Ruby Mountains: The Crowning Jewel

LAMOILLE, Nev. — The golden eagle that flew over our car, leading the way up the winding canyon road, may have been the first clue that we were entering a special place. Or perhaps it was the two fawns at dusk, still struggling to learn which way their shaky legs would take them. Maybe it was the early morning light that turned the Ruby Mountains to gold, hinting at the riches that miners here once hoped to find.

Beyond doubt, the Ruby Mountains, called Nevada's Alps, are touched with magic.

We followed in the footsteps and wagon wheel tracks of sheepherders and miners who, in very different ways, believed they had struck it rich when they discovered the glacial canyons and gem-like lakes of this scenic 60-mile-long mountain range.

In the early 1800s, soldiers and other explorers, stopping off on their way to California, panned the streams for gold. Instead of yellow flakes, they found red gemstones that they mistook for rubies, giving birth to the name Ruby Mountains. In fact, those stones turned out to be garnets--common and inexpensive. Still, the name stuck and the beauty of this remarkable range remains undimmed by the passage of time.

The Rubies are mighty, besides being beautiful, with 10 peaks of more than 10,000 feet in elevation. There are year-round snow fields and more than two dozen alpine lakes. Popular Lamoille Canyon is often compared to Yosemite because of its towering peaks and U-shaped valleys.

In late June, a friend and I joined another couple for five days of hiking and sightseeing in the Rubies, a scenic wilderness area that is a leisurely day-and-a-half drive northeast of Los Angeles. Gloria and I planned to meet Bob and Debbie at Thomas Canyon Campground, the only U.S. Forest Service campground in the area. Bob and I had backpacked and hiked in the region from time to time in the past, once getting trapped in a tent for a couple of days because of heavy snow. But this trip was designed to be leisure camping. Our campground had fresh water and a sparkling stream running through it. If we got tired of our own cooking, we could drive down the road to the ranching community of Lamoille for a night out on the town.

Visitors don't have to be campers to enjoy the Ruby Mountains. Accommodations can be found in Elko, Nev., about half an hour away, or in Lamoille. It is possible to fly from Los Angeles to Elko, the nearest town with an airport. Or to fly into Reno, about 300 miles away.