Columnist Paula DelGiudice: History comes alive at Great Basin

Paula DelGiudice

Wednesday, May 24, 2000 | 11:07 a.m.

Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears Wednesday. Reach her at PDelGiudice@compuserve.com.

Cue the summer temperatures, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. Just as the sweltering begins and school ends, along comes a long weekend. If you haven't yet made your plans for the weekend, here are some ideas for you:

Great Basin National Park has a campfire program slated for Saturday at the Baker Archaeology site. Jim Shearer, a Utah State University student and volunteer for the BLM, Ely District, will be discussing Indian mythology, including stories of creation, beginning a 8 p.m. All you need to bring is your attention and a folding chair as there is no admission charged.

Through the Nevada Humanities Committee, the Great Basin Natural History Association will be hosting guest speakers and displays in and around the park this summer.

Professor James Armstead will portray Thaddeus Dunkley, Black Cowboy, on Saturday, June 17 and James Beckworth, Western Nevada Mountainman, on Sunday, June 18. On Monday, July 24, Chautauqua performer Fred Horlacher will portray Brigham Young, the Lion of Zion, at the Garrison, Utah, LDS Church located eight miles from the park. There will be no charge for these presentations.

On Wednesday, June 21, the association will host a lecture on resource management at Great Basin National Park. Find out what cutthroats, aliens, and dark places have in common. For more information, call (775) 234-7270 or e-mail gbassoc@lnett.com.

If you're headed for Great Basin this weekend, the Visitor Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning Friday. Daily tours of Lehman Cave are set for 7:20, 8, 8:30, 9, 10, 10:20 and 11 a.m., and 12:30, 2, 2:20, 3, 3:20 and 4:30 p.m.

Additional tours at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. will be given Friday through Sunday. Tours beginning on the hour are 90 minutes in length. Tours beginning on the half-hour are 60 minutes in length. Tours offered 20 minutes past the hour are 30 minutes in length. A limited number of advance tickets may be purchased up to one month in advance by calling (775) 234-7331, ext. 242.

Beginning Friday, there will be nightly campfire programs offered at Upper Lehman Creek Campground on Friday and at Wheeler Peak Campground on Saturday, weather permitting.

Starting from the Bristlecone trailhead at 10 a.m. daily, a ranger will lead an informative one-way, two-mile hike, to the Bristlecone Grove on Wheeler Peak. This hike will start when the trail is clear of snow -- probably in mid-June.

Great Basin for Kids offers a variety of topics and programs throughout the summer. This hour-long program offers a fun and informative activity for the whole family. Meet the ranger at the Upper Lehman Campground Amphitheater Campfire Circle at 2:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

For more information call (775)234-7331 or visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/grba.

Of course, not only must your boat be registered before you hit the lake this weekend, but you should take a few moments to check for unexpected mechanical problems. For safety's sake, now is a good time to make sure your fire extinguisher is operational and your life jackets are in good repair.

The National Safe Boating Council, in addition to the Nevada Division of Wildlife, offers several boating courses via the Internet at www.safeboatingcouncil.org. Or you can obtain a copy of Nevada's home study course, "Navigating Nevada," from any NDOW office.

The focus for the National Safe Boating Campaign is getting boaters to wear life jackets. National statistics conclude that nine out of 10 victims would have survived their boating accident if they had been wearing a life jacket.

This past Monday a plant was scheduled for Chiatovitch Creek in the White Mountains of Esmeralda County. Chiatovitch is located 11 miles north of Dyer. Plans call for all of these sites, except Rye Patch Pond, to be stocked again in late June or early July.