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Sep 15, 2020 — Ruby Dome, the high point of the Ruby Mountains, is definitely a highlight of Nevada peaks. This description uses the standard route for the peak, which heads up Hennen Canyon from the north. You need to get in touch with the Spring Creek Association to obtain a key and permit ($10/day when I went) to reach the end of the Spring Creek Association Campground, where the trailhead is located. The office to obtain the key is part of a golf course and is only open specific hours during the week, so plan accordingly. Some hikers apparently park outside the locked gate and hike the road (adding 5 miles round-trip), but I don't recommend trespassing. Assuming you've secured a key and permit, proceed past the gate and up to the Hennen Canyon Trailhead. The official trail ends at Griswold Lake.
I started along the Hennen Canyon Trail, taking in the typical smokey views that 2020 has offered all summer, and made my way up the nice trail. There were lots of cows and therefore, cowpies. Eventually, the canyon began to narrow from "hilly" status into a proper canyon, and the trail became slightly less easy to follow as it passed over slickrock sections. Cairns marked the best route through alternating brush/trees and rocky outcrops. I had no almost difficulty staying on track, and I recommend just paying attention to cairns as you ascend. There is a small section about a mile before Griswold Lake where the canyon narrows significantly and the trail continues on the left (east) side to avoid the cliffy drainage, some Class 2+ scrambling on solid rock required.
Eventually, I made it to Griswold Lake, which was gorgeous. I noted Lee Peak on the right (my first objective), and the cliffs in front of Ruby Dome on the left. The "official" trail ends here, but the route heading up to Ruby Dome is well-cairned for a while and a social trail is easy to follow. I paralleled Griswold Lake's eastern perimeter on the social trail, and continued along it as it climbs toward the cliffs on the left. The trail is easy to follow, ascending steeply until the first sight of Ruby Dome and Ruby Pyramid come into view. Along the way, I encountered one small Class 3 headwall, which was cairned. The views back into Hennen Canyon as I made my way up were delightful. Once the trail pretty much ends at the top of the ascent out of Hennen Canyon, cairns begin to mark all sorts of possible routes through the talus/scree. However, there is one major line that was clear at the beginning, leading to a grassy gap between two humps framed by Ruby Dome.
While the route is a little cryptic because there are lots of ridges and humps within the talus, getting to Ruby Dome's ridgeline only requires Class 2/2+, so if you're doing anything harder, then you're going the wrong way. Using the images/captions below will also probably be more helpful. I'll note that the standard route stays low for a while before ascending on a garbage scree slope. My friend Jon Avery brought a very fun alternative (Class 2) to my attention, which I happily followed (reflected on my attached map). This route (which is cairned) heads up a talus-covered ridge, before merging back with the standard route, avoiding the scree. The route continues by hugging talus face, well below the ridge crest, on a somewhat exposed Class 2 ledge, and leads to Ruby Dome's west saddle.
Most people continue on to Ruby Dome, but I wanted to first go hike to Lee Peak to the west. It's an overlooked Nevada 11er, and is kind of a hassle add-on, though it was a nice peak overall. The ridgeline goes at Class 2+, a few more difficult moves through the talus making the traverse slow. Keeping just left of the ridge felt easiest, and I soon found myself looking down at a steep talus descent that would bring me to a notch below Lee Peak. This notch was something I noted when I was at Griswold Lake as a potential ascent route for Lee Peak, but looking down at it from above gave me shivers and I was happy I chose to traverse the ridge instead. From the notch, a steep grassy slope brought me to just below the summit of Lee Peak. From here, difficult rocky outcrops prevented easy access, so I followed the cliffs on the left, wrapping around to the north side of Lee Peak to reach the true summit. The view down to Griswold Lake and over toward Ruby Dome was amazing, and I could trace my whole route so far.
I backtracked to the notch, reascended the talus slope, and went across the Class 2+ ridge, making my way up more Class 2 to Ruby Dome. More amazing views. Ruby Pyramid sat just to the east, requiring me to follow Ruby Dome's west ridge to the saddle between the two peaks. The section directly after leaving Ruby Dome's summit was slightly exposed Class 2, and was one Class 3 move about halfway down the talus-filled ridge. Ruby Pyramid also went at Class 2/2+, and the views toward Snow Lake Peak, Mount Gilbert, and the many other Ruby Mountain peaks were mind-bogglingly cool fom Ruby Pyramid's summit.
I dropped back to the saddle of Ruby Dome and Ruby Pyramid and made my way down slowly on big boulders (Class 2) along the path of least resistance, traversing the boulder field in a northwesterly direction until I encountered cairns and found myself back on the standard Ruby Dome route. I recommend just planning ahead when descending this section. There are steeper boulder-filled slopes and a few cliffs to avoid, and if you drop too far to the right, you'll be going down the wrong canyon. I made my way back past Griswold Lake and to my car, and to the Spring Creek Association office in time to return the key.
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