Hike Soldier Basin Peaks Loop via Soldier Creek and Hidden Lakes Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, NV

Sep 13, 2023 — My absolutely, positively, undeniably, fantastically fervent love for the magical oasis that is the Ruby Mountains brings me back often. The gorgeous peaks with interesting rock, colorful lakes, and general Great Basin remoteness are coupled with the outstanding uniqueness of this range relative to the surrounding mountains. Located at the northern end of the Ruby Mountains, this hike reaches a cluster of rarely-visited peaks surrounding Soldier Basin (often referred to as Soldier Lakes Basin). I was, of course, mostly interested in reaching peaks but also in forming a loop that checks out the Soldier Lakes, Robinson Lake, and Hidden Lakes. These lakes form a collection of glacial tarns within Soldier Basin, which drain westward via Soldier Creek and eventually merge with the main branch of the Humboldt River. Various official trails lead into Soldier Basin, but I chose to access it via the Soldier Creek Trail. This would allow me to form a nice loop around the basin while minimizing excessive elevation gain.

Most hikers visiting the area hike from within Lamoille Canyon, so the Soldier Basin area remains less popular. To reach the trailhead, head south here (40.80890, -115.35623) on a road suitable for any vehicle, though passenger cars might have to drive more slowly. The road enters the Soldier Creek drainage and continues to a lower trailhead. Just past the lower trailhead, the road dips steeply into Soldier Creek and then continues along a lesser road, and since I partake in the nonsensical ritual of treating my new cars with care/respect despite their inevitable fate, I parked here. Plus, it's only about a 0.8-mile walk to the upper trailhead at the Ruby Mountains Wilderness Area boundary.

The Soldier Creek Trail is often a narrow but well-maintained trail, and even though brush encroaches, I didn't have to slow my pace because of it or even worry about losing the trail. It climbed steadily next to the flowing Soldier Creek, often ascending a bit above it. Lovely outcroppings on either side of the drainage jutted out from the lush canyon, and a hint of fall foliage was starting to set in. I enjoyed some intermittent views back down Soldier Creek, but mostly the first few miles were forested. Eventually, I emerged above the tree line into the far northern end of Soldier Basin at the base of Soldier Peak. I briefly debated heading up to this peak first but was more excited to get deeper into the area and grab it on my way back instead.

Continuing into Soldier Basin, the trees became more sparse and then faded away completely into sweeping tundra on undulating terrain. I passed a signed junction with the Ross Creek Trail but continued south. The route I had planned for the day was just adventurous enough to feel exciting, and I loved being able to warm up on an unexpectedly good trail and so rapidly be exposed to gorgeous scenery. The weather was perfect, and I was feeling just excellent. I met an unsigned junction with the Hidden Lakes Trail. On official topo maps, this trail should have come in farther south, and later in my hike, I attempted to locate it with limited success. I spoke with a couple of anglers at Hidden Lakes, and they confirmed the National Forest Service was trying to get people to use that other trail to reach Hidden Lakes, but this unofficial route became more popular and now seems to be the best option. It was narrower than the Soldier Creek Trail, switchbacking a bit and ascending more steeply to the pair of lakes hugging one another on a shelf at the base of my peaks to come.

The Hidden Lakes were pretty, but I think the beauty of them was actually the view away from them toward the rim/ridgeline I'll be hiking on later in the day on the opposite side of Soldier Basin, where the rim drops abruptly down toward Ruby Valley thousands of feet below. My first little summit of the day was John Day Benchmark. The Hidden Lakes were already pretty high in elevation, so the ascent wouldn't be too intense. A social trail brought me to the north side of the lakes, where I started up a steep slope, followed by a Class 2 boulder field. My aim was a weakness in the cliffy terrain above, where I then gained John Day Benchmark's east ridge and continued to a broad summit area. A cluster of summit boulders composed the high point, where I received fantastic views toward my entire loop for the day, as well as the Soldier Creek drainage far below.

My next summit, Peak 10,360, seemed an improbable affair. Located just south of John Day Benchmark, it had a daunting spire and potentially serious exposure. I hiked on wide-open tundra to its base, where a neat sloped rock rib led me to a Class 3 move, followed by some easy navigating along the rib and up to a somewhat exposed Class 3/3+ move on the east side of the summit. Thrilled this peak gave way more easily than I expected, I hung out to enjoy the views before peering down its south side and learning there'd be no way to descend from here. I backtracked to Peak 10,360's northern base and wrapped around its west side, hugging the cliff as I contoured along the steep slope. Some little Class 2 ledges along the slope, then a rocky section were the only difficulties. Making my way back to the ridgeline on the south side of Peak 10,360, I descended to the base of my next peak, Peak 10,550.

Keeping to the crest, I weaved around some brush and rocks before starting up a surprisingly good animal trail toward Peak 10,550. Past some steep ascending through sporadic trees, I emerged again into tundra where the crest became riddled with rock obstacles. On my ascent, I stuck to the crest and was awarded with some fun Class 3/4 scrambling, but the route to the summit can be kept Class 2 by wrapping to the right around the rocky ridge. The terrain up here is interesting, slabs of exposed rock littering the grassy summit area. And the views were immense. I was instantly inspired by Green Mountain and Old Man of the Mountains to the south, both rising above the Cold Lakes. Another hike for another day, I guess!

My next goal was to cross Soldier Basin and reach the opposite rim, which I'd then follow to gain my next summit, Peak 9850. The saddle separating Peak 10360 and Peak 10550 had a stacked cairn and an initially clear trail that I backtracked to in order to descend into Soldier Basin. Sticking to this trail made sense initially since it avoids a small cliff, but it faded away quickly. In hindsight, I realize I could have continued down toward Robinson Lake since I could have picked up a better trail there. Instead, I descended toward the Soldier Lakes along a now-nonexistent trail, following the occasional cairn. I encountered a little bit of brush along the way, but it was overall fine. I picked up what maps label the Hidden Lakes Trail, but as I mentioned earlier, it's in a rough state and has mostly been returned to tundra.

I passed by Soldier Lakes and left the trail, heading up a pleasant slope to gain the rim that looms over Ruby Valley, lots of eroded pinnacles framing the ridiculous drop into the desert below. I headed north along nice terrain as the wind picked up and clouds rolled in. I think I've mentioned storms in probably literally every trip report from the last three months, so I'll skip complaining about the persistently poor weather this summer. Along the rim, I hiked through a short section of forest and wrapped around an unnecessary lump before descending to the base of Peak 9850. I loved this part of the hike and was thrilled the off-trail terrain was friendly so that I could fully enjoy the preposterously good views.

The summit of Peak 9850 was just a big lump, and it marked the end of my Ruby Mountains rim excursion. I contoured north along a slope that progressively became more brushy, but I kept it pretty tame by staying high. This led me to the ridge I'd be following all the way to Soldier Peak. Along the way, I passed the upper portion of the Ross Creek Trail, which I'd passed earlier along the Soldier Creek Trail, and it clearly doesn't see much attention. Past the junction, I descended cross-country through very low brush and was able to avoid any rockiness. I paralleled a barbed wire fence for a bit down to the base of Soldier Peak, a small visual bummer.

Soldier Peak was my final summit of the day. The low alpine brushy stuff at its base was minimal and short-lived, and I actually managed to stumble upon a social/animal trail that helped guide me around larger brushy patches and small rock outcroppings. Barely even Class 2, I made quick work up the peak's ridge. Below the summit, the crest became more rocky, so I made an ascending traverse below on the right on a steep grassy slope. A little rain made it a bit slippery, so I took my time. I could again see today's full loop from yet another summit, and the perspective into Soldier Basin from here was excellent. I felt like I really got to see the whole area.

I backtracked from Soldier Peak and began descending south to regain the Soldier Creek Trail below. Almost immediately, I was hit with a wall of thick brush. Instead of continuing down the awful slope, I decided to check out the ditch that separated the brushy slopes, finding the brush was somehow far less dense here. Despite its unpleasantness, I didn't feel like it dampened the overall hike, but I do recommend staying away from the slopes and instead heading directly down where I did. There's also maybe a better descent option from Soldier Peak that avoids the brush if you look hard enough. I eventually reached the trail and enjoyed the late summer vibes on my way back.