Tiny Baker watches over Nevada treasure by Mark LaPointe, Outpost Staff In this package: Hwy 50 - only lonely if still Fallon - gateway to 50 Austin - nostalgic past Eureka - Hwy 50 high point Ely - boomtown of the 90's   Shortly after leaving Ely, you'll turn south onto State Route 487 and into the tiny town of Baker. The town's population of slightly more than 50 is there to welcome you to the Great Basin National Park as well as to sell you gas, cigarettes and food. You'll no doubt stop at T&D's service station and convenience store to fill-up your tank and stock up on marshmallows before heading into the park, just 5 miles west of Baker. Take some extra time to visit a local eatery or check out gifts and postcards available at a few locations around town. Great Basin National Park Welcomes Visitors from all over the World. Photo by Karin Winters Plan on spending a few days in the Great Basin National Park. Enjoy the large variety of flora and fauna and take some time to relax. The starts at night are said to be among the most visible in the United States and on a clear afternoon you can see a couple hundred miles east to mountains in nearby Utah. The park is also home to the Lehman Caves where you can tour a series of limestone chambers and learn about the geological formations of caves. The ancient bristlecone pines, atop Mt Wheeler, Nevada's second-highest peak, also welcome visitor to bask in wonder at their survival. By most scientific accounts, the trees live to be 5,000 years old and beyond. (For more detail about Great Basin National Park, check out the package "Oasis in the desert" in this issue of Outpost) This is the end of your trip down Highway 50 and the beginning of your visit to Nevada's only National Park. Enjoy your stay and try not to think about the long drive home.   copyright 12/10/97 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost Nevada Outpost is produced by students at the Reynolds School of Journalism, University of Nevada, Reno Copyright 1999 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost  TOP