[hikingshen]

Spent a week exploring the Nevada Great Basin in late September/early October. Vast and amazing landscapes with relatively few visitors (except at Wheeler Peak and Lamoille Canyon). Summited three ultraprominent peaks in Nevada (Arc Dome, North Schell Peak, and Wheeler Peak) and day hiked to some nice lakes in the Ruby Mountains (Liberty Lake and Smith Lake). Aspens were at or close to peak fall color during my visit and saw plenty of bristlecone pines as well, including the awesome Magic Grove in Great Basin National Park, which is still little-visited and not to be missed. Skies were mostly clear early on during the trip but smoke from the California fires moved in by the last two days of the trip. More detailed write-ups in the blog: Ruby Mountains Liberty Lake- busy but beautiful day hike to a string of lakes, maybe the prettiest spot I visited in the Great Basin Thomas Canyon- day hike to a cirque near Lamoille Canyon with amazing fall colors Smith Lake- easy half day hike to a small lake not far from I-80. Great Basin National Park Wheeler Peak- tallest peak in the Great Basin, awesome views of the Snake Range and nearby cirque, busy trail Bristlecone-Rock Glacier Trail- bristlecone pine grove that was once home of Prometheus (oldest tree) and Nevada's only glacier, busy trail Magic Grove- an extraordinarily beautiful bristlecone pine grove on the slopes of the Snake Range that is home to the bristlecone pine on the Great Basin National Park quarter, few hikers Other ultraprominent peaks: Arc Dome- remote Great Basin peak with amazing views, very quiet North Schell Peak- one of my favorite hikes on the trip- amazing desert and mountain views without the crowds of Wheeler Peak Here are some highlights and quirky things that I saw: Fall colors: Aspens were looking great in the first week of October. Especially loved the colors at Thomas Canyon in the Ruby Mountains, around North Schell Peak, on the way to Arc Dome, on Wheeler Peak, and in the Snake Creek drainage on the way to Magic Grove.

Thomas Canyon 1

Magic Grove 3

Wheeler Peak 3

North Schell Peak 3

North Schell Peak 2

Arc Dome 2

Basque arborglyphs: Basque sheepherders left messages on aspen trunks in groves throughout the mountains of the Great Basin. While these supposedly can be found in almost any of the Great Basin's ranges, I found the best preserved ones at Arc Dome and North Schell Peak. Arborglyphs ranged from basic signatures to political messaging (in support or opposition to Fidel Castro, the US government, and/or Spain) and sometimes explicit carvings of sheepherder fantasies. These range in age from the turn of the previous century up to the 1960s; since individual aspen trunks usually don't survive much over a century, these won't be around forever.

Arc Dome 19

North Schell Peak 4

Arc Dome 21

Bristlecone Pines: The oldest trees in the world are a big draw at Great Basin National Park. The Bristlecone-Rock Glacier Trail off the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is quite popular with tourists and was once home to Prometheus, which survived five millenia of the elements battering Wheeler Peak to become the oldest known tree but couldn't survive a hapless grad student's saw. Far more rewarding is the Magic Grove- a more remote grove on top of a high ridge where I got to have an entire grove of majestic trees to myself.

Bristlecone Glacier 1

Magic Grove 10

Magic Grove 8

Magic Grove 9

Magic Grove 1

Ultraprominent peaks: There are eight ultraprominent peaks in Nevada; I chose to summit three during this trip. Wheeler Peak was the tallest of these and is the highest point in the heart of the Great Basin; it was also quite popular. It's worth it though, considering I could see all the way to the Wasatch Range in Utah from Wheeler. North Schell Peak was a nice surprise: views almost as impressive as Wheeler Peak from a trailhead less than an hour outside Ely and not a single other person on the trail. Arc Dome was equally quiet and even more remote and had great views from the Toiyabe Range all the way back to the Sierra Nevada.

Wheeler Peak 1

Wheeler Peak 15

Wheeler Peak 12

Wheeler Peak 4

North Schell Peak 1

North Schell Peak 11

North Schell Peak 12

Arc Dome 1

Arc Dome 8

Arc Dome 12

Alpine lakes: The Ruby Mountains are pretty well known and Lamoille Canyon is fairly popular with tourists but when you consider how easily you can drive here from Elko and how extraordinary the scenery is, it's still a shocker that the area isn't more popular. Liberty Lake has to be one of the most scenic easy day hikes in Nevada- the trail from Lamoille Canyon also visits a handful of other pretty alpine lakes. is a short hike from the popular Angel Lake area outside Wells, NV, just off I-80. Stella Lake along the trail to [url=https://www.hikingshenandoah.com/2020/12/wheeler-peak.html]Wheeler Peak was a bit dry in the fall but I'm sure it's nicer earlier in the year.

Liberty Lake 1

Liberty Lake 6

Liberty Lake 7

Smith Lake 1

Wheeler Peak 6

Historical sites: The desert was littered with petroglyphs left by Desert Archaic peoples at Grimes Point and at Hickison Petroglyphs. There wasn't much to see at the Baker Archaeological Site, the site of a former village of the Fremont people near Great Basin National Park, but it was a nice short desert walk. Mining history of European-Americans who arrived later and some cool looking charcoal kilns at the Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park.

Ward Charcoal Ovens 5

Grimes Point 1

Hickison 5

Baker Village 1

[RichP]

Thanks for the report on an area of increasing interest for me. I plan to spend some time in the Rubys and The Great Basin in general later this year. Nevada is a hiker and peakbagger's paradise.

[Malachai Constant]

Couple years ago BC (Before COVID) we went out 50 the loneliest road out to Great Basin planning to climb Wheeler but the road was snowy to low so we did other hikes in the park and the Cave tour. On the way back went to the Ruby’s and were almost alone. We have been planning to go back as soon as it is safe. Last year in the spring we went up the East side of Nevada to avoid people. There is so much more to Nevada than Reno and Vegas.

[Eric Hansen]

Thanks for the report! I have done a bunch of trips in that area and it is two thumbs up. What is to dislike about ridgewalking a 10,000' crest for days and seeing no one else? If you are headed back I would recommend Mount Moriah (North Snake Range) highly for its sense of remoteness. I like the Hendrys Creek route but I've also done Hampton Creek on a spring ski trip. Also Ibapah Peak in the Deep Creek Range (a northern extension of the Snake Range, barely in Utah) And Notch Peak, east of Great Basin NP. Its Yosemite size cliff is visible from much of the Snake Range but its a walkup from the east side.

[hikingshen]

[hikingshen]

[Eric Hansen]

I would suggest getting a copy of "Hiking the Great Basin" by John Hart. I've followed his route descriptions, many off trail, many times and not regretted it. His book is both practical and poetic, offering a great sense of place. He knows the land and comes up with great routes. Notch Peak is great, bear in mind it is very much in the rain shadow of the Snake Range, and very dry. Moriah has a 3 square mile plateau at 11,000', "The Table" and a peaklet that rises another thou. The Table is otherworldly. Ibapah has a bivy site on the summit, serrated crest running north. Typically first week of June is ideal for the Snake Range. Snow on the crest lingers but is not problematic, and you want some snow because after it's gone water on the crest is nonexistent (limestone) Sorry you had haze. I've been there and had 120+mile visibility (Deseret snowcap clear) and it is stunning. With the current drought (looks to linger) and fires not sure those good old days of crystal air might not be gone.