Ruby Mountains
Ruby Mountains | |
---|---|
Duka Doya | |
Highest point | |
Peak | Ruby Dome |
Elevation | 11,387 ft (3,471 m) |
Coordinates | 40°37′18″N 115°28′31″W / 40.62167°N 115.47528°W[1] |
Dimensions | |
Length | 80 mi (130 km) North-South |
Width | 11 mi (18 km)[2] |
Geography | |
Country | United States |
State | Nevada |
County | Elko |
The Ruby Mountains (
The 'Rubies' were named after the garnets found by early explorers. The central core of the range shows extensive evidence of glaciation during recent ice ages, including U-shaped canyons, moraines, hanging valleys, and steeply carved granite mountains, cliffs, and cirques. All of these features can be seen from 12-mile Lamoille Canyon Road, a National Forest Scenic Byway which traverses Lamoille Canyon,[6] entering the range near the town of Lamoille.
Major features
Major valleys include Lamoille Canyon (and its branches Thomas and Right Fork Canyons), Seitz Canyon, Box Canyon and Kleckner Canyon. Canyons to the north drain into the main stem of the Humboldt River above Elko, while a group of canyons above the Te-Moak tribal lands constitute the headwaters of the South Fork of the Humboldt River. Major summits in the central core of the range include Ruby Dome, Thomas Peak, Liberty Peak, Mount Fitzgerald, Verdi Peak, Snow Lake Peak, Mount Silliman, and Mount Gilbert. Prominent peaks further south include King, Lake, Wines, Tipton, and Pearl Peaks. North of the central core, significant peaks include Old-Man-of-the-Mountain and Soldier Peak.
Glaciers gouged out basins that are now alpine lakes. The larger of these, all located in the central core of the range, include
Ecology
The eastern Great Basin is wetter than the western part in the
Geology
The Ruby Mountains are part of the
Wilderness area
The higher altitude sections of the range were designated as the 90,000 acres (36,000 ha) Ruby Mountains Wilderness Area in 1989.[9] The isolated Seitz and Echo Canyons are further preserved as an ecologically special Research Natural Area.
The Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail winds from Harrison Pass northward about 40 mi (64 km) to the Road's End Trailhead high in Lamoille Canyon. Principal recreational access can be found at Lamoille and Soldier Canyons on the west side of the range, and at the Overland Lake Trailhead to the east.
In popular culture
- An opening title in the 2006 film Seraphim Falls places the first scenes in the Ruby Mountains.
- In 1994, Frank Wells Dies from a Helicopter Incident after Skiing at the Ruby Mountains.
References
- ^ "Ruby Dome Cairn". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ^ "Backpacking In The Ruby Mountains". Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ^ Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, Rocky Mountain Wild, and Trout (14 June 2022). "Little Potential for Development, High Potential for Harm". ArcGIS StoryMaps. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest: Ruby Mountains Wilderness". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ^ "Ruby Dome, Nevada". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ^ "Lamoille Canyon". Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- doi:10.1130/b26484.1. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Satarugsa, Peangta and Johnson, Roy A. (2000) Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Ruby Mountains metamorphic core complex and adjacent valleys, northeastern Nevada, Rocky Mountain Geology, 35: 205-230
- ^ "Ruby Mountains Wilderness". Friends of Nevada Wilderness. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2010.