News from the Field: Day 15--Back home via Las Vegas

We're on our way back home! We got an early start (well, tried to get an early start!) from SNARL, after our final clean-up.  After spending about a half an hour trying to figure out how to get the luggage--expanded with rocks from the Sierra Nevada--crammed into the vans, we said our farewells with Dan and Leslie Dawson, then headed east over the mountains to Nevada. In Bishop, California, we found ourselves caught in one of the strangest traffic jams--caught behind the Mule Days parade!  Finally escaping through a secret back route east of Bishop, we drove over Westgard Pass into Deep Springs Basin, and on to Nevada. We had a scenic drive through Nevada's deserts to Las Vegas, for a quick and wild tour of what has to be the world's strangest city. On to the airport, the long flight back to Indy, and reunions with friends and family back home!

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    May 25th

The traffic jam in Bishop--staging area for the Mule Days parade!
One of the prize-winning mules.
Finally, a trucker shows us the secret back route out of town...
We made it! Las Vegas, here we come!
Deep Springs Basin, and the last waters of Deep Springs Lake in the background.
Chris, Adam, John and Nicole relax at our lunch stop in beautiful Beatty, Nevada.
Finally, the bright lights of Las Vegas!
Five hours later, on the flight home, John finally gets to taste his carne asada burrito!
Megan and Brandy, relaxing on the flight home.
Ganesh, Esther, and Lauren take a break from their final writing assigment.
Adam, Dan, and Jack take a break from a heavy philosophical discussion to enjoy an unusual moment of levity...
Preeti, Chris, and Nicole party in row 23...
Finally, Ganesh and Simba relax after a long two weeks in the field...