Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Great Basin offers special attractions

Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears Wednesday. Reach her at [email protected]

While we bask in summer-like temperatures, September is bringing great weather to destinations a little farther north in Nevada, such as Great Basin National Park.

To encourage visitors to get out and enjoy the park this month, rangers are offering hikes to the Bristlecone pine grove, weather permitting, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. at the Bristlecone Trailhead. Evening campfire programs still are being offered on those same days at 7 p.m. at the Upper Lehman Campground.

The cooler temperatures at Great Basin have caused the quaking aspen trees at the upper elevations to begin their change in color. It is anticipated that some color will be present along the 3,000-foot elevation gain of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive for the remainder of the month.

Visitors can expect temperatures in the 70s during the day with overnight lows in the 40-degree range. Reports indicate that the crowds and the thunderstorms of July and August are a thing of the past.

"Between now and the first snows in October, the high country is easily accessible and the visitor is invited to enjoy the reds and golds of autumn with ease," a park spokesman said.

* HIKES PLANNED: If you're not ready to bid farewell to summer by hiking amid the changing quakies, stick closer to home and enjoy the hiking at Red Rock Canyon.

From Thursday through Saturday of this week a wide variety of hikes are planned for children and adults. Learn about the raptors at Red Rock on Thursday during a hike into Pine Creek Canyon. Learn about the geology of Red Rock on Friday during a one-hour wheelchair-accessible presentation.

Basic map and compass reading are on the menu for Saturday in an excellent presentation, both indoors and out, that will help you learn these basic skills.

For ages 12 and up on Saturday, a moderately easy hike is planned to help teach more about the Native Americans who are believed to have inhabited Red Rock Canyon as many as 2,000 years ago.

* NATURE RIDE: So you'd rather be on wheels? Those who enjoy viewing the mountains from their bike will want to get in on the action of the first Mountain Bike Nature Ride at Red Rock Canyon. This four-mile easy ride travels through classic Mojave Desert vegetation where you'll learn about the fascinating natural history of the area.

All skill levels are welcome for this ride, which is not a race. Reservations are required for this and all the programs at Red Rock. Please call 363-1922 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. for hike (and bike) times and reservations.

* DOVE HUNTING SLOW: Unless you were at Overton Wildlife Management Area on the opening of dove season, Sept. 1, the rest of the hunting on Southern Nevada's wildlife management areas has been slow. Two youngsters who participated in a youth dove hunt last Saturday at Overton failed to harvest a bird. The following day 23 hunters managed to take only 29 doves.

Poor hunting is being found at Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area and Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge in Lincoln County. Bart Tanner, manager of Key Pittman, said hunters are taking less than a bird per outing.

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