From the Shoshone word for "a weird beastly creature," Jarbidge Wilderness hides in one of the remotest spots left in America with peaks that cannot be seen from a major highway. According to legend Jarbidge, the creature, was secured in a cave in Jarbidge Canyon by a hardy band of Shoshone braves. With air as unpolluted as this nation can provide, from the high peaks of Jarbidge (eight of which exceed 10,000 feet) the view goes on for 150 miles. From the peaks, elevations drop to below 4,000 feet in the valleys. For Nevada, this area is unusually wet with seven to eight feet of snow falling annually. High trails are often snow-clogged from mid-October to mid-June. Two small basins guard Jarbidge Lake and Emerald Lake, true hidden Wilderness treasures. Emerald Lake has brook trout. Elk are often seen and hunted on the eastern side of the area, and the deer herd is large, finding here exceptional habitat.