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| Backpack | 41.00 Miles |
11,500 AEG |
| | Backpack | 41.00 Miles | 4 Days | | |
| 11,500 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | I have never heard of the Ruby Crest Trail until Chumley mentioned it in the spring of 2020. He said it’s like the Sierras without the crowds & no permits needed. We penciled it in for the summer but were reluctant to finalize anything due to the Covid-19 outbreak. I didn’t think it was going to happen until about two weeks before the trip. We decided it could be done so we went for it and I’m glad we did. We would spend five days in the Ruby Mountains and four of those days backpacking the Ruby Crest Trail. It was a memorable hike that left me thinking of a return.
We would leave mid-afternoon on Monday, June 29th. We drove eight hours to Ely, NV where got a hotel. We drove the last 3-4 hours to Lamoille Canyon and we snagged a walk up in the Thomas Canyon Campground. We spent the rest of the day hiking up the Thomas Creek Trail and another hike to Island Lake. We would enjoy a campfire that night and we got geared up for the backpacking trip.
Day 1 – July 1, 2020
We met our shuttle driver at the Roads End at 7:30am and would make the hour long drive to Harrison Pass on the south end of the range. Once there, our driver continued another three miles up the 4x4 to the trailhead. Many people walk this stretch of road. We said goodbye and started our backpacking trip. The miles are mostly easy as you follow an old road that slowly gains elevation. The views were solid as we made our way north. This section reminded me of the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico. It’s mostly rolling hills covered in tall grass and nice views. We continued on and eventually dropped into McCutcheon Creek where there are some okay campsites. We kept going and arrived at the next drainage called South Fork of Smith Creek which had a nice creek and good camping. To make a long story short, we continued another mile to Middle Fork hoping to find a campsite. There were no good options so we decided to backtrack to South Fork. We were both happy and really enjoyed this campsite.
Day 2 – July 2, 2020
The plan was to head the six miles to Overland Lake so we took our time packing up. We headed out around 9:30am and hiked by, what felt like a scene of a crime, Middle Fork and continued on. The trail made a steady climb as we passed North Fork. There was a trail heading towards the creek and it appeared to be camping down there. We kept at it and the trail kept climbing another 1,500+ ft to the mountain pass. Once there we took a short break and then took our time descending to Overland Lake. There were a few small patches of snow that were easily bypassed. We were the first to arrive at the lake and we selected the prime campsite on the peninsula. Another three groups would show up that afternoon. Also, a storm moved in around 3pm and lasted for an hour. The wind was whipping as rain fell. We hunkered down in our tents and hoped they weren’t going to rip. Luckily the storm blew over and we had a very enjoyable evening.
Day 3 – July 3, 2020
We started early as we had a big hiking day planned. We wanted to cover 13-15 miles and we knew this includes a 12 mile stretch with no water. The first few miles are mostly easy as you drop about 500ft. We hit our last water source around the 1.5 mile mark and we topped off our water and continued on. The trail makes a solid climb and then goes up & down several passes that ranged from 500 to 800 ft climbs. We made steady progress and enjoyed the views. The last high point was Wines Peak and we took an extended break there. We walked over to the high point and ate some snacks and water. From there we dropped way down and then had one more small climb before reaching Favre Lake. This lake was very busy and that was not a surprise. We found a decent campsite and settled in for the evening. We were both wiped out after the big day.
Day 4 - July 4, 2020
We took our time on the final day. We only had six miles to exit and knew it would go quick. We would pack up and head out. The exit started with a 1,000+ ft climb over Liberty Pass. The views were excellent up there. From there it was very easy going as we descended back to Lamoille Canyon. There were a lot of day hikers on their way up and a few small snow patches to bypass. We arrived back to the car a little before noon and took our time packing up. We eventually started driving and headed for Kingman where we spent a night in a hotel. We would return to Phoenix on Sunday.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed our time in the Ruby Mountains. The hiking is fantastic and it wasn’t overly crowded. I prefer the Sierras but this is a great option if you don’t want to deal with permits and want to hike something different. Put this on your list if you’re looking for a challenge and want to see some new terrain in northern Nevada. Thanks Chumley for planning this one. |
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