We took a short Labor Day weekend trip to Great Basin National Park in Nevada. Our goal was to summit Wheeler Peak, the second tallest peak in Nevada.
We got an early start to avoid any crowds, the morning sunlight in the aspen forest was beautiful.
We were surrounded by wildlife on the lower portion of the trail. Deer were cautious but not afraid of humans.
We could see the peak for most of the approach. It never seemed far away but looked really really tall!
A turkey chasing an early morning breakfast.
Stella Lake with a majestic view of Wheeler Peak.
A little bit of fall color was creeping into the valley.
The trail was gradual on the lower section. Over 2000 feet of elevation gain in just two miles was waiting for us on that ridge leading up to the peak.
The beginning of the ridge.
Nearing the summit, we were hit by a hail storm. We waited it out and made sure there were no incoming thunderstorms. That would have quickly ended our ascent.
The backside of the storm. Beyond it was blue sky.
Over 13,000 feet, our fist semi-high altitude climb in a while. Luckily the elevation didn't bother us.
We were happy to reach the summit with beautiful blue skies and puffy white clouds.
The views of the surrounding peaks were incredible.