Lahontan, Long Valley Caldera, and Methuselah

Great Basin, Sierra Nevada and Wasatch Plateaus, Part I

Fire and ice: The nation’s youngest mountains, oldest trees, and southernmost glacier

I.  Focus Area Boundaries: 35 to 40 degrees North; 110 to 120 degrees West

II.  Country (State): United States (California, Nevada, Utah).

III.  Overview

The Great Basin is the area between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Plateau of Utah. The desert with sky islands of mountain forests contains some of the most remote areas left in the United States, and large wilderness areas have been designated in the Sierra Nevada of California and eastern Nevada. The continuous string of wilderness areas means there is no road crossing the Sierra Nevada from Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park to Walker Pass, south of Sequoia National Forest, a distance of more than 150 miles. Continue reading