peak. The rock here began as sandstone, and under extreme heat and pressure, turned into a type of quartzite and low grade marble. It is a beautiful rock!

 Believe it or not, this is a glacier that is here year around, but slowly disappearing.

 Scarlet traversing a snowfield on the way out of the Cirque. The snow is not so bad in the early hours, but once it warms up, you begin postholing, which is when your feet break through the top layer of the snow, and you go as deep as your shins or even thighs.

This is Brown Lake, which really has no trail going to it. You have to do your own pioneering to get there, and as you can see, is worth the hike! I loved how calm and clear the water is in these alpine lakes!