Right Fork Canyon
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Right Fork Canyon is a major branch of
Lamoille Canyon Lamoille Canyon is the largest valley in the Ruby Mountains, located in the central portion of Elko County in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada, in the western United States. Approximately in length, it was extensively sculpted by ...
, located in the
Ruby Mountains The Ruby Mountains (Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: 'Duka Doya', meaning “Snowcapped”) are a mountain range, primarily located within Elko County, Nevada, Elko County with a small extension into White Pine County, Nevada, White Pine County, in ...
of Elko County, in the northeastern section of the state of
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
in the western
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Approximately 5 miles (8 km) in length, it was extensively sculpted by
glaciers A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
in previous
ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...
s. none, 450px, Mt. Fitzgerald and Upper Right Fork Canyon The canyon begins at the summit of Mount Fitzgerald at an elevation of 11,215 feet (3418 m), and quickly descends to its nearly level upper section. It is here that the greatest evidence for glacial sculpturing can be found. The canyon shows a classic
U-shaped Many shapes have metaphorical names, i.e., their names are metaphors: these shape A shape is a graphics, graphical representation of an object's form or its external boundary, outline, or external Surface (mathematics), surface. It is distinc ...
cross section, and many patches of bare granite still retain the dark patina and striations caused by direct contact with the lower surface of the glacier that once filled this valley. left, 350px, Glacial patina and striations in Upper Right Fork Canyon Far below the summit of Mt. Gilbert, the canyon then makes a dramatic drop and sharp turn to enter its lower section. Near here are visible a large
geologic fault In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...
in the granite wall of the canyon, a steep cascade of the stream flow, and, further down, a 30-foot (10 m) falls. Having descended to an elevation of 7100 feet (2165 m), the canyon finally passes Camp Lamoille and merges with the main branch of Lamoille Canyon.


External links


Lamoille Canyon
{{commons category, Right Fork Lamoille Canyon Ruby Mountains Landforms of Elko County, Nevada Canyons and gorges of Nevada