Ruby Lake, Nevada

Tiger says that Nevada is the driest state in America. Indeed, Nevada is hot and dry, especially during July. Nevertheless, Rural Ways spent three July days paddling there with Tiger and Melissa and Sara. Actually, we paddled Ruby Lake, which might be the wettest place in the state.

Ruby Lake is a 17,000 acre marsh managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a National Wildlife Refuge. There is very little open water, but many channels and small ponds surrounded by reeds. It would be relatively easy to get lost while boating, but the FWS has maintained at least one channel through the South Marsh with marked poles. Gas motors are not allowed on the lake during July, though fisherman can use electric outboards.

We camped at the South Ruby Campground on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It was somewhat hot, busy, and buggy, but Ellen made a couple of friends. On Saturday evening we got a pretty nice thunderstorm. Uncharacteristically, however, the clouds didn't go away and it rained most of the night. In the morning it was still coming down and I made coffee under the canoe. So much for the driest state in the union.