Ely experiences a semi-arid climate and consistently remains much cooler than southern Nevada. Our symposium dates in October should deliver a very pleasant surface temperature... but it's always wise to be prepared for anything!
The Western Climate Center reports that average October temperatures are a maximum of 65°F and a minimum of 28°F.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. North northwest wind around 15 mph.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. North northwest wind 15 to 20 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 16. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 51. North northeast wind around 10 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 22. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 62.
Clear, with a low around 28.
Sunny, with a high near 66.
Mostly clear, with a low around 31.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Mostly clear, with a low around 28.
Sunny, with a high near 61.
Cave ecosystems are often dependent on organic material carried in by water, which serves as the primary food source for the environment. In arid climates with minimal surface rainfall, the input of organic matter and nutrients into caves becomes limited, affecting the overall energy flow within these environments. The intricate interplay between surface conditions and cave biota presents unique management challenges for modern cave biologists. Image courtesy of Dr. Jean K. Krejca, Zara Environmental LLC.
Registration for the 2025 symposium is now open! Early registration discounts end at midnight on September 15. After that, registration packages increase by $50.
After registering, be sure to book your hotel room soon. Our hotel discounts will expire in mid-September. See our host hotel page for more details.
The National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) is a nexus of research, stewardship, outreach and information for caves and karst while fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, created by the US Congress in 1998 in partnership with the National Park Service, State of New Mexico, and the City of Carlsbad.
NCKRI is located in Carlsbad, NM, and is a research center of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
Track for the Nevada Northern Railway was laid over a century ago, connecting one of the largest copper mines in North America to the Transcontinental routes to the north. Today, several of the original steam locomotives that were used over a century ago are still in operation. The Nevada Northern Railway is the best-preserved example of a standard-gauge short-line left in North America.
The 2025 NCKMS conference will include a geology-themed trip aboard this historic railway.
2025 NCKMS T-Shirts
Of course we'll have t-shirts! What would a caver event be without them?
It might look like this thing that an AI system suggested, but we're having real humans dress it up a bit. Might look completely different by the time our humans are done with it.
Our theme at NCKMS this year is "Hidden Waters - Hidden Life". So, we have a concept at least!
Ely, Nevada's White Pine Public Museum features the skeletal model of a cave bear (Arctodus simus) that was discovered in a nearby cave in 1982. This extinct species inhabited North America during the Pleistocene epoch from about 1.8 Mya until 11,000 years ago. It was the most common early North American bear and is considered one of the largest known terrestrial mammalian carnivores.
The museum's collections also include an extensive mineral display of copper ore samples, petrified woods, and fossils of ancient marine life.