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Road trips: Go east to the Ruby Mountains |
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Written by David Bunker/Tahoe World
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Wednesday, 04 October 2006 |
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 Autumn in Nevada's Alps
Just more than 300 miles east of Reno, in the midst of a the parched high desert of the Great Basin, 11,000-foot granitic walls, spires and pyramids rise into the sky above lush valleys.
The Ruby Mountains and their irridescent Aspens, alpine lakes and gurgling streams, are a mind-blowing change of pace after a 350-mile drive through the gray and brown of bone dry Nevada.
The range is nearly a straight shot from Truckee on Interstate 80. About a half hour south of the mining and ranching town of Elko, the drive becomes much quicker than anticipated once you get east of Reno and enter the 75 mph section of Interstate 80’s flat desert asphalt.
This time of year, the Rubies canyons and hanging valleys are a river of yellow and orange, as millions of Aspens put on a technicolor show before the winter snows arrive.
Like a miniature Sierra Nevada, the range runs less than 100 miles, and averages about 10 miles wide, making the entirety of the mountains easily explorable.
But the glacial canyons put on an autumn display unmatched anywhere near Tahoe. And the fall is peacefully uncrowded in these out-of-the-way peaks.
 If you are in the Rubies for the fall colors, camp at the Thomas Canyon campground off of Lamiolle Canyon for a mere $10 and hike up through fields of orange, alongside a gurgling stream that cascades, falls and pools its way down to Lamoille canyon.
If you want to see lakes, possibly a smattering of snow, and some of the mountains numerous deer, head up the trail at the end of the road in Lamoille Canyon.
After a couple of miles you reach Island and Lamiolle lakes nestled in the folds of the Ruby’s ridges. Head over the top of Liberty Pass, and you’ll be treated to dramatic views of the Rubies next ridglines, and be able to descend quickly to Liberty and Favre lakes.
 Keep an eye out for passing deer, or the Himalayan Snow Cock, a bird that lives only in Asia and the Ruby Mountains.
If you are ambitious, and have a week to burn, you can get a complete look at the Rubies by hiking the trail from Lamoille Canyon along the Ruby Crest Trail for 43 miles.
If you are looking for a more leisurely vacation, stop into the town of Lamoille, situated on the ranchland of the valley floor, and drop into Pine Lodge for a bite to eat or stay in one of their three rooms.
You’ll know when you’ve made it through Lamoille, by the yellow sign that reads “Pavement Ends.”
 The trip back:
On your way back home from the Rubies, don’t forget to stop in downtown Elko and try out one of the many Basque restaurants that are a reminder of the town’s sheep herding history.
Or grab a draft of the one of the Ruby Mountain Brewery’s award-winning beers — Hefeweizen, Amber Ale, Lager or Porter — on tap at the Stray Dog pub. At the Dog, with its flat screen TVs, you can catch a football game, or just sip your brew and watch as miners and cattle ranchers belly up to the bar alongside Ruby Mountain visitors.
 After fueling up, its just a 300-mile drive home through Nevada’s austere moonscape, a giant hospcotch between cousin mountain ranges.
Photos by Ryan Salm/Tahoe World
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 04 October 2006 )
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