Review - Secret-Lamoille Trail, Lamoille-Talbot section

A friend of mine - a photojournalist and adventure sports writer - recently blew through town on his way back home from covering the Sea Otter, a huge season-opening mountain bike race meet in California.  While he was here, he decided to give the completed portion of the Secret-Lamoille trail a spin, and here's what he told me via e-mail, along with some photos he took:

"I’ve been riding in the Rubies for about 12 years now. I first rode them back in about 2005, returning from Colorado to the Bay Area, where I lived at the time. I asked the desk clerk at my motel if there was anywhere to mountain bike and she sent me to Lamoille Canyon. My expectations were low and since it was November I hit snow pretty early in my ride and didn’t get far. However, what I saw stuck with me and I’ve been going back at regular intervals, ever since.

"Although I’ve explored the Rubies a bit, my main ride is the one that goes to the pass at the top of Lamoille Canyon. It’s pretty steep and rocky and definitely not for everyone. The scenery and descent are fabulous, though.

"A couple of years ago Sue took me on a short hike up the Secret-Lamoille Trail. Aside from easy access and friendly grades, it didn’t make much of an impression on me at the time. However, after riding it for the first time (the morning after our phone call), I have very different feelings about it. Other than a couple of corners that were too tight for me to make, it’s a very, very nice trail. It flows well and I think it has pretty broad appeal to both beginners and experienced riders. The climb up was pretty comfortable without being boring or easy; and the descent was super fun. I like that they left some rocks in the trail to keep things entertaining. And as you’ll see from the photos I took, the landscape is absolutely spectacular.

"Lamoille Canyon and the Rubies were already a worthy mountain biking destination. But if the Secret-Lamoille Trail can be completed, they will have a whole lot more to offer. The Secret-Lamoille Trail is more than just a fun trail, too. It would provide increased access to the whole Ruby Mountain range, most of which is blocked by private ranches. It’s the beginning of what could be a huge trail network. I would love to see that."

It's gratifying to get such a glowing review from someone who's ridden some of the country's most epic trails, and who has covered some of the most important MTB events in the world. The even more exciting part is that there is the teeny tiny possibility that IMBA, the International Mountain Bicycling Association, may be interested in working with locals to get the trail, finally, completed and built to USFS spec for an MTB and equestrian trail.

We'll see.  The potential is there to develop a trail that could earn IMBA's Epic Trail designation - a designation that will put Elko County on the map for mountain bike tourists. I'm not counting chickens, at least not these ones, but stranger things have happened...

More pretty pictures from my friend John Shafer, a man perhaps better known in MTB and photography circles as Photo-John.  Click on the pictures to make them bigger - you'll be glad you did.

We Like It This Way

I had a rare day working at my desk today, and in an effort to keep from having to do precisely that, I checked out my "spam" folder and saw that I'd gotten a message from a guy who wanted me to write a piece for his blog.  Kind of cool... glad I didn't just empty the folder like I've been known to do.

He has a pretty nifty premise - he's asking bloggers from around the country to talk about adventures in their home states.  Here's what I wrote for him:

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When I was a kid, somewhat more than 50 years ago, there were about 300,000 people in Nevada.  We didn’t have a big enough population to warrant two representatives in Congress, or even statehood for that matter.  We had lots of silver, though, and the Union needed it for the war, so with a wink and a nod they let us join the America club.  Not that it mattered much to the cows and sagebrush that filled the high desert back in the day.

International Car Forest of the Last Church, Goldfield

There are a lot more people in Nevada now, but luckily for the rest of us they mostly live in Vegas.  It takes a little more effort than it used to, but you can still plop yourself in the middle of 200 square miles of nothing.  Real Nevadans like it that way.  Go ahead and dis our state as a wasteland.  Speed on down the interstate.  We don’t mind.

Wendover Will

Nevada echoes… with history, with loneliness, with the ghosts of broken dreams.  With mile after mile of dirt roads and strange, friendly, self-sufficient people who’ll gladly let you through their gates to access some remote stretch of mountain snow, but who’ll warn you that you ought to be packin’ if you go.  Mountain lions, you know, a guy got killed up there a while back.  That’s the story at any rate, and news is so rare in these parts that “a while back” may have happened in the 1800’s.

Photo by Kenny Sheen

I mean, really – you want mountains?  We got mountains, and most of them require some serious map-and-compass skills to adequately explore.  The guidebook-dependent ecotourist need not apply.  There are 300 named mountain ranges in the state – more mountains than in any state other than Alaska.  For my money, my home range, the Ruby Mountains of Elko County, is the prettiest around.  But high deserts are about jewels of oases, and every range in the state has trickling seasonal streams with shady caves of cottonwoods at their bases, bumblebees lazily buzzing in the dappled light.  You don’t have to make it all the way to the Rubies to find Nevada paradise.  Go out and find a special spot of your own.

Seitz Lake, Ruby Mountains

The way to see Nevada, frankly, is to throw away the guidebooks.  They don’t do it justice, anyway.  Get yourself a well-stocked pickup (water, food, camping gear, repair kit, some select maps, extra fuel, a big dose of self-sufficiency) and head out.  “Where does this road go?” is one of my favorite games, and Nevada is the best state in the country to play it.  You never know if you’re going to end up at a cattle trough, an old hydroelectric plant, a mining camp or a washed-out bridge.  Bring some wine and somebody who likes to enjoy a good Nevada sunset, and find a nice high spot to watch the desert turn to night.

Independence Range

Now – keep in mind that people can and do manage to get lost and sometimes killed this way, so take your own safety seriously.  The cavalry may eventually show up – eventually – but even giving directions to AAA in this state is a challenge.  The nearest cross-street may be 89 miles away, assuming that you even have cell coverage to call them (fat chance, generally speaking).

The premise of the #makeadventure theme is to come up with a top five list of things to do and places to see in my state.  My best answer – I don’t know yet, but I look forward to finding out.  No doubt it’s at the end of some washboard road somewhere, in some little bar in a ghost town, complete with friendly fossils holding down barstools.

A few ideas for my next Nevada adventures –

-Dig for opals at the mines near Denio.  Spend some time at the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge while I’m there, see if I can spot some mustangs. 

-Follow the Pony Express Trail.  Bike or horse, whichever works. 

-Look for the old concrete arrows that pilots used to use to navigate cross country.  They’re still there, spaced 10 miles apart, all across the northern part of the state. 

-Go wander out to the bristlecones near Wheeler Peak, see if I can guess which ones were around at the time of Christ. 

-Find the funky – the one-horse towns, the International Car Forest, the showers at Ely’s Hotel Nevada, the Brothel Cookbook, Pioche, the locals just about anywhere. 

Take this sign seriously, folks!

The vastness and small beauties of our high desert will grow on you.  Nevada is windswept, sun-baked, snow-choked, humbling, filled with birdsong.  Spend some time here, and you’ll understand why we’re happy when folks stay on the interstate.

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I had a link to his blog, but I just checked it and it's been hacked. So, I've sanitized this for YOUR PROTECTION. Just like they do to the toilets in Tonopah. You're welcome.

Snow hike in Right Fork

Well, it looks like winter is FINALLY here. And about darned time, I say.

Bruce, RJ and I decided to go out and celebrate by hiking about four miles up Right Fork Canyon yesterday, right into the teeth of the blizzard. We had an absolute ball - smiles all around, when we didn't have our heads down trying not to get sandblasted by the wind and blowing snow. The blizzard conditions were pretty much limited to above the bench - below that, it was a beautiful, calm snowfall.

Just goes to show how variable things can be up there.

We were able to drive all the way to the Right Fork trailhead. It was obvious that the storm had started out as a slushfall - there were about three inches of slush underneath the skiff of snow that was showing. There had been no snow up there in recent weeks, so we decided to leave the snowshoes in the truck and hike it. Not a bad choice, although snowshoes would certainly have been appropriate a couple of miles in.

We crossed the creek at the higher of the two creek crossings just past the Scout Camp. The little bridge is gone, but the water is low and the rocks are placed appropriately to keep one's feet dry.














HooDoo, a favorite ice climbing destination. Don't know that it's been cold enough recently for this to be safe at the moment.














For the most part, once we got above the Scout Camp, the snow was mid-shin deep to just below the knees. It was over-the-knees in a few places.















Once we got above the bench, we were able to hike almost to the creek crossing before the blizzard really started blowing up. A good place to turn around and head back.


















So beautiful up there in the winter.

We turned around right at 8600', which is a little lower than the Lamoille Canyon Road turnaround. There are still a lot of willows showing and no base to speak of.

Figured I'd stay out of the canyon today since there is bound to be a million snowmobiles, will hopefully head up to the turnaround tomorrow on my sled and see if it's skiable yet. Given the avalanche conditions, if I do ski it'll be a meadow-skipping kind of day.

Griswold Lake and the Hennen Canyon Trail

I've always kind of "dissed" Griswold Lake as a hiking destination, largely because I generally have more distant goals in mind: Ruby Dome and Lee Peak, to be exact. The trail up Hennen Canyon to Griswold Lake is the easiest way to access those two peakbagging goals, and so Griswold tends to be a snack stop along the way.

That said, the hike to Griswold is well worth doing. I had a chance to walk up there this weekend, and really enjoyed the snow, the silence, and the herd of big bucks I saw along the way. ATVs won't make it up this canyon, so the bucks are largely safe from Elko County hunters. Given the sometimes slippery footing and the late start I managed, I was happy to have a headlight along. It got pretty dark around 4:30pm. The trail's so good, though, that getting back to the truck was easy-peasy.

Here's a little beta for those interested in making this trip.

























HENNEN CANYON TRAIL TO GRISWOLD LAKE

Length: 6 miles RT from Spring Creek Association campground trailhead

Elevation gain: 2750'

Difficulty: Class C-R (moderate with route-finding)

Time required: Day hike or overnight
The Hennen Canyon trail is a great day hike or overnight for those interested in an easy-to-moderate, accessible, low-commitment trip away from the mass of people that populates Lamoille Canyon. Because this trail is the main access to Ruby Dome, it sees regular use in the summer and a fair bit of use in the fall and winter. Most people don't go far up the trail when the snow comes, though, and you can just about be guaranteed of having the place to yourself as the days start growing short.


Hennen Canyon Trail


If you choose to make this an overnight, there is good camping at Griswold Lake. The lake itself is very shallow, with a mud bottom and a rock in the middle that makes for an excellent swimming goal. There are fish in the deepest part of the lake. An overnight at Griswold and a hike up Ruby Dome makes for a fun weekend trip.

The Hennen Canyon trail is a non-wilderness, non-motorized trail, meaning it's open to hikers, horsemen, mountain bikers, skiers, etc. However, while the trail clearly sees some maintenance from USFS crews, there are some large-diameter deadfall logs that make the going pretty difficult for the horsey set. In addition, once the trail leaves the trees, it spends a lot of time traveling through some very rocky terrain. While I know that horsemen can and do occasionally get their animals up there, it's very difficult going in places and there's a high probability that your horse will be injured. Be advised. As far as MTBs go - it's well beyond the capacity for my legs and lungs. If you're up for a steady 16% grade, have at it. I've never seen a bike up there, or even tracks... that doesn't mean that it can't be done, but it certainly isn't an entry-level MTB trip.

I couldn't begin to tell you the "official" USFS name for this trail. It is located in the bottom of Hennen Canyon, along Butterfield Creek, up to Griswold Lake. I'll call it the Hennen Canyon trail, but if you ask at the ranger office they may well call it something else.



The hike is rated Class C-R (moderate with route-finding). The hike itself isn't difficult - there's not much elevation gain in the scheme of things, it's not that long, there's no scrambling or exposure. The first two miles or so are on good, reasonably well-maintained trail that's easy enough to find, even in winter. That said, you will be spending some of this hike off-trail following rock cairns, some of which are difficult to see. Not only that, but you will need to be comfortable out there on your own - there's no road up this canyon, no way to get an ATV up there, and you'll need to be prepared to self-evacuate if you have an issue.

One other note - if you are not a Spring Creek property owner, you are technically trespassing using this trail. You have to go through a section of land owned by Spring Creek Association to get to it. I've never heard of anyone being hassled about this, but if somebody does get in your face about it, don't say that you haven't been warned. Stay low-profile, be a good guest, and hopefully their non-harassment policy won't change.


GETTING THERE:
Hennen Canyon is accessed through the Spring Creek Association campground. To reach the SCA campground - from Elko travel SE on Lamoille Highway (5th Street) approximately 17 miles to Pleasant Valley Road, a dirt road that takes off straight as an arrow towards the Rubies. The road will make a 90-degree turn - at this corner you'll see a locked green gate to the left. If you have a key to the gate you can save yourself some walking by driving in. Otherwise, park here and climb over the gate.

THE HIKE:
From the gate, walk or drive up the dirt road and take the right fork up to the campground. The road switchbacks up past some pull-out campsites and eventually dead-ends at a flat turn-around with a nice view of the valley. There'll be a large sign that says "Ruby Dome 4 mi, Griswold Lake 3 mi". Follow the arrows, cross Butterfield Creek on a nice new-ish bridge, pass through the man-gate and you'll be on the trail proper.

The trail maintains a pretty steady 16% grade overall. This can be a little... eye-opening... right out of the gate. It can also be fairly annoying in August, when the trail tread is dusty and somewhat slippery, particularly on the downhill. It does get better when you get past the initial sagebrush rise. The grade doesn't really relent but the trail surface improves. Other times of the year, when the trail isn't dusty, it makes for fine walking.

You'll pass through a second man-gate somewhat more than half a mile up the trail. At this point, you're on the Forest proper and are no longer trespassing. Be sure and close the gate behind you.


Butterfield Creek

The trail climbs up to the left of Butterfield Creek, weaving in and out of the aspens and mahoganies on the way up. It's easy to find, even with the snow - follow the tree carvings and cut logs if you can't see the tread itself. There are carvings by Basque sheepherders dating back to the 1930's that are easy to find without much looking. You might find even older ones if you look hard enough.


Old carvings























At about two miles in you'll reach the end of the aspen grove and will be faced with a large, flat rock outcropping. This is a good turn-around spot if you're on a horse or are interested in a shorter, easier hike. If you're interested in pressing on, head up the rock, walk uphill and start looking for rock cairns.


The rock bench begins

There are some really nice views of Spring Creek, Elko Mountain and the Adobe Range from here. Don't forget to take time to gawk.


Valley view

There are about four lines of rock cairns that will eventually lead you up the rock bench to the lake. They all follow roughly the same path, so it doesn't really matter which line you follow. The cairns pretty much hug the left bank of the draw in the middle of the rock bench - if you lose the line it is no big deal, it just might take you a couple minutes more getting up there.

You'll go through a bit of a squeeze right next to the creek, and then the canyon will widen out again. At this point, there are two draws below the lake. The cairns, again, hug the left bank of the left draw, the obvious snow-filled gully in this picture.


Final approach to Griswold Lake

Once the grade begins to relent, you'll know you've all but reached the lake itself.


Griswold Lake


Griswold campsite

If Griswold Lake is your goal for the hike, hang out for a bit, have a snack and enjoy the day before heading down. If Ruby Dome is your ultimate goal, I'll do a real write-up for you one of these days. Generally speaking, though, the easiest way to do it is to circle around the left of Griswold Lake, making your way uphill to the wide saddle between Hennen Canyon and the right fork of Seitz Canyon. Stay on the rocks, stay off of the plants! Once you've gained that saddle, skirt to the right of the large knob, then start picking your way across the boulders up to the obvious low point to the west of the Dome. Once you've achieved that low point, Ruby Dome is to your left, Lee Peak is along the ridge to the right.

Transition into winter

I lost my camera this summer and so haven't been all that great about taking and posting photos. Sorry about that! Anyway, here are a few recent ones celebrating the gorgeous transition from fall to winter.

They're crappy phone photos, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. I finally broke down and got another camera, though... luckily the Rubies are gorgeous enough that those stunning alpenglow sunsets I photographed with my phone - yeah, I didn't think it'd work but I had to try - they'll be back. And I'll be equipped to photograph them.

From a hike up to Liberty Pass a couple of weeks ago:

Thomas Canyon hike, with my friends Bruce and Jeff. It started out pretty dreary but turned into a truly lovely mountain day.

Recent hike up to Lamoille Lake. Not enough snow for skiing the Dollars yet.

Well, the CALENDAR says it's summer...

... however, the mountain says it's not. Quite.

I finally had a chance today to break away from my inhumane schedule and head for the hills. I've been wanting to throw some skis on my pack and see what's been going on for a while now.

What's going on is a lot of snow, a lot of water, and a lot of amazing beauty.




I checked the SnoTel site before I left this AM, and it said that it had gotten down to 42 degrees overnight at 7700'. That puts it at somewhat below freezing up higher, which made it a safe bet for reasonable skiing conditions. I left the trailhead at 6A, which was a pretty good choice timing-wise. The temperatures were enjoyable, the snow was still frozen and easy walking. I didn't even bother to put my skis on, just hiked up the frozen snow.

It was a snow hike just about from the trailhead. I left the trail about 200 yards in - water was running pretty much continuously down the trail and hiking up the snow was both easier and less damaging to the tread.

You could hear the roar of the creek, the singing birds, the silence of the snow. Breathtaking.




There is more than 100cm of snow at the Ruby Mountain Heli-ski snow stake, a few hundred yards above the trailhead.

About a half-mile in, in a flat snowy open space, I came upon an area where somebody had had a fire. Fine, as far as it went... until I looked more closely and realized that somebody had burned a snowmobile up there. They dragged the burnt carcass out but had left lots of little burned-up pieces in their wake. Seriously, it was funny as hell but come on, clean up after yourselves...

But I digress.

After a couple of hours hiking I got to the top of Liberty Peak, which I figured was an appropriate goal for the morning. It's clear that there is going to be decent summer skiing for a few weeks yet. It is just as clear that the Ruby Crest Trail and other high destinations are going to be snow trips for quite a while.

Here are Lake Peak, Wines Peak, Castle Lake, looking south-ish along the Crest Trail.




This is Fitzgerald and the cirque at the top of Box Canyon. Good destination for early risers.




It's not real obvious from below, but there's a huge crack in the ice in Lamoille Lake, the extent of which is very apparent from above. Probably a good idea to stay off the ice. Click on the photo to enlarge it and really see the crack.




The skiing was good for the end of June. The chute I picked to get into the Lake Shot was a little on the crunchy side - should have chosen one farther skier's left - but Sweet Thing really lived up to its name.






All in all, the canyon is going OFF right now. Waterfalls everywhere, a million flowers, new leaves slowly working their way uphill. If you're planning on hiking, though, plan on snow and start early if you're not into postholing.

Winter on the Secret-Lamoille Trail

I wasn't into the big time commitment necessary for a ski tour today, and so decided to go for a quick winter hike on the under-construction Secret-Lamoille Trail. What a nice change of pace!

I was gratified to see a lot of tracks on the trail - it's clearly getting steady winter use, which just goes to validate the years of work I and others put into getting this project off the ground. It makes sense, though - not everybody wants to use a motor for winter fun, and not everybody is a backcountry skier. An accessible lower-elevation trail like this is going to see use by folks who want to get out and enjoy the winter mountains in a low-commitment kind of way.

Right now, the trail surface varies between mud, frozen mud and snow. It's quite walkable, but if you have the option go early in the morning to enhance the chance that you'll be walking on a frozen trail surface. It'll be easier walking and better for the trail. Snowshoes are no longer necessary.

The trail is very easy to find for about the first 1.5 miles, where the GBI crews left off working last summer. After that, the line is still very much there but it's a little harder to locate in spots. If you're up there and can't see where the trail goes, look behind you. The difficult-to-find places were, by and large, undefined switchbacks.

The views up there in the winter are astounding, even with a little spindrift thrown in for fun.

Ruby Crest Trail - beta, maps and photos

I've hiked or ridden a horse on the Ruby Crest Trail for decades - I first hiked to Lamoille Lake as a barefoot nine-year-old, and first overnighted with my horse (and otherwise by myself) at North Furlong when I was about 12. It's been seven years or so since I hiked it from end to end. To me, it's kind of like one of those great books you read over and over and over again - you don't want to over-do it, because you don't want to lose the sense of wonder it engenders.

As it turns out, one of my outdoorsy friends who's relatively new to the area hadn't yet done the Crest Trail, and hell - as far as I'm concerned, if you're at all interested in the outdoors and live in the shadow of the Rubies then there's no excuse NOT to do this trip. It was a great opportunity for me to see the trail through somebody else's eyes, and to enjoy again for myself the beauty that this trail holds.

Right now, the trail is in pretty reasonable shape. We've had a recent heavy snowstorm, so there's a lot of deadfall across the trail from Harrison Pass to McCutcheon Creek. If you're bringing a horse, bring a saw. The early part of the trail, before it leaves the North Smith Creek drainage to head over the crest to Overland Lake, is very findable but quite overgrown. The tread is good, just expect to be wading through a lot of young aspen shoots.

Here's the beta for folks interested in doing this trip:

RUBY CREST TRAIL

Length: 31 miles, plus an extra mile to access lakes
Difficulty: Moderate, all on trail
Day 1: Class B
Day 2: Class C
Day 3: Class D
Day 4: Class A
Time required: 3 night/4 day backpack

The Ruby Crest Trail has a lot to offer just about anybody interested in the backcountry. For backpackers, it's an assessable, beautiful, easy-to-follow trail that wanders through some of the most spectacular desert mountain scenery imaginable. For horsemen, it's a beautiful trail that any reasonably competent mountain horse and/or horseman can do. For hunters and fishermen, there is game aplenty and the fish always seem to be biting. If you have the time and the energy, the Ruby Crest Trail is a must-do trip.

In my experience, it's best to leave a vehicle at the Lamoille Canyon Road trailhead, and arrange a shuttle to start your trip from Harrison Pass. There are a number of reasons for doing the trip this way: first, you'll have the sun at your back, not in your face, for most of the trip. Second, you'll cover the potentially dustiest part of the trail first, as well as the most tedious of the switchbacks. You'll go down the steepest of the switchbacks, not up them. Third, you'll not have to worry about meeting somebody at a specific time at the end of the trip. And, finally, you'll save the best for last... the scenery just gets better as you go along, hour by hour, mile by mile. This is gorgeous country, and it's more beautiful with every step you take. Don't hesitate to dawdle.

Every day of a Ruby Crest Trail trip features something different, if you break it up into a four day trip. The first day, from Harrison Pass, is dominated by a lower-altitude ecosystem full of aspens, creeks, and ranching history. In fall, when the leaves are changing, it's stunning. Day two, heading into Overland Lake, introduces you to the Ruby Crest itself as well as the Ruby Mountain high-alpine ecosystem and some of the most impressive historical CCC trail work of the trip. The third day is dominated by the sweeping Ruby Crest... mile after mile of lonely, austere, wind-swept ridge with unending Great Basin views. Day four is the day of alpine lakes... a chain of glittering jewels scattered among some of the most jagged peaks of the range. Breathtaking.

The trail is open year-round, and you'll want to choose your time for a trip based on your expectations. Some few hardy souls do it as a ski tour. The route is snow covered and/or muddy in many places until June, and the high passes reliably hold snow until early July. Starting in July, though, the route is a riot of bursting spring, with wildflowers everywhere and plenty of water in myriad creeks and streams. In August it can be very hot, with the trail dry and dusty on the Harrison Pass end. Starting in mid-September, though, the colors are back, this time with the changing leaves of autumn. Once the precipitation starts again, with rain or the first little snowfall, travel becomes less dusty and incredibly beautiful again.

To reach the Harrison Pass trailhead, take Lamoille Highway out of Elko to the intersection with Jiggs Highway (there's a stoplight). Turn right and stay on the highway through Jiggs and into the mountains to the top of Harrison Pass. There's plenty of room for parking here. If you are in a passenger car or are towing a horse trailer, this is where you'll start your trip. If you're in a 4WD, you can turn left onto the signed Ruby Crest Trail jeep road and drive another 2+ miles to a kiosk parking area. The road gets significantly rougher after the kiosk, the walking is pleasant enough and the first day is a short one anyway, so there no reason to keep driving past this point.

This trip is described as a four day backpack; however, extra days can easily be added by spending an additional night at Overland, Liberty or Lamoille lakes. Hunters might consider spending a night in the McCutcheon Creek drainage, as well.


DAY ONE - HARRISON PASS TRAILHEAD TO SOUTH FORK SMITH CREEK

Distance - 8.5 miles
Elevation gain (loss) - 1800' (1900')

McCutcheon Creek Drainage

The first day of the trip is spent winding in and out of a series of drainages, walking through a tunnel of aspens through an overgrown part of the trail. The tread is good and you won't lose your way, but expect to spend some time brushing through low-slung aspen shoots or occasionally watching your head. This part of the trip can be full of bug dust in late summer, be advised.

Once you leave the kiosk, you'll walk uphill along a rough jeep road for about three miles, until you reach a saddle with a sign that points varyingly to the Green Mountain Trail (indistinct) and the Ruby Crest Trail. At this point, the route becomes singletrack, and you'll reach the wilderness boundary in less than a mile. The trail traverses along, never losing or gaining much elevation. You'll pass an intersection with a trail down Gilbert Creek along the way, and will see an old Forest Service sign there telling you that you're on the Harrison-Lamoille Trail. There are a few boggy spots along the way. At five miles you'll reach McCutcheon Creek. If you get a late start or are out looking for deer, there's decent camping here, along with reliable water. Otherwise, press on into the next drainage.

Once you cross McCutcheon Creek you'll start walking somewhat steeply uphill to a saddle between the McCutcheon and Smith Creek drainages, and then unfortunately you'll lose a lot of the elevation you gained walking downhill to the south fork of Smith Creek. Get used to it, you'll be gaining and losing elevation for the duration of the trip.

You'll eventually enter a forest of large aspen trees that holds a lot of carvings from the sheepherders who have been working in the area for decades. At first, the sheepherders who left their marks here were Basque; these days they're mostly from Peru. There are quite a few names carved in the trees from hikers and horsemen as well... if you're a local you'll likely recognize a few of the names.

At 8.5 miles you'll reach the south fork of Smith Creek. There's a good campsite in an aspen grove near the creek crossing. Antonio Hidalgo, a sheepherder from Peru, spent 1982 and 1983 here, "con mucho cojones y poco dinero." If you're on a horse, there's a spot just downhill from the campsite where you can build a temporary corral in the aspens. Unfortunately, we didn't see any fish in the beaver ponds that abound in the area, perhaps you'll have better luck.

Day 1 map... click on it to enlarge:

DAY TWO - SOUTH FORK SMITH CREEK TO OVERLAND LAKE

Distance: 6 miles
Elevation gain (loss): 2600' (1000')

This is the day you'll first be on the actual spine of the Rubies, at least for a while. It's a short day, which is a good thing because you'll want to take time and savor the sights today. If you're traveling on horseback, give your horse a chance to graze in the morning because the grazing at Overland is very limited.

North Fork Smith Creek

You'll climb fairly steeply out of the South Fork of Smith Creek, and then lose elevation gradually to cross the Middle Fork. You'll intersect a trail here that goes down to Mound Valley, and uphill to a small un-named lake. There's reliable water but no place to camp. Climb uphill again out of the Middle Fork drainage... and keep climbing into North Fork. The climb's not steep but it is steady, and is largely through a forest of scrub aspen. You'll pass a marked intersection with the North Fork Smith Creek trail, which goes down to private property at the base of the range. There's minimal camping available in the last stand of large aspens at timberline, as well as a small trickle of water from a spring uphill. The trail climbs steadily up a series of switchbacks about 1500' out of the bowl, to finally reach the spine of the range.

The views here, of Ruby Valley and the endless ranges of the Great Basin, are breathtaking. In July there will be masses of wildflowers - mule-ear daisies, paintbrush, lupine, maybe even phlox and forget-me-nots, if you're early enough. And, take note of the trail itself - the men of the CCC did amazing rock work here, clawing this trail out of the mountain. It's truly something to see and appreciate.

Overland Lake Cirque

After a short time traversing the ridge, you'll be greeted with a stunning view of Overland Lake and the beautiful tarn above it. The trail makes its way down a series of steep switchbacks to the absolutely lovely little tarn, and then switchbacks again through a field of red and yellow columbines and willow bushes down to Overland Lake itself. If you choose to visit the tarn, stay on the rocks - the grass around the tarn is actually a bog, and something you don't want a careless boot or hoof to damage.

Once you reach Overland Lake, you can find a number of campsites around the cabin and the rocks surrounding the lake. Firewood is scarce, as is grazing. DON'T tie your horse to a tree next to the lake, as some careless folks had done shortly before our trip. Instead, look for the horse camp downhill a bit from the lake, to the east of the outlet stream, and build a temporary corral there. It's well-established, horse campers visit Overland quite regularly. Again, there's little grazing here, so you'll want to bring some horse nuts or other type of weed-free feed for your pony.

There's a good chance that you'll find equipment and supplies in the old cabin on the shores of Overland. They were likely left there by one of the guides working in the area. Don't plan on using the cabin for sleeping unless you like mice and spiders.

The fishing at Overland is fantastic, so anticipate augmenting your dinner with trout. They won't be big but they sure are hungry.

Overland Lake

Day 2 map... click on it to enlarge:





















DAY THREE - OVERLAND TO NORTH FURLONG (FAVRE)

Distance: North Furlong - 11.5 miles, Favre - 13.5 miles
Elevation gain (loss): North Furlong - 4500' (4000'), Favre - 4800' (4700')


Day Three will show you how well your backpack and hiking boots fit, as well as demonstrate the beauties of Ibuprofin. It's the longest day of the trip, with some of the most spectacular scenery. Once you leave the Overland Creek drainage, there is no water along the trail until you reach North Furlong, so plan accordingly.

Whether you head for North Furlong Lake or Favre Lake depends on your priorities for the trip. If your emphasis is on fishing, head to Favre. I've been staying at North Furlong since I was 12 years old, and have yet to even see a fish in that lake. They're supposedly there, but I have zero first-hand evidence of it. Favre, on the other hand, is full of enthusiastic and suicidal trout just waiting for you to tempt them into your frying pan.

If fishing isn't all that for you, stay at North Furlong. One, it's a shorter day, but two (and most importantly) the terrain between North Furlong and Favre is breathtakingly beautiful, and it really is best to enjoy it in the morning with fresh legs and eyes. There's plenty of camping at the lake itself, as well as a really nice campsite right at the intersection between the Ruby Crest Trail and North Furlong Trail. You can get water by walking several yards up the Furlong trail.

Either way, get an early start from Overland Lake. You'll be above timberline for the majority of the day, so you'll want to try and minimize any potential exposure to afternoon wind and lightning.

Sunrise at Overland Lake

The trail takes off next to the old cabin, and starts off by dropping down to the intersection with the Overland Creek Trail, leading to Ruby Valley below. It then begins a 4 mile rising traverse around the huge Overland Creek drainage. This is lovely country, complete with some beautiful waterfalls (large and small), a nice hanging valley that makes for a good side trip if you have the time and energy, and some impressive trail-building work by the men of the CCC.

Overland Creek drainage

Top off your water bottles at the beautiful black slab waterfall, if you haven't already. You may cross another stream after that, but it's not as reliable and it's better to be safe than sorry.

After four miles and 2500' of elevation gain (with 1800' of loss, there's that recurring theme again), you'll reach the spine of the range at Peak 10,207', and you'll see what the rest of your day will look like. You'll be hiking up, down and around a series of six "Groundhog Day" points, all along an austere, wind-swept ridge that offers stunning 360' views of the best of the Great Basin. Shade is nearly non-existent - there are a few wind-sculpted pines up here, but most of the plants are ankle-high. The trail grades aren't steep and the walking is very pleasant. You'll get a great view of some of the range's named peaks along the way, including Ruby Dome, Ruby Pyramid, King Peak, Snow Lake Peak, Silliman, Mt. Gilbert, and Lake Peak, among others. The third peak you go over, instead of around, will be Wines Peak, and the last of the points you'll climb for the day. Watch out as you switchback down to the sweeping saddle between Wines Peak and Lake Peak for a gorgeous wind-sculpted pine teetering over Ruby Valley, with an old USFS sign nailed to its trunk. Both are testaments to the extremities of weather here.

Looking back towards Overland Lake, Ruby Crest Trail

Gedney Creek drainage from Ruby Crest Trail

You'll drop off of the broad saddle into a quiet and lovely limber pine forest. If you're staying at North Furlong, or particularly at the camp at the trail intersection, you're a few feet from done for the day. If you're planning on hiking to Favre, your route will start to climb again after that intersection to a narrow pass between the North Furlong and Kleckner Creek drainages. PLEASE stay on the trail, even if there's snow - there has been a lot of damage here from people (and particularly horses) cutting switchbacks.

Trail between North Furlong and Kleckner Creek

Once you clear the pass you'll switch back down into an intimate, spring-filled drainage... a beautiful Ruby Mountain garden. Take some time to enjoy this, even if you're tired - it's your reward for a lot of work getting here. The trail wanders around a little bit, gradually losing elevation, until you round a big rock corner and start making your way to Kleckner Creek. You'll pass an old, decommissioned trail that goes to Favre Lake, will cross the creek and pass a trail heading down the canyon, and will eventually reach a good trail leading to Favre Lake itself. There are a couple of very nice horse camps downhill from the lake, as well as good backpacker camping in the trees next to the lake itself.

While you're here, take a few minutes to hike the short uphill to Castle Lake. You won't be disappointed.

Day three maps, south to north. Click on them to enlarge.















































DAY FOUR - NORTH FURLONG (FAVRE) TO LAMOILLE CANYON TRAILHEAD

Distance: North Furlong - 7 miles, Favre - 5 miles
Elevation gain (loss): North Furlong - 1250' (2500'), Favre - 900' (1600')

Keep your camera at hand this last day of the trip, because the opportunities for stunning photographs are endless. This is the day you'll walk to (or past) the chain of lakes that is the heart of the Ruby Mountains - Favre, Castle, Liberty, Lamoille, the Dollars.

Favre Lake and Liberty Peak

Once you leave the shores of Favre Lake, you'll switch back uphill to Liberty Lake - deep, blue, nestled under Liberty Peak in a beautiful mountain cirque. There is wonderful camping here, and if you're looking for a way to stretch out your trip, this is a great place to stay. Gain a little more elevation, and you can catch a view of Liberty, Favre and Castle, all three, along with jagged Lake Peak towering over them all. Along the trail, as you climb above Liberty, there'll be thousands of wildflowers in July, as well as small springs hosting an evident population of wild onions. Convenient for the onions and trout to be so close together.

Liberty Lake and Lake Peak

You'll reach 10,400' Liberty Pass less than two miles after leaving Favre, and will get your first look at sweeping Lamoille Canyon. You can see the tiny trailhead below from here, as well as Verdi, Snow Lake and Full House Peaks, although you won't be able to see any of the lakes from the pass itself. Switchback down the impressive trail, keeping your boots on the tread in order to avoid destroying the thousands of fragile alpine flowers you'll pass. This pass holds snow quite late into the summer, so staying on the trail will require a conscious decision on your part to do the responsible thing. The trail winds its way down from Liberty Pass to reach Lamoille Lake in about a mile.

Swimming in Lamoille Lake

Lamoille Lake is a beautiful, greenish-blue lake tucked into a rocky cirque, full of trout and with good camping nearby. It gets a lot of day-hiking visitors, so you likely won't have the place to yourself. If you have the opportunity, take out some of the trash that's inevitably been left behind. Your backpack will likely be pretty light at this point, and there's a trash can at the trailhead. The place isn't a disaster by any means, but you may have a chance to pick up an item or two as you walk along the trail.

The trail forks just below the lake. It's 1.5 miles to the trailhead via the left fork Stock Trail, and 2 miles to the trailhead via the right fork. The right fork is shadier, if longer. The left fork is largely in the sun, steeper, and bursting with wildflowers in July. If you take the left fork you'll miss the Dollar Lakes, which are well worth seeing. Let your knees and your appetite for alpine lakes and/or wildflowers be the deciding factor.

One of the Dollar Lakes

Hopefully, once you've reached your vehicle, you'll also reach a cooler full of beer and some sandals to change into. Both will be very welcome after your days on the trail.

Day 4 map - click on it to enlarge.
























OPTIONS:

If you want to make this a four night trip, instead of a three night trip, consider camping at Liberty or Lamoille Lakes, or spending an additional night at Overland.

There's a peak register on Wines Peak, if you want to scramble the ten feet or so to the actual peak and look for it.

Lake Peak is a very easy climb from the Wines Peak/Lake Peak saddle. Liberty Peak is a very easy scramble from Liberty Pass.

If you continue on the Favre Lake trail, rather than returning to the Ruby Crest trail, you'll contour around the east end of Favre and eventually gain Liberty Lake that way. It's a very short walk up to the saddle above that trail to peer into the isolated Colonel Moore drainage.

If you want to avoid the Harrison Pass end of the trail altogether, you can access the trail via the Overland Creek trail that leaves from Rock House in Ruby Valley. That is a steep, dusty trail that sees a lot of horse traffic, but because it does it'll likely have been recently cleared of deadfall by one of the packing guides. If you know one of the private property owners in Jiggs along Smith Creek Road, there's good trail access that way, as well.

Bailing out of a Ruby Crest Trail trip isn't easy and will require a lot of travel through some very isolated terrain. Be advised that you won't be able to get a reliable cell phone signal for much of the trip. Once you leave the Overland Creek drainage, you're probably best off staying on the trail itself, if possible. That said, there are good trails out of Smith Creek, Overland Creek, and Long Canyon, all of which (eventually) will get you to civilization. The trails out of North Furlong and Kleckner are unmaintained and sometimes hard to find.