Right Fork Lamoille Creek

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

(map link)

This area was burned in the Range Two Fire in 2018. It also got the first half mile or so of the previous hike up Thomas Canyon, but was not particularly noticeable. It is very obvious along the Right Fork. The other nuisance for this canyon is that there is a piece of private property making trail access more difficult than it should be. This seems to be a common problem for the Rubies, albeit one of the lesser cases. There's a parking area (no camping allowed) and signs next to the gate for Camp Lamoille to make it clear that you can use this trail so long as you walk through the camp. I was only ⅓ mile down the road and couldn't be bothered to drive that little way down the road.

Lamoille Creek under the bridge

Trail parking beside the gate for Camp Lamoille

I followed the trail around the gate and off into the camp. The sign says it is only open through September, so was abandoned except for maybe a caretaker.

Camp Lamoille comes into sight

I made my way through it almost to the end of the road where a trail breaks off to the left with some minimal signage. Little trails break off to the creek. OpenStreetMap says there's another route on the far side of the creek, but I didn't see it. The Forest Service says it splits further up and both will join again after a bit over a mile. I was told that the west one (Lions Camp Trail) most definitely doesn't go that far anymore. This split is marked by a large cairn and I went left and crossed the creek on a thin makeshift bridge. It was a mildly rough climb back out of the creek to the trail, which was coming from somewhere else further downstream.

Beaver dams on the creek

One very clear trail junction with no sign

Tall evening primrose with flowers up above my knees

The trail climbs up through burn scar, generally looking like use trail reclaiming something like the old route. It has some very steep moments. In this canyon, you're quickly into wilderness. If you follow the trail marked on the Forest Service topo, you'll be out of it again, dip in it briefly, then enter it for a while before coming out at the Indian Reservation on the west side, too. It's kind of ridiculous how the boundary winds.

The Ruby Mountains Wilderness sign survived the fire

Paintbrush and some far gone fireweed in a badly burned area

Not burn, just autumn

The creek is a long cascade down the elevation step

The burn didn't get all the way up the canyon. After the elevation step, there's not big signs of burn.

Looking up the eastern side of the canyon

The end of the valley is in view

The trail levels out for a while and actually drops a little before crossing the creek. The crossing is not entirely obvious, but its pretty easy to find the trail again after it. Trail leaves the creek behind on the way to climb to Goat Lake. This little pond is the end according to OpenStreetMap. That was as far as I was planning on following it.

Looking downstream at the crossing

Waterfall along the way for a lunch stop

Another angle on the waterfall

A look back down the canyon

A look across the canyon

Along the end of the canyon

Arrived at Goat Lake

Up above where the trail continues according to the Forest Service

There's a nice rock for a sit by the lake. I had a snack and watched a big trout in the water and pondered if visiting Echo Lake might not be possible. There looked to be faint trail at least climbing upward.

Trail goes off that way and then swings to the left on the map

Goat Lake

I had waited to have some light in the canyon, so there really wasn't time. There might not be anyway if it is as much a cross country route as I was told. I headed back down instead.

Flow along the way

Shadow is already making a way across the canyon

Even more geraniums

The streambank wild hollyhock also had plenty of flowers on display, but most weren't quite open

When I got down to the crossing I had used, I continued along the other trail. It was getting overgrown, but still obvious until it drops down into the creek to cross. There are multiple choices in how to cross and multiple trails up the other side, but nothing is exactly complete. I wove my way along and landed on the main trail again to walk through the camp back to my own camp.

Pretty good road, but with potholes

The whole of Lamoille Creek again

*Ruby Mountains 2022 photo album*




©2022 Valerie Norton
Written 19 Dec 2022