Now that we're deep in another sizzling July, our hiking choices have become extremely limited. The best thing to do is head for the highest trails available. One of the loftiest in Nevada leads to Wheeler Peak, 13,063 feet in elevation and the second-highest peak in the state. It dominates Great Basin National Park, our state's only national park and one of the least crowded in the nation because of its remote location near the Utah border in the southern Snake Range.

The trail is strenuous, with an elevation gain of about 3,000 feet over about four miles, one-way. The ideal times to hike this trail are from mid-June through September. In mid-summer at the trailhead area, average daytime highs are in the 70s, with nights in the 40s. Be prepared with extra clothing, though, as it isn't unusual to have freezing temperatures, and it can even snow in July.