July 31, 2009
From Salt Lake City, it took me 4.5 hours to get to the End of the Road Trailhead within the steep rock walls of Lamoille Canyon, and I was on the trail at 12:15 under a great, sunny sky. There were quite a few other folks around, but most were dayhikers whom I supposed were making Lamoille Lake their destination for the afternoon. The trail to Dollar and Lamoille Lakes was wide and well-marked, with plenty of switchbacks to keep the grade modest up the 1500 feet to Liberty Pass.  The route began in open meadows with plenty of sun, but then entered a fairly thick forest of limber pine as it made its way up to the head of the wide canyon, getting closer all the time to the steep rocky walls gouged out long ago by glaciers. After passing the Dollar Lakes, the flowers really became noticeable, and I was pretty impressed with the sunflowers, especially. I kept trucking up to Lamoille Lake, where two tents and a multitude of fishermen lined the lake. Looked like a nice lake, but I was anxious to get over Liberty Pass, so I didn’t stop. 
The trail above Lamoille Lake steepened considerably, and the trees petered out until it was just open, rocky tundra. I passed by a couple of dayhikers reinforcing their sunscreen near the top, but otherwise, the traffic really went down to almost nothing beyond Lamoille Lake. At 1:45, I reached Liberty Pass, and removed my pack for a few minutes of relaxation in the shade of a stunted limber pine. It was hot, and I had to wipe sweat off my face with my bandana. A chipmunk boldly tried invading my pack while I sat next to it, and I had to shoo him off. Putting my pack back on pressed my cold, sweaty shirt to my back and I grimaced at the unpleasantness.
I hiked on down the far side of Liberty Pass, enjoying the views of numerous peaks to the south. The trail skirted around the west side of Liberty Lake as it descended, and I saw a tent set up on the southeast edge of the lake. I reached a trail junction: Ruby Crest Trail x Favre Lake Trail. My map showed no Favre Lake Trail, though that was generally where I was headed, but I decided to stick to the plan and continued south on the Ruby Crest Trail. I learned later that the Favre Lake Trail is a short side trail that swings east around Favre Lake and rejoins the Ruby Crest Trail further south near Kleckner Creek. 

I headed downhill through lush grass, flowers and sparse limber pines towards Favre Lake. I took the turnoff for the lake, and noticed a few horses grazing in the meadow above the lake. A few guys had their tent set up not far from the Favre Lake outlet. I passed by with a wave and hiked east along the south shore of the lake, passing by another tent with no occupant around. I kept an eye out for a trail up to Castle Lake, but I didn’t see one, so as I neared the eastern edge of Favre Lake, I simply turned south and headed up the steep, heavily-wooded slope to Castle Lake. 

Castle Lake is a bit smaller than Favre Lake, but it definitely seems much shallower. There is no part of the lake you can’t see the bottom of if you stand higher up on the surrounding cliffs. The lake sits in a great-looking cirque with barren rock walls, topped by Lake Peak on the east side. The summit of Lake Peak is not visible from the lake, but it is if you hike up just a bit on the western side of the lake to get some elevation. 

I poked around the wooded northern shore and found a great spot about 50 yards from the lake amongst a thick grove of very large limber pine to set up my tent. I tried to set it up so that it would be shaded most of the afternoon, and thereby stay cool in case I wanted to nap after tomorrow morning’s hike. Fire rings in the area attested to the use of this lake by campers, maybe hunters.  I  unpacked my gear, hung my food and ventured down to the lake to dip some water into my canvas bucket. I hauled that back to camp and washed my face, arms and chest. Very refreshing.  Then I grabbed my book and settled back to rest for awhile. I hadn’t been in camp more than an hour, relaxing against a nice, sloping pine trunk, when a small buck came walking right between me and the tent, seemingly oblivious of me, though I know that can’t be. He walked slowly through, and disappeared in the thick willows near the lake. I noted with great pleasure that there were no mosquitoes about at all. Not one. Very unusual. After sitting and reading for a  bit, afternoon drowsiness set in so I took a 1-hr siesta in the tent. After a delicious nap, I got up around 5:30 and walked around to the east side of the lake and higher up to the sound of running water. I found a nice little waterfall with cold, clear water to filter. The lake water probably would be just as fine, but it was quite a bit warmer than the small stream.  As I approached the water and the wet, boggy ground around the stream, the mosquitoes came out to feed, so there are at least some of those little buggers around.  Nothing worse than being bitten all over but having both hands occupied so you can’t swat them away. I filtered water as quickly as I could and hightailed it back to the dryer areas around camp where there were no bugs. 

I anticipated thunderstorms in the afternoon, but the sky stayed clear. I had originally planned on trying to climb Lake Peak from this side of the mountain, but after examining the craggy ridge leading to it from the north, and the steep, scree-covered slope on the west side, I decided I’d better hike around and try it from the south, where the slope didn’t look quite so steep on the topo map.  It was 7:00 by then, which was too late to start such a hike.  Instead, I hiked up the western side of the cirque to a ridge that overlooked the pass between Favre and Furlong Lakes.  It was a steep climb up an open slope with just a few trees scattered about, but the walk was worth it. From the ridge, the mountains to the west were visible, including Ruby Dome. An interesting arch in a rock fin jutting out from the ridge I stood on framed the sunset nicely. I puttered around along the ridgeline until after sunset, noting the fresh mountain goat droppings but seeing no goats. I sat near the arch in the still, quiet air of evening and watched surrounding peaks for half an hour or so, scanning for the white fleecy coats of those elusive mountain goats, but I didn’t see any. As dark descended, I scampered back down the slope to the tent, arriving in almost complete darkness around 8:45. Bats flitted about amongst the pines. I grabbed my headlamp and washed my socks and shirt in the water bucket, hanging them on a line strung between two nearby trees.  I slid into the small tent and read my book for a bit before feeling cool enough to fall asleep. 

August 1, 2009
I set my alarm for around 5:30, but when it went off, I snoozed blissfully until 6:15 when the sun came out. I ate some cereal at camp, packed some stuff, and left camp at 6:45. It was a clear, beautiful morning, though a bit breezy. I retraced my steps from the prior evening up to the ridgeline west of Castle Lake, and descended a bit on the west face, and followed it around as it curled to the east, putting me on the south face of the slope amongst pines and steep runs of scree. I stayed as high up on the slope as possible, often getting chances to look over the rim down into the Castle Lake Cirque. This was a very fun route to take, and I was glad I decided on it. I continued as close to the rim as possible, often hiking right on the rim, until I reached Lake Peak at 8:25. I was the only human in sight, and I spent 20 minutes enjoying the summit. The Ruby Mountains are such a narrow mountain chain that from a high peak like this, you can see the flat valleys stretch off both to the east and west, effectively allowing you to see the entire mountain range from one spot. The views to the horizon were obscured, however, by a gray haze, presumably fire smoke.  I surveyed the north and east approaches to the summit, and decided that the south approach is really the only Class II route.  For some reason there were hundreds of flies at the summit, but I couldn’t figure out what they were there for. Did I stink that bad only one day into my trip?

I left the summit at 8:50 and headed south along the forested ridgeline towards the Wines Peak Saddle.  As the terrain flattened out between Lake and Wines Peaks, the trees ended and I walked through an open tundra of low-growing grasses, lupines and cushion forbs.  This plain descended gradually to the west, but dropped off precipitously to the east. It was from this direction that I heard a clattering of soft hooves on rock and some clattering stones dropping away. I looked over to see 2 large mountain goats nimbly leaping up the near-vertical face of the drop to the plain behind me, and on up into the trees towards Lake Peak. I snapped a few photographs, but I had my short lens on and I was facing the sun to see them, so they are hardly wall-mounting material. I was, nevertheless, pleased to see a mountain goat for the first time. 

At the lowest part of the saddle, I took a break and sat at the overhang of the drop. I took off my socks to dry them and removed my new super-duper insoles because the arch support was giving my foot a blister.  Moving on, I headed right towards Wines Peak, and in the process caught a trail heading in the same direction. The slope was minor, so the trail was easy going all the way up. I climbed a point to the east of the trail, but when I got there I could see it wasn’t the true summit. So, I headed west to the highpoint and reached it at 10:15. Lots of flies here, too, for some reason. I only noticed them on the summits.  It was getting very warm, and large cumulous clouds were floating in. Just as I was leaving the summit, 2 guys showed up from the south where they had been hiking the Ruby Crest Trail. They were out of water and anxious to find some. I offered them some of mine, but when they learned that  ? Creek and ? Lake were just down the trail, they said they could wait. I left them at the summit and headed on down that way to ? Creek. 

The trail slid down the grassy tundra into the forest, and I veered off the trail to find a spot to eat lunch at 11:15. I found a shady, grassy spot under an enormous limber pine, and ate a nice meal of crackers, tuna, chocolate and water. While I sat there, the two fellows I saw at Wines Peak summit passed by 200 yards away on the trail, not seeing me. A third guy followed behind them with a dog. Shortly after, I resumed the trail, and passed these three again at the creek where they were filtering water. 

I reached the pass over into the next drainage, and headed down a long trail, with what seemed like an unnecessary amount of switchbacks, to Farve Lake.  At Favre Lake, I crossed the outlet stream and headed towards the lake and then up to Castle Lake. I reached camp at 1:15. Sweaty, salty and hot, I immediately stripped down and took a full-body bath in the canvas bucket (How to Take a Bath in One Gallon of Water, by Sam Cox), glancing around often to see if anyone was coming. This is a pretty remote spot, so I didn’t expect any company.  I dried off with a washcloth, and then got dressed in nice, dry, clean-smelling clothes. I then washed my salty clothes and hung them to dry. Big clouds rolled in, and I thought it would certainly rain, but it did not. 

I retrieved my book and sat against a wide log to read. Contrary to my estimation that I would see no other people up this way, three men dressed in camoflauge came stalking through quietly with bows. I didn’t think it was hunting season yet, but maybe Nevada is different than Wyoming.  I took a trip up to filter water, and ate some more tuna and crackers (Salt!). I finished my book, which was a bad thing, because I was too tired to attempt any more hikes even if the weather didn’t look like imminent rain. I napped about 30 minutes to shake a minor headache, but that didn’t work. I think I just lost too much salt on the hike.  It sprinkled a bit around 7:00, and the wind blew in great gusts, but then it passed and left a hot, still evening. I really should have brought another book. I got in the tent around 8:00 and tried to fall asleep as quickly as possible.

August 2, 2009
I woke up at 6:00, and when I glanced out the mosquito netting of the tent, the cirque was glowing orange in the rising sun and looked phenomenal. I threw on my pants, shirt and unzipped the tent with my camera in hand to trot out of the trees and photograph the amazing light, but by the time I got in position, the thin break in the clouds that had let the early-morning sun in had closed, leaving the cirque in a dull, dark gray. I returned to the tent and fell back asleep.  I let myself sleep without a plan, waking only when the sun begancooking my tent at 7:20 after it peeked above the stubborn cloud band to the east. I ate breakfast, packed up camp and left by 7:55. 

Instead of heading back the way I’d come in, I went around the east side of Favre Lake, staying in the shade of the ridge and enjoying the riotous wildflowers on the steep slope. I eventually intersected the Favre Lake Trail, and followed that uphill to Liberty Lake, where 3 groups of backpackers had their tents pitched around the lake. Busy place. The sun was out in full, and the day was clear and warm. Very enjoyable. I sweated up the dusty trail to a nice perch above Liberty Lake, took a few parting photographs, and then turned north and slipped over Liberty Pass. 

I cruised downhill quickly, past Lamoille Lake, and into the thicker woods beyond, where I stopped opposite one of the shallow Dollar Lakes for a snack at around 9:45. It was a breezy morning, and in the shade where I sat, shirt soaked with sweat, kind of chilly. I kicked off my boots and let my socks dry a bit, and closed my eyes for a few minutes. When I opened them again, I was struck by how much green there was all around. Green grass, green lake water, green pines, green willows. So much green.

I hopped back on the trail and ambled comfortably down, passing lots of hikers on their way up for a day at Lamoille Lake, until I reached the parking lot. I threw my pack in the car, changed shoes, and sucked down a Coke from the cooler that was still surprisingly cold. It was still early in the day, so I prepared my day pack for another hike, and that’s a whole other trip report, friend.

The trail to Liberty Pass, Snow Lake Peak on the horizon

Looking north from Liberty Pass and Snow Lake Peak 

Liberty Lake, with Lake Peak (left) and the tip of Wines Peak (center)

Wildflowers above Liberty Lake

Liberty Lake

Trail down to Favre Lake

Favre Lake and Lake Peak

Peak 11,032 above Favre Lake

Castle Lake

Castle Lake and Lake Peak

Rugged cirque above Castle Lake

Evening on the rocks above Castle Lake

Jagged ridgeline above Castle Lake

Castle Lake and Lake Peak at sunset

Castle Lake and northern Ruby Mts at sunset

Sunset from Castle Lake, looking west towards Ruby Dome

Arch above Castle Lake

The beautiful Castle Lake cirque

Early morning in the Castle Lake Cirque

Castle Arch above Castle Lake

The view from Lake Peak: Looking down on 
Castle and Favre Lakes, with Ruby Dome on the far left

Summit of Lake Peak on a hazy morning

Wines Peak from south face of Lake Peak

The rocky plain between Lake and Wines Peaks

Heading south to Wines Peak across the barren saddle

Mountain goat encounters, this one was the last of 3

Lupines on the flank of Wines Peak