Women in the Wilderness: Trail Work and Alpine Splendor in the Ruby Mountains, Nevada

If you’re 18 to 35, you may be able to go on this trip for $300 off the listed price, thanks to the Sharon Churchwell Fund. To sign up and get your discount, please call 415-977-5522. No application is necessary. For a full list of Sharon Churchwell trips and other opportunities for young travelers, visit our Trips for Young Participants page.

The Trip

The Ruby Mountains Wilderness sits astride a high ridgeline of mountains, extending 90 miles south from Secret Pass, near Elko, NV. Nowhere else in Nevada is there such a spectacular landscape, with hanging valleys, clusters of alpine lakes, and snow-fed streams flowing down broad U-shaped glacial valleys. The area is characterized by high-faceted peaks soaring above lush green meadows. The Ruby Crest Trail, a National Scenic Trail, follows the north-south ridgeline, accessed by many side trails from the east and west. The 93,000-acre Ruby Mountains Wilderness area, established in 1989, is surrounded by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. This National Forest, with public lands scattered across Nevada, is the largest in the Lower 48 and includes 23 Wilderness Areas. The Ruby Mountains Wilderness occupies the traditional lands of the Western Shoshone (Te Monk band of the Newe) and the Northern Paiute (Numu) peoples, who have been living on and caring for this place for countless generations.

Our base camp, located between 8,000 and 10,000 feet, will be in a prime location with access to potable water. The trip leader will confirm the location of the base camp before the start of the trip. From our base camp, there will be opportunities for day-off activities such as wildlife viewing, photography, day hiking, and possibly fishing. There are 10 peaks above 10,000 feet in the Wilderness; we may be able to hike to a peak on our day off. Wildlife in this Wilderness area includes mule deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, antelope, marmots, pikas, coyotes, and mountain lions, as well as introduced Hungarian partridges and Himalayan snowcocks. Black bears are slowly re-inhabiting the Nevada mountains, 80 years after they were locally exterminated.

The Project

We will clear and improve the Ruby Crest Trail or other trails, under the direction of the Ruby Mountains Ranger District staff. We’ll leave from our base camp each day, hiking and working 3-4 miles each way, carrying day packs with our lunches and gear for the day, as well as tools. U.S. Forest Service staff will train us to use tools effectively and safely and they may join us on workdays. Because we will be in a Wilderness Area, we will use only hand tools. Tasks may include sawing fallen trees, cutting and clearing brush, and improving the trail surface (tread work). No previous experience is necessary; there will be a variety of tasks.

We’ll work for two days, take a break day, work for two more days, then pack up our group and personal gear and hike out.

Day 1: The trip will begin Sunday at 4 p.m. with our group meeting at a campsite to be determined by our U.S. Forest Service contact. We’ll introduce ourselves, enjoy supper, review our plans, and camp for the night. Directions to our meeting location will be provided to approved participants closer to the trip start date. 

Participants living in or arriving from lower elevations may wish to come a day or two early to acclimate to the high elevation. Elko and Wells, NV, have lodgings and campgrounds. You’ll be able to plan logistics once our worksite is confirmed.

Day 2: After an early breakfast and lunch prep, we pack our gear, and travel together to the trailhead. We backpack together to the base camp and set up for the week. At camp, we review safety measures, tool use, and the work project.

Day 3: Today is the first workday. Each workday we eat breakfast and pack lunches around 7 a.m.; our gear for the day will be ready to go. We bring lunches, snacks, water, and tools, and hike 1-4 miles to our work project. We’ll take short breaks together morning and afternoon, with a longer break at lunch, and alternate tasks to avoid injury and ennui. The workday will usually end around 4 p.m. Each day a few people will assist the cook; others are at leisure in the evening.

Day 4: Work.

Day 5: Half day or work and time off in the afternoon to explore nearby trails, peaks or streams.  Or, quietly relax in camp.

Days 6: Work.

Day 7: On Saturday we will eat breakfast, pack a lunch, break camp, and hike back. The trip officially ends on arrival at the trailhead. Fond goodbyes to all! As it is difficult to predict when we will arrive at the trailhead, participants flying home must allow ample time to access departure airports.

Please make any return flight reservations from Elko after 6 p.m. More distant airports will require longer driving times.

Getting There

Due to the remoteness of this trail and the distances that need to be traveled from the nearest big cities, everyone should schedule ample time to arrive in the area before the start of the trip. Elko and Wells, NV are the nearest towns with full services, but they are still one to two hours away from our campground meeting place, which is to the south. Renting cars and sharing rides will probably be a necessity for this trip. We will send a trip roster to all participants so that you can discuss carpooling options.

Elko is serviced by several daily Delta Commuter flights from Salt Lake City, Utah, and Reno, Nevada. A flight from either city is an option: Elko is roughly a 230-mile drive from Salt Lake City and 290 miles from Reno. A flight into Twin Falls, Idaho, may be less expensive than flying into Elko, but the drive to the meeting location may be two hours. 

As of this date, another carrier option is the Amtrak Zephyr, traveling east- or west-bound with a stop in Elko. 

Accommodations and Food

This is a backpacking and camping trip; you will need to have personal gear and be able to carry it in your backpack.

Our co-leader/cook will plan and prepare tasty and nutritious meals and snacks to fuel our work and play. The first meal will be supper on the evening before we hike to our base camp; the last meal will be lunch on the day we hike out. Please bring the attitude that new foods are part of the adventure. We’ll take turns helping with food preparation. Many participants say the meals are a highlight of the week—pleasing the palate, satisfying appetites, and serving as social gatherings after the day’s work or play in the wilderness. Meals will be largely vegetarian, with some opportunities for meat during the week, and will often include dairy products and nuts.

Our meals require special planning, as food weight and quantity must be carefully calculated, and all waste carried out at the end of the trip. All food and toiletries (anything with a smell) must be stored in animal-proof containers to protect wildlife and participants.

If you have food allergies, dietary restrictions, or strong preferences, please check with the leader and cook to see if your food needs can be accommodated in a backcountry setting.

Trip Difficulty

This strenuous trip requires participants to be in appropriate physical condition, acclimated to the altitude, and invigorated by the work in a mountain setting. Depending on our base camp location, our 6- to 9-mile hike to it may ascend from 6,500 feet to more than 8,000 -- with a backpack. Our daily hike from base camp to work sites will cover between 4 to 8 miles, depending on the Forest Service’s projects. The work will involve bending, lifting, digging, and using heavy hand tools. Quite the workout! However, rest breaks are regular, and each participant is urged to walk and work at a comfortable pace. Safety is our primary concern. 

Arriving a day or two early to the region will help you to acclimate and improve oxygen uptake and thereby your comfort level. In addition, well before the trip starts, regularly engage in cardiovascular and strength training to ensure your safety and enjoyment. If you have questions about the trip or its suitability for you, contact the leader before registering. 

Equipment and Clothing

The Forest Service will provide the work tools; trip members will bring their backpacks, tents, and personal gear. In addition to your regular camping gear, you’ll need sturdy leather gloves, long pants, and a long-sleeve shirt for working. You will also need at least two one-quart water bottles (or equivalent hydration packs) and a day pack to carry your lunch, water, gloves, sunscreen, etc. to the worksite each day. We will send you a list of required and recommended equipment when you are accepted for the trip. The Sierra Club will provide food and the gear for cooking, but you should come with personal eating utensils -- a bowl, cup, and spoon. A hard plastic container with a watertight lid is needed for packing your lunch each day, and can also be used as your eating dish for breakfast and dinner. While we provide a first-aid kit for emergencies, you should bring your first-aid kit (pain pills, bandaids, decongestant, moleskin, etc.) for life’s little aggravations and any personal medications you require. Some purified water will be provided at the base camp, but bring some means of purifying water when you are away from the base camp at work and on free days. If you are familiar with and own a Garmin InReach, please consider bringing it.

Summer temperatures climb into the upper 80s (or maybe even hotter) during the day and drop into the 40s (or quite possibly freezing) at night. July, August, and September are the driest months of the year, but you should be prepared to hike, work, play, and sleep in heat, rain, or cold. A good rain parka and rain pants are a must! Residents of this high desert country boast of having some of the widest single-day temperature swings in the U.S. Though the days may be hot, the evening temperatures drop very rapidly. Prepare to dress accordingly, using the layering technique with your clothing.

References

Maps: 

• For Overland Lake area: The USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Franklin Lake NW
• For the entire Ruby Crest Trail: The USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangles: Ruby Dome, Franklin Lake NW, Green Mountain, Harrison Pass, Franklin Lake SW, and Lee

Books:

• Fox, William, The Void, the Grid: Traversing the Great Basin.
• Hart, John, Hiking the Great Basin.
• McPhee, John, Basin and Range.
• White, Michael, Nevada Wilderness Areas, and Great Basin National Park.

Websites:

• Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/htnf/
  
• Ruby Crest Trail: http://www.backpackingintherubymountains.info/rubycresttrail/rubycresttrail.html/
  
• Hiking the Ruby Mountains: http://www.rubymountains.net/
  

Conservation

Most of the conservation issues arise out of defining “multi-use.” The area is so remote that local folks have forever been able to use the land as they chose and could see little impact. They don’t understand why the area should now be “closed off” to their choice of uses. Some lands had been used as grazing allotments before being designated as wilderness in 1989. Most locals make their living from ranching or mining and see environmental protections as a threat to their livelihoods. Now proposals to make thousands of acres of Forest Service lands available for oil and gas leases are being evaluated.

With more than 80 percent of Nevada's land in federal ownership, millions of acres could be designated as wilderness. Nevada wilderness advocates have been mapping and studying these roadless areas and trying to gain more support for wildland protection. Education is crucial and one way to educate is to get people to understand the issues. The best way to do that is to get people out to experience the beauty of these remote areas.

Since its founding in 1892, The Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Service outings, in particular, stand out as one of the Sierra Club’s most important “boots on the ground” conservation efforts. The work done by service trip participants in our nation’s public lands is a way of practicing conservation in the most direct way possible, whether it’s improving access while preserving wilderness values, restoring wildlife habitat, or repairing human-caused damage to a natural area. Service trips are a great way to pitch in and do something tangible to make the world a better place; they’re a way to go beyond just talking about conservation; a way to get out there and experience conservation with your whole being.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.