Recent pics
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6 November 2013
End of the Road in Lamoille Canyon looking toward Liberty Pass. |
27 September 2013
The view from Harrison Pass. Photo taken by Bruce Thompson |
27 July 2013
A view from above Island Lake. |
2 July 2013
Looking toward Liberty Pass. |
2 July 2013
A mountain goat with it's kid high in Lamoille Canyon.
This is one of three kids we seen on this day. |
30 May 2013
End of the road in Lamoille Canyon. |
30 May 2013
A lamb high in Lamoille Canyon. |
8 May 2013
Lamoille Canyon toward the end of the road. |
17 April 2013
Mountain Goats in Lamoille Canyon. |
Back of Right Fork Canyon (for Echo Lake) - The back of this canyon is has a lot of snow. I would estimate it is 50% covered with snow. I would give this a couple of weeks to melt off yet.
30 May 2013
The snow in Lamoille Canyon is melting fast. The road has melted of completely. Be careful if you drive up the canyon as there are a couple of big potholes on the road. The trail to Island Lake looks clear except for one or two small patches of snow. It looks like Lamoille Lake is still in the snow and Liberty Pass looks like it has a good amount on it yet. Also the back of Right Fork Canyon still has a lot of snow in it yet. The snow looks like it starts around 9200 feet. That is lower than Goat Lake.
Keep an eye out for wildlife as you drive up the canyon. I saw a mountain goat and a bighorn sheep from the road as I was going up the canyon this morning.
8 May 2013
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon look good. The road is open all the way to the end except for the parking lot. The snow is really melting off fast. That is good for the hiking season but bad for the water table.
17 April 2013
New snow in the Rubies. There was another 6" of new snow in the mountains around 7500 feet. This is new snow from the last two days. The road is open until the Nature Trail 6.8 miles up the road from the Power House Picnic Area. It is at this point the road is officially closed.
24 March 2013
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon have improved. The road is clear to just past Pete's Point 3 1/2 miles up the canyon from the Powerhouse Picnic area turnout. At this point the road is closed to "passanger vehicles".
17 February 2013
Snow last weekend deteriorated road conditions but the road was starting to melt off today. There were a few vehicles parked at the pull off above the Powerhouse Picnic Area. Getting to this parking place is not too bad. You can get farther with the right vehicle but if you go late in the day it will be a lot harder as the road will get very slushy. The snow was deep up around 7500 - 8500 feet. We were in snow and drifts from 1-4 feet deep. This was up around Pete's Point across from Camp Lamoille.
2 February 2013
The weather in the Rubies is warming up. The weather today was in the mid to upper 30's with sunny skies. The road is melting off and a lot of snowmobilers were parking around 2 miles up the road from the Powerhouse Picnic Area. The snow was still around 2 feet deep at 7500 foot elevation where we were hiking.
29 January 2013
Weather conditions in Lamoille Canyon are not good after the last snow storm. The road is more or less closed starting at the entrance to Ruby Dome Ranch. It was all we could do to drive the 1.4 miles up the canyon to start our hike and we left early so we could get out. The snow was drifting badly and it was still snowing when we left. I expect condition to improve later in the week as the temperatures warm up and the sun comes out. The snow shoeing was great though.
21 January 2013
Driving in Lamoille Canyon is tricky at best right now. The road is covered with snow starting at the gate to Ruby Dome Ranch. We drove up to Camp Lamoille with 4wheel drive and good snow tires but you better know what you are doing and have the right equipment. We did help a person get unstuck.
Snowshoeing in the canyon was good as the snow was between two feet to a couple inches. The condition of the snow is everything between dry powered to hard and frozen with a crust that might hold you up or might not.
The temperature in the valley has been very cold for the past few weeks with highs in the teens or low twenty's. When we left the canyon around noon the temperature at the truck said 32 degrees. by the time we arrived home in Spring Creek the temperature was 11 degrees. I have heard about a temperature inversion between the mountains and the valleys recently but had no idea it made this much of a difference.
29 December 2012
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are not good. Recent snow storms have dumped around 24" around the 7500 foot level. The road has been plowed to the entrance to Ruby Dome Ranch. After the ranch the road is covered with snow and was one lane and very slippy. There were a few vehicles that could get to the parking above the Power House Picnic Area.
9 November 2012
Winter has arrived in the Rubies, for now anyway. There was snow in the mountains last night and today with a chance tomorrow. The road in Lamoille Canyon melted off during the day today until it snowed later. Keep an eye out for the Bighorn Sheep as there are some in Lamoille Canyon and one was seen walking down the road.
8 October 2012
Fall is here and the leaves are changing. If you want to see the colors in the canyon I would go soon.
24 September 2012
Snow in the Ruby Mountains. It snowed last night on the peaks. Also the leaves are starting to change in Lamoille Canyon.
24 June 2012
I was able to get out this weekend and found conditions in the Ruby Mountains are great. There is still some snow very high but not enough to really matter, except maybe for Ruby Dome and then snow can always be a problem.
18 May 2012
The Road in Lamoille Canyon is open all the way to the turnaround at the end of the road. The trail to Island Lake looks free of snow except for a little bit at the top by the lake. Lamoille Lake and Liberty Pass still have a lot of snow on the trail.
15 April 2012
Snow conditions in Lamoille Canyon are looking good for this time of the year. The road was clear for a short distance past the Nature Trail plus it was easy driving past that point. With the warm sunny weather that is forecasted for this week I would predict that the road will open up fast.
5 February 2012
Winter still has not really arrived in the Ruby Mountains so the road conditions are still good. The road is slick in a few spots but you can still drive to the road closure sign just past Pete's Point.
21 December 11
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are good for this time of year. The road is closed just past Pete's Point at the usual place by the parking area. The road is clear for the first section and then has packed snow and ice the farther you go up. Four wheel drive or at least front wheel drive are a must in my opinion. The road gets very slick with this packed snow.
Wildlife viewing in Lamoille Canyon is picking up. I have seen bighorn sheep and mountain goats from the road this month. Although it is not as easy as it was before the pneumonia outbreak in the winter of 2009-2010.
16 October 11
The leaves are changing in the Ruby Mountains. That mixed with new snow up high makes for a beautiful view everywhere you look.
5 August 11
Finally the snow is melting. It looks like the Rubies are open again. There is still snow up high but it does not look like enough to worry about. The wild flowers are blooming along the trail to Island Lake and Thomas peak has melted off most of the way also.
7 June 11
Snow conditions vary as you drive up Lamoille Canyon. From the mouth of the canyon to the Nature Trail which is 6.8 miles up the canyon the snow has melted back away from the road. Once you pass the Nature Trail there is snow along the road and in some places it is around 7 feet deep. It looks like snowshoeing could be fun at the end of the road in Lamoille Canyon. All of the trails are still closed at the end of the road. The trailhead to Island Lake is covered with 4-5 feet of snow.
22 May 11
Conditions in Lamoille Canyon are looking great. The road in Lamoille Canyon has been cleared a little past Terrace's Picnic Area. The crew that cleared the road did a great job. The snow covering the road was over seven feet in some places. Also Thomas Campground is open.
Keep an eye out for mountain goats as you drive up the canyon. Larry and I saw almost 30 mountain goats from the road this morning between 08:30 and 10:00 AM. We also saw some heading out around 1:00 PM. I am also going to officially call the beginning to tick season. We found a few today.
10 April 11
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon look great. The road is still closed just past Pete's Piont but the road is clear of snow up to this piont. Keep an eye out for rocks on the road. We saw a few mountain goats from the road also.
11 December 10
Good news, the road in Lamoille Canyon has melted off up to Camp Lamoille. It is still slick in a few spots but you can easily drive to the turn off to Camp Lamoille. This is of course until the next snow.
4 December 10
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are not real good. I was able to get to Pete's Point using the 4-wheel drive. The warmer temperatures that are forecasted should help clear the road also. I would not try to go up the canyon without 4-wheel drive until the road clears off more.
31 October 10
Construction on the road in Lamoille Canyon look like it is finished or very close to it. Also as always, be careful when driving in Lamoille Canyon as the wildlife is starting to move back into the canyon as weather in the higher elevations continue to get worse.
9 September 10
Snow in the Ruby Mountains. Last night it snowed down to an estimated 8500 feet. I would expect most of this to melt off with the warmer temperatures that are predicted next week. Also if you are heading up into Lamoille Canyon in September make sure you check the road construction schedule for road closures. Contraction on the road is planned to be completed the end of September if everything goes right.
5 July 10
Hiking conditions in Lamoille Canyon is good to and above Island Lake. But I was told by a couple of hikers that Lamoille Lake is still under snow. I was also told that the trail to Lamoille Lake is under snow before you get to the lake. When we were above Island Lake we could see that the trail from Lamoille Lake to Liberty Pass was covered by snow. From what I have seen today I would predict that hiking in the Ruby Mountains will not be fully open until late July.
20 June 10
Road crews have cleared the road in Lamoille Canyon. The road is now open all the way thru the turn around at the end of the canyon. The trail to Island Lake also looks clear most of the way to Island Lake. Also be careful while driving in the Lamoille Canyon as we saw 5 bighorn sheep on the road plus it looks like crews are getting ready to start their work on the road.
25 May 10
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are getting better thanks to the U.S. Forest Service. The Elko Daily Free Press reported that the road in the canyon should be open around the 18th of June. Crews are clearing a large mud slide and then they were going to clear a couple avalanches. The large mud slide was estimated at 3,500 cubic yards and roughly 400 feet wide and 15 feet high. The largest avalanche is estimated at 12 feet high and about 200 feet long.
25 May 10
Weather in Lamoille Canyon is warming up. The road is clear past the Nature Trail. But before Terraces Picnic Area there is a huge slide on the road. The snow here is very wide and very deep. It will be awhile before this is gone. Thomas Campground looks a lot better than on the 17th. The snow has melted and the campground looks clear from what I saw. Keep an eye out for the mountain goats. We saw 24 goats from the road today.
17 May 10
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon look pretty good. The road is clear to almost the Nature Trail which is over 6 miles up the canyon. At this point there was slush on the road but you could drive farther. I turned around here at this point. Thomas Campground looks pretty good. There is snow on the ground at the campground and the road is mostly clear. With the warm days we are having the snow is melting fast in Lamoille Canyon and the waterfalls are running everywhere. I saw a couple bighorn sheep, mountain goats and one Himalayan snowcock from the road today so keep your eyes pealed.
29 April 10
The road is closed at Thomas Campground. The road is clear past Thomas Campground but there is a barricade at the campground. Our drive up Lamoille Canyon was exiting as we saw 1 turkey, 3 bighorn sheep and 20 mountains goats, all from the road.
11 April 10
We were in Lamoille Canyon today. The road is still closed just around Pete's Point. We saw 8 bighorn sheep from the road. We also saw 8 snowcock, some marmots and 8 mountain goats while hiking. A few of the mountain goats could be seen from the road.
8 April 10
21 March 10
The road is still closed just around the turn at Pete's Point. We saw a couple bighorn sheep and 12 mountain goats from the road today.
15 February 10
Weather conditions in Lamoille Canyon are looking good. The road is open to Pete's Point without much problem while a lot of snowmobiles are driving to where the road is closed just around the turn from Pete's Point. Their where some bighorn sheep that you could see from the road down by the mouth of the canyon plus there were some mountain goats up high across from Camp Lamoille. I would expect that the road will clear up more each day with the warm weather that has been predicted.
14 January 10
NDOW has issued a statement regarding the pneumonia outbreak for the bighorn sheep in Lamoille Canyon. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) biologist Caleb McAdoo is asking the public to give the bighorn sheep in Lamoille Canyon a wide berth to limit the stress on these bighorns during the crucial winter months. Here is a link to the NDOW Press Release.
10 January 2010
The road in Lamoille Canyon was mostly clear from the mouth of the canyon to Pete's Point located above Camp Lamoille. I was told the road was closed at the normal spot just around the turn from Pete's Point.
12 December 09
Recent snow has covered the road in Lamoille Canyon. It is still possible to drive to the end of the road with the right vehicle but it is not advisable. With the snow forecasted for the rest of the weekend it will probably close part of the road.
15 November 09
We took a quick drive up Lamoille Canyon today. The road had some snow and ice on it. We also saw 10 bighorn sheep and 2 mountain goats from the road.
30 September 09
Snow in the Ruby Mountains. The snow level dropped to almost the valley floor by Lamoille Canyon. Most of this snow should melt off in a few days.
27 September 09
Fall is coming to the Ruby Mountains and the trees are starting to change.
18 July 09
Conditions in the Ruby Mountains are great. I just returned from the Ruby Crest Trail and although I found some large snow drifts there was nothing that slowed me down. The Rubies are open.
28 June 09
Larry and I headed up Solider Canyon to look for wild flowers. Down by the trail head the flowers were blooming but a little past their prime. Once we broke into the meadow by where the Krenka Creek trail joins the Solider Canyon trail we found we where a little to early for the flowers.
26 June 09
Andrew Homan and a friend went to Lamoille Lake and said a good portion of the trail was still under snow. He also said Lammoille Lake was still mostly covered with ice.
12 May 09
Water is running everywhere in Lamoille Canyon as the snow is melting fast. The Road in Lamoille Canyon has been plowed and is now totally open. There are good 6 foot drifts that were cleared at the turn around to open the road. The trails to Island and Lamoille Lake are still snow covered. Thomas Campground is snow free and should be open shortly.
25 April 09
It snowed around 5 inches in the Rubies last night. Even with this new snow I was able to drive to Thomas Campground without much trouble. When I was leaving Lamoille Canyon at 11:30 a.m. the snow had already melted off the road from Pete's Point to the mouth of the canyon. The snow at Thomas Campground did not look bad for this time of year.
This has been a great April for wildlife. The bighorn sheep have been on the road a few times that I know of and I have seen them from the road all but maybe one time. I have seen mountain goats from the road constantly plus I have been able to see snowcock from the road twice this month. I also know of a couple that where on the road in Lamoille Canyon and heard snowcock calling from the cliffs above. The mule deer have been just out of the mouth of the canyon and the wild turkeys were spotted running down the road earlier this month. I am not sure what else you would want.
5 April 09
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are looking very good. The road is still closed just past Pete's Point but I do not think this will last for long. The road should start to clear off farther up the canyon very soon. The wildlife was all over the canyon today. Larry and I saw around 30 mountain goats from the road and some bighorn sheep where on the road around the waterfall located 1.4 miles up the road.
5 March 09
Even with the recent snowfall the road in Lamoille Canyon is open with no problem to just past Pete's Point where it is officially closed.
1 March 09
Snow totals were reported in the Elko Daily Free Press on line. The Free Press reported that the end of the road in Lamoille Canyon had 62 inches of snow and the marker at Robinson Lake showed 75 inches of snow.
15 Feb 09
Recent snowfall has severely reduced road conditions in Lamoille Canyon. It is possible to get to where the road is closed which is just passed Pete's Point but you better have a 4 wheel drive vehicle with good snow tires.
18 Jan 09
Weather conditions in Lamoille Canyon have been really good lately. A lot of the snow has melted in the canyon and the road is open to just passed Pete's Point. We saw a few bighorn sheep from the road by the mouth of the canyon and two mountain goats where the road was closed.
21 Dec 08
Today I was told by two knowledgeable wildlife viewers that the road in Lamoille Canyon is closed at the normal stop just around Pete's Point. There is around 8 inches of snow on the ground below Pete's Point. Keep your eyes open going up the canyon. This is a great time to see wildlife from the road. Today we saw 4 mountain goats, a few bighorn sheep and over a dozen deer all from the road.
14 Nov 08
Wildlife viewing is getting better in Lamoille Canyon. We saw around 17 bighorn sheep and half a dozen mountain goats from the road in Lamoille Canyon this afternoon. Most of the bighorn sheep where down by the mouth of the canyon, but up high on the slope. We saw the mountain goats in the mountain mahoganies and cliffs across from Camp Lamoille. The bighorn sheep have been spotted by the road so if you are driving in the canyon please drive slow and pay attention.
2 Nov 08
It snowed today in the Rubies. There was around 3-4 inches of snow at the end of the road in Lamoille Canyon this morning. We also saw five bighorn sheep from the road. So if you head up into the canyon keep your eyes open.
22 Sept 08
Fall is on the way. The leaveas in Lamoille Canyon are starting to change. We saw five mountain goats from the road. They where between Thomas Canyon and Terraces Picnic Area.
16 Aug 08
Weather conditions have been great lately. There is still some snow up high but not enough to worry about. There is still a good bit of snow run off when you get up around 10,000 and that had resulted in a lot of feed for the wildlife. Also keep an eye out if you are going around Liberty Pass as I saw 6 mountain goats feeding there on my last hike.
14 June 08
Bruce Thompson checked in with information for the conditions around Island Lake. He said "The route to Island Lake still has some snow on it. It should be open by this weekend." He also supplied a photo of Island Lake taken from Thomas Peak. Thanks for the information Bruce.
4 June 08
Spring time in northern Nevada. The snow has been to the valley floor all day. I expect it to melt back a lot tomorrow though.
25 May 08
Good news, the road in Lamoille Canyon has been opened all the way to the turn around. The trails to Lamoille Lake and Island Lake are still snow covered though.
15 April 08
The road in Lamoille Canyon is officially closed at the Nature Trail 6.8 miles up the canyon. Keep an eye out when driving up the canyon. we saw around a dozen mountain goats and half a dozen bighorn sheep across the road from the Scout Camp. We also saw a badger and two turkeys when we drove out the canyon. It is spring and the wildlife is every where.
11 April 08
I have not had a chance to get into Lamoille Canyon lately but I was told that the road in the canyon is open up to Thomas Campground and that you may be able to drive farther but the person I talked to said they turned around at that point since the road was covered with snow. That was a few days ago so I would think there is a good chance you could drive further by now. I plan on going into Lamoille Canyon the end of the week. I will post current conditions right after that trip.
20 April 08
Road conditions are getting better but the road is still closed just past the turn at Pete's Point above Camp Lamoille. There is still a lot of snow up high as we came across a few 6 foot snow drifts.
6 March 08
Conditions in Lamoille Canyon are pretty good considering all of the snow that we had this year. The road is open up to Pete's Point without much of a problem. Wildlife viewing is pretty good as there are usually bighorn sheep by the mouth of the canyon, up around 1 - 1 1/2 miles from the Power House Picnic Area. The mountain goats are showing up more and more now also. They can be seen in the cliffs and mahogany trees across from Camp Lamoille and in the cliffs around from Pete's Point were the road is closed. I saw around twenty mountain goats from the road today.
2 Jan 08
The road in Lamoille Canyon was still open up to Pete's Point. It was very slick so be careful. Also as normal please keep your speed down in the canyon as we saw 7 bighorn sheep feeding by the edge of the road as we were leaving. Snowshoeing was pretty good today also.
2 January 08
Lamoille canyon is covered in snow. The road in the canyon is closed just passed the big turn above Camp Lamoille or what we call Pete's Point. Be advised that the road is covered with snow and is very slippery. As normal there is plenty to see in the canyon right now. We saw bighorn sheep and mountain goats from the road. We spent most of the day snowshoeing. The snow could be a little deeper for snowshoeing but most of the time we were glad we had them.
7 Oct 07
Winter conditions are in the high country. The snow is melting fast at the lower elevations. Be on the lookout for bighorn sheep if you are driving in Lamoille Canyon. I saw 9 sheep today from the road.
26 Aug 07
Fall is around the corner. On the road going to Camp Lamoille some of the aspens are starting to turn yellow and in the high country the ground cover is turning red. We have a way to go before the colors are really good but it is starting.
8 July 07
Fire season has started. Usually I do not mind it much as the Rubies are usually safe if you are planning a hike make sure you check out current fire conditions just to be safe.The Elko Daily Free Press ran a story on-line that said "Another blaze forced the evacuation of campers and fishermen in the Ruby Mountains about 30 miles south of Elko, Brown said. The fire burned about 375-400 acres on either side of Harrison Pass." You can find current fire information at the USDA Forest Service Active Fire Map page. This PDF has current fire restrictions for north eastern Nevada.
1 July 07
Good news for everyone. I was up around Ruby Dome and although there is a little snow here or there everything is wide open went it comes to hiking.
12 May 07
Road conditions are great for this time of year. The road is open in Lamoille Canyon all the way around the turn around at the end of the canyon. There is around 4 feet of snow that was removed at the turn around to open the road and there is some parking open at the parking lot. I did not go to Island Lake but it looks like the trail is open for the most part. If you want to snowshoe to Lamoille Lake you better do it quick before the snow is gone there also. Liberty Pass looks like it has a good bit of snow on it yet but the rest of the canyon is melting off very quick.
15 April 07
The snow is melting and you can drive to Terraces Picnic Area.
22 March 07
Please be careful when driving in Lamoille Canyon. The bighorn sheep have been spotted on the road a number of times the last week or so. Road conditions are the same as on the 18th of march.
18 March 07
Road conditions in Lamoille canyon are great for this time of year. You can drive to around a half mile past Thomas Campground, maybe farther if you have four wheel drive. Wildlife viewing is pretty good also. Some of the bighorn sheep have been along the road for the last couple of weekends. Also it seems to be the start of what I call tick season. 2 out of 4 of us hiking today found ticks hitching a ride today.
1 January 07
Good news, the road in Lamoille Canyon has been plowed and is open to at least Pete's Point. Even the pull-offs have been cleared. Keep in mind that the road is still covered in snow and very slick. We saw around 8 mountain goats and half a dozen bighorn sheep from the road yesterday.
15 Nov 06
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are not bad depending on how far you want to drive up. The road is snow and ice covered just passed Thomas Campground. Please make sure you take your time driving in the canyon as there could be a bighorn sheep around any turn from the mouth of the canyon to the big turn above Camp Lamoille.
30 Oct 06
Weather conditions in Lamoille Canyon are still great. There is a little snow up. We went to the canyon yesterday and saw 6 mountain goats and 3 bighorn sheep from the road. We met some rock climbers coming back from our hike and one of the men pointed out the 3 bighorn sheep up high. We also ran into around 10 mountain goats up high that could not be seen from the road.
18 Oct 06
Mountain goats have been spotted in Lamoille Canyon. Sharon and Sandy reported that last Sunday they saw a few mountain goats in Lamoille Canyon. Some of these goats were down by the cabins across from Thomas Canyon. I also know that some bighorn sheep were spotted on a high ridge above Lamoille Canyon. I would suggest that if you are going in Lamoille canyon keep your eyes open and you just may see a mountain goat or some bighorn sheep. Thanks goes out to Sharon and Sandy for letting us know about the mountain goats.Thanks goes out to Sharon and Sandy for letting us know about the mountain goats. The colder weather has dropped some new snow in the mountains. This has also knocked most of the leaves off of the trees.
1 Oct 06
You can see yellow all over the mountains because the leaves are changing in the Rubies.
29 May 06
Just wanted to report that road conditions have not changed much but the conditions for snowshoeing are great. We snow shoed to Liberty Pass today and had a great trip. The lakes are still frozen over and the snow is any where from a few feet deep to very deep. We found a marker in the snow between the end of the road and Lamoille Lake and it showed 7' of snow. If you want to snowshoe I believe time is running out. Once the snow starts melting again it will not be long until the snowshoes will be useless.
24 May 06
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are looking really good. You can get to around 1/2 mile from the end of the road in the canyon. At this point the road is snow covered. The scenery in the canyon is terrific right now with the snow up high and the trees turning green.
30 April 06
The road in the canyon is open a little past Thomas Campground. The gate to the campground was open when we went passed. If you go hiking or out running around off of the road be sure to check for ticks when you are done. We have found a lot the last two weeks while we were hiking.
23 April 06
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon have improved a lot in the last week. You can drive to around Thomas Campground without much problem. The bighorn sheep where next to the road again for the second Sunday in a row that I know of. We also saw half a dozen mountain goats from the road too. There where three bighorn sheep along the road across from Camp Lamoille and ten more higher up the slope viewable from Pete's turn above Camp Lamoille.
16 April 06
Warmer weather has opened the road up to the turn above Camp Lamoille. There is plenty of wildlife in the canyon. We saw around a dozen mountain goats and bighorn sheep from the road in Lamoille Canyon and over 30 mule deer in a field just out of the canyon.
27 February 06
Bighorn sheep and mountain goats are still in Lamoille Canyon. The bighorn sheep where by the water fall 1.5 miles up the canyon. We also spotted three mountain goats from this spot although the mountain goats where a lot harder to see. Also keep a sharp eye out for mule deer just before the canyon. We saw over half a dozen mule deer in the sage brush.
19 February 06
Conditions for snowshoeing are great at higher elevations, say around 7500 ft. From 7500-9400 feet there was a good 1-3 feet of snow and below 7500 feet I ran into a few bare spots. Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are improving but it is not much different than the beginning of the month.
5 February 06
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are pretty good. The road is open to above Camp Lamoille. There are parts of the road that have deep ruts but getting to Camp Lamoille is no problem for SUV's or trucks. Snowshoeing around and above Camp Lamoille is pretty good. There was a good foot and a half of snow where we were and some times more. Today was a good day to see wildlife from the road. We saw over 20 Bighorn sheep and Mountian Goats today, all from the road.
15 January 06
It snowed in Lamoille Canyon today. The road in the canyon is open to the big turn that overlooks Camp Lamoille (Scout Camp). That is very close to 3 miles up the canyon if you start at the Power House Picnic Area. The road was covered with snow as soon as you turn off of Lamoille Highway. There was a good 6" of new snow on the road by Camp Lamoille.
7 December 05
Road conditions in Lamoille Canyon are not as good as I had hoped. The road in the canyon is clear up to the Scout camp with only small spots of ice on the road. After the turn off to the Scout Camp the road is covered with ice. This is not all bad though since you can still get to the Scout Camp there is still a good chance you could see some mountain goats or maybe some bighorn sheep from the road. We were in the canyon for only a short period of time but we still saw 3 mountain goats not far from the road just before we got to the Scout Camp.
11 October05
Winter is coming to Lamoille canyon and this has pushed some of the mountain goats back down into the canyon. I saw 4 mountain goats from the road and around 16 total in Lamoille Canyon today.
26 September 05
Fall has arrived in Lamoille canyon. The leaves are starting to change. The farther up the canyon you go the better it looks.
11 September 05
For the second mourning in a row it has snowed in the Rubies. This snow is excepted to melt of very quickly but this is a good sign fall is on is on the way. If you plan to go into the higher elevations I would keep advised of the weather and prepare for cooler temperatures. Temperatures are predicted to warm up by the end of the week.
29 July 05
It sounds like most everything has thawed out in the mountains. I have talked to a few people that have hiked on the Ruby Crest Trail and have had no problem getting through. From what I have seen around Robinson and Overland Lakes there is a good chance you will find some snow to walk through but not enough to slow you down.
8 July 05
Be prepared for snow if you are going to Lamoille Lake. At least two thirds of the trail to Lamoille Lake is still under snow and the lake is still frozen over. The trail to Island Lake looked open but I don't know just how the lake is. It is still a great time to get out and hike though, just don't be afraid to take your snowshoes or crampons if you are going to some of the higher elevations as the snow gets pretty soft later in the day after the sun has been on it for awhile.
26 June 05
I asked Bruce Thompson about conditions to Liberty Pass and he said "The route up to Liberty Pass is still snow covered." Bruce also mentioned earlier that there is a lot of snow still in the high country.
22 May 05
The snow is melting fast. The road in Lamoille Canyon is open to around 7 miles up the canyon. Only thee more miles and the road will be open. Also Lamoille Canyon was host to stage 4 of the Nevada Passage this weekend. The first place winner of this stage finished in 1:47 minutes which included biking almost 7 miles up Lamoille Canyon and then running or snowshoeing (the athlete's choice) another few miles up to the bridge at Island Lake and back.
8 May 05
Wet weather has been the norm the last week but that has not stopped the snow from melting in Lamoille Canyon. The road in Lamoille canyon is clear for half a mile past Thomas Canyon. Wildlife viewing is very good in Lamoille Canyon right now. We had seen 15 mountain goats berfore we arrived at the Scout Camp and more farther up the road. Between Larry, my wife and myself we saw bighorn sheep, mule deer, turkeys and a marmot.
1 May 05
All of the wet weather we have had lately has not stopped the road in Lamoille Canyon from melting off. The road is now closed just before the Thomas Canyon Campground. This means the road is open to around 5 miles up the road or half way from the Power House Picnic area at the beginning of the road to the turn around at the end.
2 April 05
Wildlife viewing in the canyon is seems great right now. I have had two reports of the turkeys around Powerhouse Pickic Area. We saw another 25 mountain goats from the road and three bighhorn sheep. One of the sheep was actually standing on the road. I know some other people saw some more sheep from the road also. Now seems like a great time for wildlife viewing in Lamoille Canyon.
Recent snows last week has kept the road in Lamoille Canyon closed at the turn above the Scout Camp. This translates into three miles of open road from the Power House Picnic Area.
13 Mar 05
Conditions in Lamoille Canyon are looking better. The road in the canyon is now closed at the pull off above the Scout Camp. That means you can drive around 3 miles up the canyon from the Power House Picnic Area. We saw around 28 mountain goats today and 3 bighorn sheep, most of which were viewed from the road.
6 Feb 05
Road conditions have improved in Lamoille Canyon. You can park at the pull off above the Powerhouse Picnic area. The road is officially closed at this point.
16 Jan 2005
The road in Lamoille Canyon is officially closed at the pull off above the Powerhouse Picnic Area. Whether you can get to this point depends on your vehicle and driving skill as the road is snow covered a little pasted Ruby Dome Ranch.
13 Jan 2005
Heavy snowfall has pushed parking out of Lamoille Canyon and down to the pull off to Ruby Dome Ranch. I don't expect this to change any time soon. Remember when parking along the road that Ruby Dome Ranch is a working ranch so please don't block access into the ranch. The best place to park is across the road from the ranch.
9 Dec 04
The road in Lamoille Canyon is closed at the turn above the Scout Camp.
5 Dec 04
Excpect snowy conditions in Lamoille Canyon. The road in Lamoille Canyon is covered with snow from the mouth of the canyon on. We drove passed Thomas Campground before turning around. The canyon is still full of wildlife. Larry and I saw 34 bighorn sheep, over 20 mountain goats, 10 mule deer and a handfull of grouse on this day.
11 Nov 04
The road in Lamoille Canyon is close just before the Terraces Picnic Area.
7 Nov 04
It seems that the winter wildlife viewing season has started in Lamoille Canyon. Around the end of October we saw 22 mountain goats from the Lamoille Canyon road after some heavy snowfall apparently pushed them down from higher elevations. Today we saw 8 mountain goats and 14 rocky mountain bighorn sheep across from the Scout Camp and we never left the road. Actually we watched one bighorn sheep cross the road right in front of us. The snow level is down to the Thomas Canyon Campground (elev. 7550 ft).
27 September 04
The leaves are really changing in the Rubys plus there is still snow on top from the week before.
17 September 04
Just letting you know the leaves are starting to change in the mountains.
18 July 04
Conditions in the Ruby Mountains look great. Lamoille Lake is 100% open as is Liberty Lake. The trail to Liberty Pass is covered in snow in only 2-3 places. It looks like everything is open. Also the flowers are in bloom at the end of the road in Lamoille Canyon.
6 June 04
Warm weather has pushed the snow back from the end of the road in Lamoille Canyon. It still looks like there is a lot of snow around Lamoille Lake and Liberty Pass though.
8 May 04
Good news, the turn around at the end of Lamoille Canyon is completely open. It looks like the plows where back and opened everything.
2 May 04
Well the road is open up to the turn around. The turn around itself is not open but let's not be picky. There is still around four feet of snow at the end of the road. We found a snow marker on our way to Lamoille Lake that showed seven feet of snow at that point. Of course the lakes are still frozen over. Snowshoes or skies are suggested as the snow is getting pretty soft by mid day. Larry and I were able to make it to the overlook above Liberty Lake today without any problem with snowshoes.
29 April 04
Good news I hope. I saw some road clearing equipment heading back to town and it still had snow on it so I am going to say there is a good chance the road in Lamoille Canyon is open. I will know for sure Sunday.
28 April 04
As excepted a snow slide from last winter has blocked the road in Lamoille Canyon just past the turn the Nature Trail. I estimate there is at least eight feet of snow on the road where the slide is. After the slide the road is bare again up to around the Terraces Picnic Area. The warm weather has melted a lot of the new snow from this month off of the road. As I write this we are experiencing light snow flurries but the rest of the week should be nice so the road should continue to clear. But that slide will be there for awhile.
18 April 04
Even with 3-4 inches of new snow in the last couple of days the road is still open to the Nature trail, the same as last weekend. We will see what next weekend will bring.
11 April 04
The road in Lamoille Canyon is closed at the Nature Trail. The Nature Trail is 6.8 miles up the canyon so when I do the math we have just over three miles to go until we can get to the turn around at the end of the road. The road in Lamoille Canyon is 10 miles long starting at the pull off to the Power House Picnic Area. The mountain goats and sheep can still be seen in the canyon. The best place I have found is across the road from the Scout Camp.
4 April 04
The snow is melting pretty well in Lamoille Canyon even though it snowed last week. The road in the canyon was closed 1 mile past Thomas Campground. We have been seeing a lot of mountain goats from the road in the canyon more so in the morning than afternoon.
21 Mar 04
The road in Lamoille Canyon is closed a mile past the turn off to the Scout Camp. It should not be long until you can drive to Thomas Campground. The snow has been melting fast in the last couple of weeks. There is still al ot of snow up high though. Around 16 Bighorn sheep could be seen from the road in the afternoon.
29 Feb 04
There has been some new snow in the mountains this week. Parking is back at the entrance to Ruby Dome Ranch and the fence at the Scout Camp is buried under the snow.
21 Feb 04
Tthe road is closed in Lamoille Canyon at the large pull off just above the Power House Picnic Area. If you don't have four wheel drive, good tires and some clearance I would stop at the entrance to the Ruby Dome Ranch. I saw eight mule deer at the mouth of the canyon, twelve goats and twenty bighorn sheep by the scout camp.
9 January 04
Good news, the road from Lamoille highway to Ruby Dome ranch is plowed two lanes wide. From Ruby Dome Ranch on you are on your own. You may be able to drive to the Powerhouse Picnic area but I parked by Ruby Dome Ranch. Just make sure you don't block access to the ranch. I saw around 12 sheep around a mile and a half up the canyon. You couldn't see them from the road though.
31 December 03
What a difference ten days makes. Ten days ago you could drive from the Power House Picnic Area to around three miles up Lamoille Canyon. Now you are lucky if you get to the Power House Picnic Area. . Due to heavy snow and high winds the road to the canyon is one lane wide most of the way from Lamoille highway to the entrance to Ruby Dome Ranch and beyond. You may be able to drive to the mouth of the canyon but the truck that I saw pulling two snowmobiles had to turn around and park at Ruby Dome Ranch. As for me I am letting the snowmobiles use the road until things thaw out some.
21 December 03
Lamoille Canyon had some new snow last night. We found the snow around 8500 feet to be 2-3 feet deep. If you plan on driving up the canyon the road is closed a little passed the Scout Camp and you should use a 4x4 in my opinion. We saw 9 mountain goats today, non of which from the road.
16 December 03
It has snowed some the weekend of the 13th. On the 16th the Lamoille Canyon road was packed snow and ice starting at the mouth of the canyon. I only drove a 1 1/2 miles up the canyon but we did see 36 bighorn sheep, most of which were around 1.4 miles up the canyon. We saw 18 from the road and and another 18 a little way up the hill.
30 November 03
We drove all the way up Lamoille Canyon today. Cars may want to stop around a mile passed the Thomas Campground. We also saw 4 goats and 13 sheep from the road. One of the sheep we saw was Casper. In all we found 23 goats and 13 sheep today. Snow was no problem until we hiked to near th etop of the ridge above Lamoille Canyon and then it was almost knee deep.
11 November 03
Mountain Goats were are over Lamoille Canyon today. We saw around 17 mountian goats in eight differant groups. We also saw 14 bighorn sheep in Lamoille Canyon plus a porcupine, and one ruffed grouse. Six of the mountain goats and all 14 of the bighorn sheep were seen from the raod.
25 September 03
The leafs are changing in the Rubies. This weekend should be a great time to check them out before it is to late.
10 AUGUST 03
Snow in the mountains! I would guess that the snow level right now is around 10,000ft. Whether it stays or not no one knows.
30 JUNE 03
I received a trail update from Bruce Thompson yesterday. He was up on Ruby Dome and a few of the surrounding peaks. Here is what he had to say about conditions on top of the Rubys above Griswald Lake and around Ruby Dome. "Most of the trek above the lake is in the snow. The route should be fully open in a couple of weeks. The views were awesome."
29 JUNE 03
As expected hiking in the Rubys looks good. There is some snow on the trail with most of the snow being at Lamoille Lake. Once you get above Lamoille Lake the trail gets much better. Liberty pass was fine and Liberty Lake was clear. I think you could hike most anywhere you want now. Although the way to Echo Lake through the Scout Camp still looks iffy.
12 JUNE 03
Island Lake was around 80% clear today. There was no snow until we got to the lake. There was a good bit of snow above the lake yet. Toward Lamoille Lake things are still pretty white though. Just how far you can get I don't know for sure yet.
8 JUNE 03
From the looks of it the way is open to Verdi Lake. Bruce Thompson sent me a photo of Verdi Lake, which is still frozen over. He said the views from the Verdi Peaks were awesome. Plus he saw 1 goat, several marmots and pikas. Also the north peak was loaded with lady bugs. Bruce also sent me a photo of Island and Lamoille Lakes taken from the Verdi area. It shows the way to Island lake looks pretty clear with ice still on the lake. The way to Lamoille lake does not look so good though. There is still a lot of snow from the end of the road to the lake. Thanks for the update Bruce.
3 JUNE 03
Some of the flowers are blooming in the mouth of Lamoille Canyon. I reported on the 20th of MAY about the snow at the end of the road. Well a lot has happened since then as you can see most of the snow is gone.
1 JUNE 03
Warm weather is here and the snow is leaving.
20 MAY 03
The road in Lamoille Canyon is open and there is a lane and a half open for the last mile or so. There is some parking at the end of the road but not much. The snow is between 5-7 feet deep at the end of the road.
16 MAY 03
A good friend of mine told me today that the road in Lamoille Canyon is open all the way to the turn around. Apparently the road was plowed just a few days ago. I was also told that there is around 5 feet of snow at the turn around. One thing to keep in mind is that the last mile or so of the road is one lane at the moment. We are having a lot of very sunny and hot days so the snow is melting pretty fast.
11 MAY 03
We have had a lot of wet weather lately. The road in Lamoille canyon in open up to the Nature trail, which is a little past Thomas Campground. The mountain goats and bighorn sheep can still be seen in Lamoille Canyon. We saw 20 mountain goats today. Caution should be taken if you are hiking. There are a lot of snow slides in the canyon right now. We were lucky enough to see a slide today also. I have been told by a few people that there is around eight feet of snow an the lakes.
12 March 03
Sunny and warm is the weather here. At least for now. The Lamoille Canyon road is closed just passed the Scout Camp. Another good day hiking we saw 10 mountain goats total. The snow up high was slush and in areas 2-3 feet deep.
15 February 03
The snow has been melting in Lamoille Canyon and you can now drive past the Scout Camp. We saw five Bighorn Sheep and One Mountain Goat in Lamoille Canyon from the road. But the forcast is calling for snow tomorrow.
03 February 03
It snowed last night. So Larry and I hit Lamoille Canyon across from the Scout Camp. The road was icy and closed at the camp. We hiked up to the bottom of the high cliffs and ran into some snow that was drifted maybe 2'. Hiking is slow going but it can be done. We saw three Mountain Goats, around a dozen Chukars, plus we cut some fairly fresh Bighorn Sheep tracks.
29 December 02
Larry and I went up Lamoille Canyon today. We hiked up the left side of the canyon from the Power House picnic area all the way to almost the Scout camp. The snow was no problem. We saw 13 Bighorn Sheep, 6 Mountain Goats, 2 Bald Eagles, 1 Golden Eagle, a Blue Grouse plus one rabbit. I would say it was a pretty good day.
15 September 02
Fall must be here. The aspens and other plants are starting to change colors in Lamoille Canyon. Some of the colors can be seen from the valley but buy the time you get to the end of the road in Lamoille Canyon things are really looking like fall.
23 July 02
Welcome back. I was at Favre this weekend and other than a couple very small rain showers the weather was great. The wild flowers are in bloom around Favre. There are still some snow banks around but most of the snow is gone so we have another good early start for the hiking season.
8 July 02
Everything looks good in Lamoille Canyon. The weather is hot and the snow is melting. There is snow up high but it is my guess that you can get anywhere that you want to go.
23 June 02
Lamoille Canyon is looking good. The hot weather has melted a lot of snow since the beginning of June. From the end of the road it looks like there is to much snow to get to Lamoille Lake. And although Liberty Pass is clear on top it looks like there is too much snow to make it to the pass. Who knows what another warm week will bring though. On the good side of things, Island Lake is clear and the snow has melted all over the place. So much so that the peak above Island Lake is open but Thomas Peak may be tricky yet. While we eat lunch at Island Lake we saw three mountain goats along the skyline above the lake.
4 June 02
The snow is melting. I was at Island Lake today. The Lake is still around 95% covered with ice but the trail was clear for the most part except the last one hundred yards or so. The Thomas Peak side of the lake was clear of snow up high but the left side of the lake was still under a lot of snow. Liberty Pass looks clear but the trail to the pass is invisable because of snow. Also the snow is getting hard. I was walking across snow drifts and not sinking in at all.
30 May 02
Hello again. I found out that on the 23 rd of May the Nevada Department of Transportation had annual training on the operation of snow-blowing equipment in Lamoille Canyon. The article said there were 6 foot snow drifts across the road that where cleared. So the road is open but I am not sure just how much more is at the end of the road. The weather here has been hot and sunny (today is 91 deg. for a high). I should be hiking next week and will report back in as I get more information.
19 May 02
The road in Lamoille Canyon is almost open all the way. Today I was able to drive to within probably a half of a mile of the turn around. The snow does not look bad up there at all. It looks like another early hiking season. (I hope.)
19 April 02
I will not have a lot to report for a little while until the new snow melts off. We have had snow showers for around a week now. It should clear up today so they say but it is snowing outside as I write this. The last time I could see the mountains the snow was to the valley floor. When things clear up I will check back in.
11 April 02
We drove up the canyon again today and were able to drive 1.25 miles passed the Thomas Canyon Campground. At that point the road was closed for four wheelers and snowmobiles. By the way we also saw thirteen mountain goats. Most of the goats were across from the Boy Scout Camp and one was up passed the campground.
07 April 02
The road up Lamoille Canyon is open to around 7,550 feet in elevation. In other words up to the Thomas Canyon Campground. There is still snow at the campground but you can get to it. We also saw six mountain goats acrossed the road from the Boy Scout Camp.
22 MAY 01
Things are looking great in the mountains! My wife and I were able to drive all the way up to the end of the road today and there was no snow anywhere close to the road except for one small spot at the turn around which is at the very end of the road. We still have snow up high say above 9,000 feet but everything else is looking good.
3 May 01
We drove up the canyon today and were surprised at just how far we could drive. We made it passed the nature trail and almost to the Terraces Picnic ground (around 8,300 feet in elevation). There were no signs of snow slides up as far as we could see so there is a good chance the road to the end of the canyon may clear off earlier than normal (normal being in June). There was no snow on the ground at Thomas Campground but there was snow around the camp. The Scout Camp did not have snow either but again you did not have to go far up the side of the canyon wall to run into it.
30 April 01
I am sorry but I could not make it up in the canyon this weekend so I am going to try to make it up the first chance I have this coming week. But I have been talking to some friends that have been up in the mountains so I do have some news for you. I was told that since the 8th of April there has been at least a foot or so of new snow fall on the lakes. Now for the good news. I was also told that the snow is pretty thin up above the lakes. A person that snowmobiles said the way it looks now they will not be able to ride any more by the middle of May. From the way it looks from the house the snow has melted back to at least were it was at the end of May. That's it for now.
8 April 01
The Road Report for the canyon has been canceled this week due to SNOW. It snowed in the valley on saturday and today when I woke up we still had an inch or two of snow in the yard.
30 March 2001
The road in Lamoille Canyon was open to a point between the Scout Camp and Thomas Camp Ground. The road was blocked off at this point.The left side of the canyon (as you drive up the canyon) did not have any snow except for up high. The right side of the canyon had snow right to the road starting around the Scout Camp. There is snow on the ground at the Scout Camp. It looks like there is a good bit of snow up high. But then again it is only March.
There is no snow on the valley floor and it has not melted up the side of the Rubies very far either.
Lamoille Canyon is the canyon to the left of the photo.
