SnoBowl Bike Trails RFP

It's finally happening!  After what seems like FOREVER, we have final approval from the folks at the Recreation Trails Program to fund our mountain bike trails project up at the SnoBowl!

Here is the RFP for the project.  Contact me if you'd like me to e-mail you a .kmz.

ELKO SNOBOWL FOUNDATION REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ON TRAILBUILDER WORK
FOR THE SNOBOWL CROSS-COUNTRY MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL SYSTEM

The Elko SnoBowl Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, (the “SnoBowl”) invites all interested and qualified persons or firms capable of providing the listed Scope of Work to submit bids for the completion of an approximately 9.15 mile singletrack mountain bike loop trail system. Completed bids must be received by the SnoBowl prior to bid opening.  Mail or deliver bids to Elko SnoBowl Foundation, PO Box 281267, Lamoille, NV  89828.  The bid-opening will occur at 2:00, Friday, February 23rd, 2018, at the Elko BLM office.

ABOUT THE SNOBOWL BIKE TRAIL PROJECT
The Elko SnoBowl Foundation has acquired grant funding from the Federal Recreational Trails Program (“RTP”)  to build a new natural surface, purpose-built, singletrack mountain bike trail loop system at the SnoBowl Ski & Bike Park in Elko, Nevada  (hereinafter referred to as the “Project”). The Trail will commence at the ski base area of the Elko SnoBowl, and will feature a stacked loop system on the west and southeast aspects of the SnoBowl property.  While this is to be a cross-country mountain bike trail, the SnoBowl will also in future provide weekly lift-served trail access to riders. This will be the only constructed mountain-bike specific singletrack trail in the region and it should be designed in anticipation that it will eventually (with future undetermined funding) serve as the heart of a trail system connecting the SnoBowl with the Elko city limits. The SnoBowl desires to purchase the services of a professional trail building contractor (the “Contractor”) to build the Project, the build to commence in spring, 2018, with a completion date of no later than November 1, 2019.  Contractors able to complete the project before December 31, 2018 will receive special consideration in the bid process. 

It cannot be more strongly emphasized that this project is for purpose-built natural surface singletrack mountain bike trail. Desired characteristics include: cambered trail surfaces, insloped turns, rolling terrain, incorporation of native rock features, novice-friendly switchbacks and seamless transitions between trail types.

The following preliminary work has been completed: a flag line has been established which generally marks the Trail corridor; archaeological clearance of a 100’ corridor centered on the flag line has been completed, and a grant agreement has been signed by the SnoBowl and RTP administrators.  Approximately one mile of frontside trail has been completed by community volunteers, and a second mile of frontside trail has been started. Cooperation has been committed by local businesses and community groups to provide material support for the project. 

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Contractors are asked to outline strategies for and professional experience in meeting the following general specifications:

1. Federal Grant Requirements.
Because funding for the Project relies upon federal grants, Contractor must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the requirements of Federal grant agreements related to Project Work and agree to make every reasonable effort to abide by said requirements.

2. Suggested Site Visit (“Walk Through”).
The Project will be built on terrain with slopes averaging 15-30 degrees with specific soil and drainage characteristics.  While it is not a requirement to bid, it is suggested that any Contractor who wishes to submit a bid for the construction of the Project should complete a Walk Through of the Trail location sufficient to gain a general understanding of the area’s terrain, general topography, rock and soil types.  Ignorance of building conditions related to the natural conditions in the trail location will not be considered in any requests for waivers or changes to Scope of Work.

3.  Coordination with Community Groups
A significant portion of grant match for the Project consists of a series of at least eight scheduled community build days.  Community volunteers will consist of a mixture of experienced volunteer trail builders and new trail volunteers.  The SnoBowl will coordinate these build days with the Contractor, and the Contractor will provide appropriate supervision and, if needed, training to volunteer crews.  A SnoBowl representative will be onsite for all build days to serve as volunteer coordinator/crew lead.  Please note that, while community groups can and do provide significant manpower for the build, Contractor should not anticipate that volunteer crews provide all or a majority of needed hand work for the Project.

4. General guidelines for trail design.

A. Desired characteristics include: cambered trail surfaces, insloped turns, rolling terrain, incorporation of native rock features, and seamless transitions between trail types.  All trail tread, rock-armoring, switchbacks, and all other features should be built to best industry standards.

B.  Treadway shall be a minimum of 24” and wider where necessary.  Because of the ongoing trespass by ATV users in the Elko area, use of trail building machines with a tread wider than 30” is discouraged.  Please include the tread width of any machines anticipated to be used for the Project.

C.  Because of the lack of available mountain biking trail in the region, and because of the topographical features of the land it is being built upon, the trail will largely be designed for riders at a beginner skill level with some short intermediate sections as needed. There may be opportunities to build advanced “opt-in features” if funding is available.

D. A flag line has been established and GPS of the route completed. There is a 50’ buffer to each side of the flag line for Contractor’s preference in building the trail.

E.  Specific trail design features to discourage trespass by ATV/OHV users will be critical to the long-term success of the Project.

5. Qualifications and Selection Criteria.
The SnoBowl will consider the status and capability of the bidder along with responsiveness to the bid requirements in its analysis of which is the lowest responsible bidder. The SnoBowl will use a points system to aid in its selection of the winning bid, the parameters of which is outlined below:

A. Company Profile. The bidder may receive up to 150 points for demonstrating its capability to complete the work and its status as a reliable contractor. The bidder should be a member of the Professional Trail Builders Association (PTBA) or equivalent and should demonstrate stability of its business. Civil or criminal judgments against the bidder or financial weakness which would affect the bidder’s performance or ability to complete projects will negatively affect this rating.

B. Relevant Experience with Similar Projects. The bidder may receive up to 250 points for demonstrating experience in building natural surface mountain bike trail in similar conditions as those existing in the Project location. The contractor should submit a portfolio of at least three, and up to six, projects of a similar nature to this project, completed within the last five years and preferably completed in similar terrain.  Please include contact information for project clients.

C. Project Details and Work Plan. The bidder may receive up to 300 points for the demonstrated ability to comply with the specifications in this RFP and how well the work plan suits the needs of the SnoBowl. Contractors able to complete the project by December 31, 2018 will receive an additional 100 points.

D. Cost. The bidder with the lowest total cost shall receive 300 points. All other bidders shall receive cost-based points based on the following formula:

Lowest proposed cost total	X300	=	Cost-based points awarded
Bidder’s proposed cost total

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
1. Business Registration. Any Contractor which is a Nevada business must be currently registered with the Nevada Secretary of State.

2. Performance and Payment Bonds. Formal, notarized performance and payment bonds issued by an insurance or surety company are required for the Project and must be provided upon execution of the contract.

3. Worker’s Compensation. The Contractor must certify that it is in compliance with Nevada statutes regarding Worker’s Compensation insurance.

 4. Commercial General Liability Coverage. The contractor shall carry Commercial General Liability  Insurance of $1 million/occurrence, $2 million/aggregate, and shall furnish a certificate listing the SnoBowl, the City of Elko and its partners as additional insureds upon execution of the contract. The certificate shall show the type, amount, class of operations covered, effective dates, and dates of expirations of policies.

5.  Contractor must have a valid and current Nevada Contractor’s License at the time of contract execution.

6. Invasive Species Prevention. Active steps to prevent or limit the introduction, establishment, and spread of invasive species are required during contracted work. The contractor shall prevent invasive species from entering into or spreading within project site by cleaning equipment prior to arrival. If the equipment, vehicles, gear, or clothing arrives at the project site with soil, aggregate material, mulch, vegetation (including seeds) or animals, it shall be cleaned by contractor furnished tool or equipment (brush/broom, compressed air or pressure washer) at the staging area. The contractor shall dispose of material cleaned from equipment and clothing at a location determined by the SnoBowl. If the material cannot be disposed of onsite, secure material prior to transport (sealed container, covered truck, or wrap with tarp) and legally dispose of offsite.

7. SnoBowl reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Low bid will not be the only consideration for award.

8. The warranty period is one year from the date of acceptance by the SnoBowl.

GEOLOGICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA.
The following is general information to assist contractors in their understanding of the geological and biological conditions of the trail building location.

The SnoBowl Trail Project shall be constructed on a 640-ac section of land owned by the City of Elko that serves as a community ski hill in the winter.  The section is bisected by a 7500’ ridge, and the trailhead is at the SnoBowl ski base at approximately 6500’ on the east side of the ridge.  Two trails climb from the base area over the ridge to a series of stacked loops on the western side of the ridge.  A connector trail links the top of the SnoBowl ski lift to the trail system. 

The trail traverses soil in the Sumine-Cleavage-Cleavage, very cobbly association group.  Slopes range from 15-30 degrees, with mean annual precipitation approximately 7-15”.  The soil surface is a very gravelly loam, well drained, with a gravelly clay loam layer from 6” – 29”.  There is limiting bedrock averaging 20” – 39”in depth.  Rock outcroppings are scattered throughout and are composed of a gravelly composite.   Depositions of faceted loose rocks 6” – 18” in size dot the hillsides.

There are numerous small springs in the area, and the trail crosses several very ephemeral small streams. 

The typical plant community is a mix of grasses and forbs, with intermittent small sagebrush.  Short, tundra-type plants populate the ridgetops.  A portion of the subject parcel burned a decade ago, and there has been a significant cheatgrass incursion in the burn area.

The Elko SnoBowl is approximately five miles north of the city of Elko, NV, on North 5^th Street.
Please see attached map for trail layout and topography.

PROJECT CONTACT:        Sue Kennedy, Elko SnoBowl Foundation (775) 934-4466

colorado_event@hotmail.com

Cold Lakes

The Cold Creek drainages don't get visited much. The only people who really get up there seem to be hunting guides and their clients, locals setting up a fishing camp and a resident rancher whose family has run sheep and now cattle up there for generations. It's really too bad, because Cold Creek offers all of the spectacular beauty and intimate loveliness that Lamoille Canyon does, without the highway, cars and madding crowds.

I haven't wandered around that part of the range since I was a kid. My dad used to hunt deer along the sagebrush benches in that area, and it's still a popular spot with hunters. I'd never been up to Cold Lakes, although it's been on my Ruby Mountain bucket list for many years. My friend Bruce had a rare day off in town, and I was feeling a bit spunky, and so we decided to head out on a voyage of exploration and see if we could make it up to the lakes.

This trip is usually done on horseback and as an overnight (at least), and after having walked the route I can understand why. It is an absolutely fantastic hike in the autumn - really hard to beat - but there's not a lot of shade and there is a fair bit of elevation gain. It'd be hotter than Hades in the summer. Not only that, but there are three big stream crossings that would be pretty challenging when the water's up, making a spring or early summer trip hard to manage. There's a lot of evidence of huge stream flows along the creek. If walking's your bag, wait until fall, when the sunshine is a welcome partner rather than a gumption-drain, and the creek crossings are fun places to teeter on river rock as you cross.

COLD LAKES

Length:  13.4 miles round trip from trailhead

Elevation Gain:  3520'

Difficulty:  Class D - R (difficult with route finding)

Time required: Day hike or overnight

The Cold Lakes are a pair of lovely glacial lakes at the head of Middle Cold Creek canyon, nestled beneath one of the iconic and most photographed peaks in the Ruby Mountains, the Old Man in the Mountains. It's a remote, beautiful area, with a decent old trail that's generally easy to follow, and good trout fishing in the lakes once you get there.

There are a couple of obstacles you'll need to overcome, however, before you even set foot on the trail to Cold Lakes. One, access to this trailhead is through private property and you'll need to get permission from the property owner to go through. The good news is that these guys are long time local ranchers, they're great about access, and if you can catch them at home they're generally happy to give you the combination to the gate. The only caveat to that is when it's really muddy up there - they don't want it trashed and they'll keep the gate locked if it's wet. I won't do them the discourtesy of posting their phone number here, but you can call the rec manager at the USFS, 775-752-3357 or Joe Doucette with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, 775-777-2300 and they'll tell you how to reach them.

The second obstacle comes with trying to find the actual trailhead. There was a sign, once upon a time, but it's not there now and if you don't know how to find it you're in for some very steep ups and downs. Fortunately there's a bridge crossing right off the bat, and if you can find the bridge you're golden.

To get to the Cold Lakes trailhead, head south from Elko on Lamoille Highway, drive through the town of Lamoille to the T intersection at the Lamoille Church. Check your odometer. Turn left at this T onto a gravel road, turn right at the next T, and follow this road as it zig-zags through Lamoille's beautiful ranch country. You'll pass a nice ranch house at the bottom of a hill, with haystacks across the road. Follow the road as it climbs and curves around to the right. At 6.3 miles or so, you'll see a right turn that goes up a hill to a microwave station. Take this road to the locked gate, and open said gate with the combination you got from making all of those phone calls. Check your odometer again.

Drive through the gate on the good two-track road (passable by passenger cars) and follow it to an old homestead ranch. Drive past the ranch house through the gate by the corrals. You'll come to a fork in the road with what once was a pretty useful directional sign, now missing. Take the left fork and drive up a hill, paralleling an irrigation ditch. At the top of the hill, at about 1.6 miles from the locked gate, look for a bridge crossing the ditch on your left. That's your trailhead... park here.

It's pretty easy to get turned around right off the bat, because there are a lot of very predominant cow trails leading off of the main trail, and no signs or rock cairns differentiating the real trail from the rest. Count the drainages and don't take any turns. You'll cross one little dip right after the bridge, and you'll climb up and over to an almost immediate second drainage. That's the south fork of Cold Creek. Cross it, climb up again and over another hill to a much larger drainage - the main Cold Creek drainage, which is the one you want. Cross the creek onto a private ranch road and hang a right into a beautiful tunnel of aspens.

There is a lot of evidence of very high stream flows here. The rancher who runs cows here told me that the creek flooded big-time a few years ago. It took him a long time to clear this out. He and the local hunting guides are pretty much the only ones keeping this trail brushed out these days. The USFS trail crews rarely, if ever, get up here.

You won't go far along this road before you come to a new "National Forest Boundary" sign, followed by a much older sign marking the trail fork to North Cold Creek Canyon and to Cold Lakes, which are at the head of the Middle Cold Creek canyon.

The North Cold Creek crossing, right before it merges with the much larger middle fork.

Once you cross the creek, the trail starts climbing up the spine of a sagebrush and mahogany ridge. The trail right here pretty much goes straight up the fall line, as do many sections of the Cold Lakes trail. There's been significant trail damage over the years, from water and from the thousands of hooves that have pounded it for a century or so. By far, though, the majority of the damage has been done by water erosion.

The trail flattens out when it reaches the ridge, giving you a welcome respite from the climb. It starts contouring around the ridge on a very wide bench that has the look and feel of having been a road many years ago. It is quite plausible that it WAS a road once upon a time, as local lore says that the Southern Pacific Railroad used to take timbers out of this canyon back in the 1800s. There are a lot of very old stumps here and higher up the canyon, giving credence to the story.

At about 2.5 miles you're back in the aspens again, heading towards two more crossings of Middle Fork Cold Creek. Immediately after the first of those crossings you'll come to a trail junction. It isn't on current maps, but the 1967 USFS Forest Users Map shows a trail that leaves from about here and goes over the ridge to the South Fork Cold Creek drainage. We didn't follow it, so I couldn't tell you if that's the old trail or not. There are easier ways into that drainage these days, in any case.

After the next creek crossing you'll walk into an aspen wood with another unsigned trail junction at about 3.4 miles. Take the right fork, and you'll eventually reach a hunter's camp at about 3.7 miles.

It's obvious that the Basque sheepherders used this camp before the hunters did, because there are a lot of great old tree carvings through this stretch. We found legible ones dating back to the 1940's. This one, left by a fairly prolific gentleman named Pierre, was apparently his annual calendar.

Once you pass the hunter's camp, the trail gets quite a bit steeper, averaging an 18% grade. There are significant areas of water damage on the trail from here to the lake, as well as a few opportunities to lose the main tread and utilize cow trails as you continue upwards. The cow trails are in better shape than the main trail in a lot of spots. Generally speaking, once you leave the hunters camp, the trail leaves the creek and hugs the climber's left side of the drainage.

There are great views of the back side of the Old Man of the Mountains through here.

After a couple of steep, erosional climbs, you'll come to a set of rock cairns marking your way through a spot where the tread is pretty much missing. When you reach the first cairn, look to your right for the next one. The cairns in front of you mark what is essentially a cut switchback... the right route is much easier.

Once you pass the cairns the tread is very easy to find, even when snow-covered. There are some switchbacks and rock work to show you that someone did, in fact, construct this trail once upon a time.

It's truly lovely through here, with the austere alpine beauty that has made the Rubies famous. Best of all, you'll very likely have the place to yourself.

The final approach to the lake is pretty steep with a lot of trail damage, and runs along the climber's left side of the outflow stream from the lake.

Last few steps - you won't see the lakes until you're about standing in them.

The Cold Lakes sit in a rocky glacial cirque at just short of 10,000'. There's great fishing up here, and most visitors come up with horses and plan on staying several nights. We found a fully-stocked fishing camp between the lakes, complete with saw, shovel, tent, MREs, pots and pans, fishing pole... and wall art. Quite homey.

Overall, this is a great hike - well worth doing. Next time I'll bring a backpack and fishing pole, and head up a few weeks earlier before the lakes freeze up. This trip, though, was a fast one, and Bruce and I had to take off from the lakes pretty quickly to get back to the truck and beer before dark.

Here's a map of the route. Click on it to make it bigger.

John Day Trail

If you're looking for an easy - really easy - day hike full of fall color, then the John Day trail is your hike. I wanted to get out yesterday but didn't have much time, so figured I'd re-visit this lovely small canyon. What a treat... surprisingly rarely visited given its accessibility and beauty.

John Day is the small canyon looker's right of Soldier Canyon, and the easiest public access is from Soldier Canyon itself. This means two things to visitors... one, fall is hunting season and the Soldier Canyon area is one of the few places hunters can access without having to arrange for permission from private landowners. That means that it's heavily used, often by hunters who don't have a whole lot of experience. Keep yourself safe by wearing day-glo orange - a lot of it. And if you're not absolutely certain your pooch will stay right at your heels, leave him at home.

The second thing to remember about Soldier Canyon is that the access road is closed to motor vehicles from November 15th through May 1st. A lot of people can - and do - use the canyon in the winter, but they park on Lower Lamoille Road and access the canyon on skis and snowshoes. If you want to drive to this trailhead, keep this closure in mind.

Here's some trail beta for you:

JOHN DAY TRAIL

Length:  4 miles RT from trailhead in Soldier Canyon

Elevation gain:  1100'

Difficulty:  Class A (easy)

Time required:  Half-day

The John Day trail is in good shape and is easy to follow. The Backcountry Horsemen and local hunting guides have done a good job keeping this trail brushed out, at least for the first couple of miles, and there are only a few spots where you'll have to step over or duck under deadfall. One guy with a chainsaw could have it cleared in about half an hour.

You'll find the trailhead you're looking for about 3.2 miles along the Soldier Canyon Road after it leaves Lower Lamoille Road. It's the first obvious grassy parking spot once you enter the canyon, and the trail itself is marked with a sign. The trailhead of the John Day Trail is all that's left of the old Secret-Lamoille Trail as it crossed Soldier Canyon. That trail ran from Secret Pass to Lamoille Canyon, largely across the benched foothills of the range, and the John Day Trail junction was about .2 miles in on that trail as it headed south and west from the Soldier Canyon Road.

The first .2 mile of this trail is quite steep - a 21% grade - because it is, in fact, a cut switchback. The original trail actually intersected the Soldier Canyon road a few hundred yards upstream. David Ashby, the former local USFS rec planner who inventoried all of the Ruby Mountain District trails a few years ago, told me that there wasn't a lot of point in re-establishing the old trail since the cut switchback was fairly stable and led to a natural parking area. So - unless you're interested in rooting out the old benched trail bed, this steep little climb right off the bat will be the beginning and the ending of your day. It's not as bad as it looks, and there's thankfully not a lot of dust and loose rock to jeopardize your footing.

Once you gain the top of the little ridge you'll see an old cairn fading into the grass. This old cairn marked the S-L Trail/John Day Trail junction, and if you look you can see the old trail down to Soldier Canyon road off behind the cairn. Unfortunately, the junction it marked no longer exists, as John Day Creek flash flooded a few years back, destroying the crossing and creating an impressive, steep-walled gully barring you from reaching the S-L Trail. It's uncrossable without a rope and a belayer, and dangerous to try. Fortunately, a old subsidiary trail takes off from the John Day trail a little upstream. There's no cairn marking it and it wasn't readily obvious, but I'll chase it down and do a write-up on that one another day.

After you pass the old cairn the trail maintains a steady 10% climb, but the trail's so good and the grade is so consistent that you hardly notice you're gaining elevation. The first half mile or so contours around the climbers' left side of the canyon, through sandy soil with only infrequent shade provided by sparse mahoganies. It's pretty hot and dry through here in the summer, but the views make it worth the walk. There's a relatively new cairn along this stretch - not sure what it marks, perhaps an easier crossing of John Day Creek. Worth exploring if you have the time and aren't afraid of rattlesnakes.

It doesn't take long for the trail to dive into a tunnel of aspen, and this is where it becomes truly lovely. The trail crosses the creek a few times, and you will probably have wet feet if you do this hike during high water.

At 1.7 miles, you'll reach the end of the nicely brushed-out trail at a grassy hunter's camp. Unlike some others, this one's pretty clean and is still a very pleasant place. I was more than surprised to find it unoccupied.

Past the camp, you can walk another quarter of a mile along the creek to a lovely little spot where the stream babbles and laughs in the summer. In the fall, it provides a peaceful spot and a great photo opportunity.

The map shows that the trail goes on for another half-mile, but there's very little evidence past this point that it ever existed. I was able to follow it for another quarter mile, but it was completely overgrown and a full-on bash through waist-deep brush. This trail would be easy enough to reclaim, if anyone were interested. It's a shame to lose the rest of such a nice walk.

Here's the map - click on it (and on any of these photos) to make it bigger.

A quick conditions update

I drove up to Road's End yesterday for a very quick hike up to Island Lake.  One of the things I love about these mountains - if you're training for a big climb somewhere they provide lots of options for training terrain.  Right now I'm teetering around in mountaineering boots carrying a 50-lb pack, getting ready for a trip to Alaska this summer.  I look funny, of course, but then I always do...

Anyway - the snow line on east aspects right now is at about 9600', which on the Island Lake trail means that it's clear all the way to the lip right below the lake.  That trail is pretty much dry, with a few spots where melt water is running down the trail.  The Ruby Crest Trail on the way to Lamoille Lake is snow covered starting at about 9200', with a lot of mud and running water right now.  That route is, by far, much easier to hike at about 6AM before the snow softens up and it becomes an adventure in postholing.  The Stock Trail will be clear much earlier than the regular trail will be, although there is a lot of running water crossing that trail right now.

The Secret-Lamoille Trail is, of course, open as far as they have it constructed.  The gate at the bottom of Soldier Canyon is open... I haven't been up there yet but there's no question that it's open to the end and that the trail is likely open for much of its length, too.  I'll do a real report in a few days.  If you're heading up to Ruby Dome on the Hennen Canyon Trail, you'll hit snow below Griswold Lake.

The lakes are thawing but they are not clear yet.

++++++++++++++++++++++

This provides a great opportunity to talk about how NOT to cause damage while you're up there hiking in the spring.  It's our responsibility to take care of these mountains.  They are beautiful, and they are fragile. Watch your feet!

If the trail is blocked by snow or gushing water, you're going to be very tempted to leave the trail and walk around.  Think very, very hard before you do.  You're likely to be walking on mud and tearing up plants - the beautiful stuff we go up there to see.  Just say no to walking in mud!  Stay on the trail if there's any way you can do it.  It's there for a reason - to protect the mountains from resource damage done by people up there to enjoy them.

You CAN get around up there without doing resource damage if you're careful.  Don't be afraid to get your feet wet by walking on snow.  Snow is the best stuff up there to walk on if you're not going to be on-trail, because you can't hurt it.  If you think you're likely to be walking on snow, start very early in the morning - at dawn or before - to get up there before it thaws.  It's an excellent walking surface when it's frozen.

Your next best option is rock - there are lots of very conveniently placed rocks up there that provide good, safe footing wherever you want to go.  Make a game of it - pretend you're a kid crossing a creek.  You probably won't have to pretend much with that one because you WILL be crossing creeks and looking for  rocks!  Rocks are your friends, and what's more, they're the mountain's friends.

If you can't find snow or rocks to walk on, go for gravel.  Gravel isn't as durable a surface as the previous two, but in all likelihood nothing's growing in it and it will prevent you from sinking in and tearing things up.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS mud off-trail and walking on plants, whether they're growing or dormant.  They have a hard enough time trying to get by up there.  We don't need to make it worse.  One muddy footprint multiplied by hundreds of people means damaged streamsides, damaged trails, dead plants and erosion.  Don't do it.  If you can't get around an obstacle without walking on mud or plants, call it a day and come back later.  The mountains will still be there next time.

Hike classifications

It's been a while since I've posted an update. I tore up my left Achilles tendon several weeks ago - how, I couldn't tell you, but likely from not being as conscientious about stretching as I could/should be. Getting old ain't for sissies, and my days of bounding out of the truck and onto the trail are likely over. Warm up first, please.

At any rate, I've gotten a bit of grief from folks for the (extremely subjective) ratings I've given some of the hikes for which I've provided beta on this blog, most particularly my most recent write-up on Griswold Lake. What's "easy" for me may be less so for other folks, and what I might consider something that should earn a "difficult" rating could be a cakewalk for another person.

Fair enough. Let's take the subjectivity out of it.

Back when I lived in Colorado, I was a member of the Colorado Mountain Club. They have tens of thousands of members and needed a workable rating system to make sure that people signed up for the hikes they were interested in and/or qualified for. Their rating system did a pretty good job in letting folks know what they were in for, so (since plagiarism is the highest form of flattery) I'm going to steal it wholesale. Not only that, but as a courtesy I'll go back and update the ratings I've given various hikes on this blog to reflect this rating system.

Fair enough?

OK, here it is, straight from the CMC website:

Hike Classifications

Hikes (including some trips that require rock-climbing skills) are normally classified as A through D:

Class A: Up to 8 miles round trip and 1200 ft. elevation gain. (Prior hiking experience is usually not necessary.)

Class B: Up to 12 miles round trip and 2500 ft. elevation gain. (Moderate to strenuous physical activity. Some prior experience is beneficial.)

Class C: Up to 15 miles round trip and 3500 ft. elevation gain. (Strenuous to very strenuous physical activity. Prior experience and training is beneficial.)

Class D: Over 15 miles round trip or 3500 ft. elevation gain. (Very strenuous physical activity often including exposure or requiring use of technical skills. Knowledge based on prior experience and training is highly beneficial.)

If you also see the letter "E" after the classification (such as C-E or D-E), the trip involves exposure (i.e., risk of falling) and may require advanced climbing skills.

Got it? That should be easy enough. Since a lot of the hikes around here require route-finding skills, I'll add an "R" after the classification to indicate that, too.

I'll put a link to this post at the bottom of my trail beta from here on out. FWIW, I pretty much considered Class A and B hikes to be "easy" hikes back in my CMC days, C hikes to be "moderate" and D hikes to be the ones most worth doing. ;)

Quick snow update

There's still plenty of it in and around the Rubies' "Greatest Hits" destinations - the trails out of Lamoille Canyon, Ruby Dome, the passes on the Ruby Crest Trail, etc. The trail to Island Lake is clear - the waterfall is absolutely ROARING at the moment! The short trail up Thomas Canyon is open, as is the trail up Right Fork (as far as it goes, it turns into rock cairn and bushwhack about 1.5 miles in).

Those looking for clear trails would probably be best served taking off out of the various Ruby Valley trailheads, or heading towards the East Humboldts. The Secret-Starr trail will be clear - of snow, at any rate - and both Gray Lake and Smith Lake will be open. The Boulders are likely to still have snow at the lakes.

Keep in mind that these trails receive very little use and thus very little maintenance and you'll have to deal with deadfall, overgrowth and/or route-finding. The mile-long trail out of Angel Lake to Smith Lake is new-ish and in good shape. The Secret-Starr Trail between Angel Lake and Gray Lake is easy enough to find, but past Gray Lake can be pretty tenuous.

Time to talk recreation!

Sometimes - ok, for me a lot of times - the decision-making done by our public lands agencies is utterly mind-boggling. Why, for example, do they continue to allow public lands to be locked up by private landowners? Why are they not fighting for land-use ordinance changes that would mandate public lands access whenever new subdivisions go in? Or... why are they allowing themselves to be held hostage by a few loudmouthed crackpots rather than making decisions that genuinely serve the public? Just as a couple of examples. I could come up with dozens... hundreds... thousands of questions.

I'll bet you have a few questions, too, and here's your chance to ask them.

The Northeastern Nevada Stewardship Group is hosting a public question and answer session with representatives from the Forest Service, BLM, and wildlife agencies, November 4th at the Elko Convention Center. Doors open and refreshments will be served at 6:30PM, with a facilitated Q&A session starting at 7PM.

Show up. Bring your questions and comments, and be heard.

If you need info, call NNSG president Larry Hyslop 385-8870.

Quick road and snow update

Good news - they're largely finished with the Lamoille Canyon Road project! There are still a couple of odds and ends they're finishing, but the semi trucks rushing up and down the road are mostly gone and peace has returned to the canyon, by and large. There's still some striping to do and I understand that they're going to put some more emulsion over the chip-seal part to try and tighten up some of the loose material on top. They'll be doing traffic control for another ten days or so... after that, they'll have a small crew up there if needed to take care of punch list stuff, but that's it.

For my money, the chip seal stuff is still too loose for a road bike... hopefully it'll be better after they spray the emulsion over it. The bottom part, from Lamoille Highway up to the Scout Camp, is good to go. They've largely finished the shoulder work, so between the safe shoulders, the smooth pavement and the lack of potholes it should be enjoyable on road bikes and mountain bikes both.

Also - snow has started flying and there's currently snow on the trails at the Lamoille Canyon trailheads. That will likely come and go a time or two before winter sets in, but if you're headed up there be prepared.

If you want to go for a hike and keep your feet dry you can head up the Secret-Lamoille Trail construction project - you can hike in about 3.25 miles before you hit the end of the line that the firefighters cut this spring. It's a lot lower altitude and so won't be seeing snow for a while yet. You can also hike for a while on the Right Fork and Thomas Canyon trails before you hit snow, but once you get up to the tops of the benches you can count on mud, at the very least.

Backpacking with kids in the Rubies

My husband and I recently took our kids for their first backpacking trip. At 9 and 10, it was a grand adventure for those guys... well worth the effort it took to make it happen.

There are several options for folks wanting to get their kids out in the Rubies, but I think that three of them, in particular, are just about perfect.

Lamoille Lake and Island Lake are each about two miles one way, with relatively minimal elevation gain. There are good campsites at both lakes, as well as plenty of trout for the kids to chase. I've swum in both lakes, and they're both cold... but on a hot summer's day they're entirely doable, at least if you have a kid's enthusiasm for swimming. Alas, I am afraid that my alpine-lake-swimming days are likely over.

In any event, the trailheads for both are at road's end in Lamoille Canyon.



The third primo kid trip, IMHO, is Smith Lake near Wells. Smith Lake is in the East Humboldt range (OK, not technically the Rubies, but close enough for government work.) The USFS recently re-did that trail and it's very kid friendly these days. Smith Lake is about a mile one way from the trailhead at Angel Lake. There are, again, good campsites and plenty of trout at Smith Lake. The lake itself is in a really beautiful glacial cirque... a great opportunity to show "glacier tracks" to your kids. To reach Angel Lake, take the west Wells exit off of I-80, head south and follow the signs.



And, FWIW, make sure they have a backpack. One of your daypacks will probably fit... cinch it down tight so that it fits reasonably, and put their clothes and snacks in it. Keep it light. Giving them a pack to carry makes them part of the trip, much more so than would be otherwise.

Mount Gilbert

It's been a few years since I've climbed Mt. Gilbert, and I have to wonder why. What a great climb - stellar views, an impressive-looking peak, all kinds of wildlife... even a good trail that gets you a lot of the way there. What more could a girl ask for?

My friends Bruce and Jeff suggested the trip a couple of weeks ago, and I'm darned glad they did. That said, our day turned into a bit more of an adventure than we'd anticipated - nothing we couldn't deal with, but we ended up back at the truck about seven hours late. Yes, folks, once again I ventured into Seitz Canyon, and once again I ventured into a lightning storm. So far, Seitz and I are batting .1000 for storms.

In the past, when we've climbed Gilbert, we've done so from the Scout Camp, downclimbing our up route back to the truck. One of our number had had recent back surgery, though, and between that and the storm rolling in we opted to downclimb into Seitz Canyon in order to get below timberline more quickly, to avoid slippery rain-soaked rocks, and to avail ourselves of the trail to walk out. As luck would have it, we ended up pinned down by lightning several times, squandering a few hours of daylight we could have used walking out. The good news is that we had a great time, got out safely, and had cold beer and dinner waiting for us when we got home.

Gilbert clearly doesn't get climbed very often - the old cairn and register had been removed since I was last there in 2007, and the new register placed in 2008 had only three entries besides ours. Gilbert looks a little daunting from the road, I guess, but it's such a fun climb and so readily accessible you'd think more people would venture up there. It's a super ski destination in the spring when conditions are safe. It's a darned fun - if not much visited - summer climb, as well.



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Gilbert's obviously an off-trail route, which provides an opportunity to talk briefly about off-trail hiking. If you're reading this blog, this is likely old hat to you, but hopefully this will remind you to share this information with your less-experienced climbing partners.

As off-trail hikers, it's our responsibility to minimize our impact on the mountains we're visiting. As rugged as they seem, the mountains are in actuality very fragile, and it's astonishingly easy for us to create significant ecological damage through careless travel habits. It should go without saying - if you pack it in, pack it out and, what's more, pack out the other idiot's garbage, too. A little less obvious, though, is route selection.

Choose a walking surface that minimizes the potential damage done by your footsteps. The best walking surface for this purpose is - SNOW! Walk on it all you like, you aren't going to hurt anything. It's just going to melt away and leave the plants and soils underneath unimpacted.

If there isn't a handy snowfield you can use, your next best bet is ROCK. Lamoille Canyon is full of conveniently-placed rock rims, boulders, and torso-sized stones, and they make great walking surfaces. Often times you can pick your way through plant areas by stepping rock-to-rock. It usually provides great traction, too. Bonus.

If you can't find rocks where you want/need to go, opt for dirt. This will require some care on your part to avoid causing damage, but it can be done. Look for game trails - they abound, and they're obviously already impacted.

Your last option should be stepping on plants. There aren't a lot of places up the canyon where you can't find snow, rocks or dirt to walk on, but sometimes stepping on plants is necessary. I get it - just keep it to a minimum.



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Here's some beta for would-be Gilbert climbers:

MT. GILBERT - 11,120'


Length: 7 miles RT from Right Fork Lamoille Canyon trailhead

Elevation gain: 4,026'

Difficulty: Class D-E-R (difficult with exposure and route-finding)

Time required: Day hike



Mt. Gilbert is the impressive-looking peak that looms over the Lion's Club Campground nestled at the base of Right Fork Lamoille Canyon. It's a north aspect, meaning that it holds snow and (later) moisture until later in the summer than some destinations. If you're planning on a summer climb, I'd suggest August to snowfall as a good time to consider. That will give time for some of the small waterfalls to dry up, creating a very user-friendly set of staircases to use to avoid brush-bashing.

To get to the trailhead, drive up Lamoille Canyon Road, and turn off at the Lion's Club Campground road. There's a trailhead parking area at the Campground gate. Leave your vehicle there. The trail starts out up the road through the campground - sometimes the people who've rented the campground will get in your face and try to tell you that's not where the trail goes... just smile and show them the carsonite trail signs you're following. They're there.

The trail departs from the road at about the A-frames and makes its way upstream to a couple of small bridges. Cross the creek and follow the trail through a lush collection of aspens and raspberry patches to the top of a glacial bench, about 1.7 miles in. Leave the trail here, crossing the creek and heading through the brush to the base of Mt. Gilbert.



Keep to the left of the dish beneath the peak, and you'll find a small waterfall path that, by August, should be largely dry. This is a great way to make your way up. It's only steep in a couple of places, other than that it's like walking up a rock staircase. You'll eventually end up at a rock band, with a very climbable mini-chute towards the left. Climb up the chute and continue to make your way uphill along a series of rocky ramps.



At about 9900', you'll reach a talus field on the east end of a glacial bench, with a lovely tarn off to your right. Start skirting right here, across the talus, beneath the obvious point, and climbing up to a series of rocky ramps and ledges. You're shooting for a spot just to the left of the lowest part of the ridge between Right Fork and Seitz Canyon. This is the crux of the route... there are a couple of places with some exposure here, where a fall would lead to significant consequences. However, there are some reasonable ledges and the hand and footholds are bomber, so it shouldn't create much whimpering. There isn't a trail, obviously, so you can choose whatever seems safest to you.





Once you gain the ridge, cross over to the other side - not only for easier walking, but also for spectacular views of Seitz Lake and Seitz Couloir, also known as the Come Line by skiers. Walk up beside the ridge until you reach the shoulder of the summit block - it's an obvious change in pitch. Cross over again and traverse across the face until you reach the obvious cleft between the main peak and the eastern sub-peak.




Here's where it really gets fun. This cleft is really wonderful Class 3 climbing, with solid holds up a steady pitch. There are lots of options here... once you gain the top you'll be greeted by spectacular views of a magnificent jagged ridge and a large summit cairn with a sparsely notated register. Enjoy.





To exit, either downclimb your route or arrange a shuttle and exit via Seitz Canyon. If you leave via Seitz, be aware that there are a number of cliff faces you'll have to pick your way through. The easiest down routes to find are closer to the lake.

Map:



Topo - this would be more useful if Google Earth had a summer image, but they don't. Sorry. It at least gives you an idea of where the route goes. You'll note that it's a little bit off - the waypoints are on the ridge and the route is actually on the other side... it's a cliff face where it shows the route on this image. You get the idea, though...