Not long ago we came across an article on Lamoille Canyon near Elko, Nevada. Neither of us had ever been to this area before; we are always up for a good adventure especially one that includes hiking new trails. We headed out on the back roads as we like to discover new places and stay off the beaten path. The drive to Elko was a long one, but well worth it for the scenery. The
Ruby Mountains surpassed our expectations, it was unlike any place we have ever been! The
trails were well marked and the switchbacks made the elevation gain seem like "a walk in the park," compared to some hikes we have taken. Even with the snow, we were able to hike farther than we had planned, 14.25 miles in all. The highlight was reaching seven alpine lakes, with the beautiful Liberty Lake being our favorite. In the past years we have climbed many high mountain peaks, so far in 2013 alpine lakes appear to be a new trend. No doubt about it, the Ruby Mountains are one of Nevada's hidden gems.
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| Hwy 93 and the East Humboldt Range |
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| Barn at the Ruby Guard Station in Secret Valley |
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| Sweet peas growing near the guard cabin |
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| Lamoille Valley |
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| Little Church of the Crosswords at Lamoille |
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| Heading into the Lamoille Canyon Scenic Area |
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| Towering summits and snow fed streams |
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| Lamoille Creek |
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| 12 mile drive into this glacier carved canyon |
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| Beyond Liberty Pass is Liberty Lake, Farve and Castle Lakes |
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| Starting out on the boardwalk at 8,800 ft. |
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| Ruby Mountains are the wettest range in Nevada |
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| We did stick to the trail as much as the snow would allow us |
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| It's starting to look like winter, no that can't be . . . it's June |
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| These ice crystals were melting along the trail, pretty neat to watch |
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| Looking back towards the road and parking area |
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| Pink moss along the trail |
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| The first of the Dollar Lakes at 9,600 ft. |
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| This is the second Dollar Lake |
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| Hiking above Lamoille Lake |
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| Leaving Lamoille Lake behind |
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| Almost to Liberty Pass |
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| We can't believe there's still this much snow at the top |
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| Up on top of Liberty Pass 10,400 ft. |
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| Wow! Our first glimpse of Liberty Lake |
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| We made it and it's a beautiful lake |
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| From here, you can see Castle lake in the distance |
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| Lunch at the lake, we brought our own pizza |
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| Crystal clear water, we could see the trout 10,039 ft. |
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| We're feeling good, so we aren't stopping here |
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| On to Farve Lake next |
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| Farve Lake 9,500 ft. |
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| At 9,783 ft. Castle Lake is above Farve Lake |
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| There are no fish in Castle Lake, only a few pesky bugs so we didn't stay too long |
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| Heading back along the Ruby Crest Trail |
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| The cliffs made up of granite, quartz, marble and other minerals |
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| Farve Lake is disappearing from view as we climb back up the trail |
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| Back up on top and our last view of Liberty Lake before descending down the trail |
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| A strange growth, looks like a brain |
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| This was an interesting tree |
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| We are almost back to the Trailhead, now we are feeling tired |
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A look at where we came from . . . 10.25 miles
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Aerial view of our Ruby Mountain Lakes hike
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| Ranch in Pleasant Valley on the west side of the Ruby Mountains |
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| The next morning we decided to hike into Island Lake |
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| Heading up the trail |
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| Water coming out of Island Lake |
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| Island Lake |
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| Forget-me-not growing near the lake |
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| We had the lake to ourselves |
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| Island Lake 9,672 ft. |
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| On the way back down |
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| Wildflowers along the mountainside |
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| We didn't see anyone else until we were almost to the end of the trail |
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| We stopped for a break along the Ruby Valley Road |
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| Bressman cabin was constructed quite well |
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| Flowers at the cabin |
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| Interesting sign in the restroom . . . |
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| A short foot trail stirred our curiosity |
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| Cave Creek pours out of this cave, it is known to go back a long ways |
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| Nice truck near the East Ely Nevada Train Station |
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| Old wooden train car dates back to 1912 |
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| Handcar you can power yourself for $$ |
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| 40 Rocky Mtn. Railroad Motor Car Operators were taking an excursion |
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| This one has a surf board on top |
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| We spotted these elk near Sacramento Pass |
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| Only in Utah do cows ride on skateboards . . . we came across this on Hwy 21 |
