Mission Accomplished!

The trip went off without a hitch. Well almost. We headed off to the Ruby Mountains of Nevada for an epic journey. I am currently writing an article that is explaining everything in full detail. So for now I will post the stats of the trip with a few photos and a just a couple of the highlights. Keep checking back for updates because I will do it in sections.

Total trip details:

February 12-15, 2010

Mileage-37 miles

Vertical feet climbed-11,300

High Point-10,860 ft

Pack weight- 36 pounds

This was probably one of the most physically demanding trips I have ever done. Part of the reason for that was due to the fact that we were not always completely clear on our route and what we were capable of each day. Along with the physical effort put forth we were able to really test our navigation skills.

We were about 2.5 hours into our drive to Elko, NV when Mark realized that all of our topo maps were sitting on his kitchen table. The next morning we stopped everywhere we could looking for a topo map that would help to gives us an idea of our route. Luckily Cowboy John, our shuttle driver, had a recreational map of the area which we were able to use and totally saved us multiple times.

Cowboy John

We skied from Harrison pass up past the Green mountain trailhead and headed north. Our ultimate goal was Lamoille Canyon via the Ruby Crest ridgeline. We were very anxious to get up on the ridge so we could get a view of our objective and we also thought that once on the ridge, we would be sprinting along it and cruise on through. Boy were we wrong! For the first 2 days it seemed like every ridge we reached was nye impassible and we were forced to find a safe route down and try to access in another drainage or location.

Typical view of the ridge we were supposed to be "cruising" along

So after a few ups and downs (about 2500 feet each) we finally felt like we got on course. Our nights seemed to be perfect. we stayed warm and always had great views when we woke up.

Camp 1

I know the average attention span for blogs is usually just a few photos and even fewer paragraphs. Tune in for the next update and more photos. I have lots more to share. Feel free to ask questions. I love talking about this trip.

Be Prepared

I am going to give you a sneak peek at an adventure that is just around the corner. In preparation for this trip I have been trying get some exercise on a regular basis so that I do not get half way through the journey and start asking my cohorts to carry me. The trip could be a great experience in the mountains or a death march to insanity. We have a solid crew lined up and I really can't wait to get started. So now that I have built it up are you ready to hear what it is.

We are traversing the Ruby Mountain range of Nevada. Oooooh, Ahhhhh! Alright, for those of you that have no idea what I am talking about here are the details of the trip.

The Rubies are known as the Nevada Swiss Alps.

Distance- 35-50 miles (depending on the side trips we take)

Elevation 6500 ft. - 11000 ft. With lots of ups and down between.

4 days to do it with everything we need on our backs!

Wish us luck as we prepare and keep checking to see the trip report on this epic journey. If any of you have any valuable info that will help make this trip epic, please fill us in.