This road is a fairly steep and consistent climb that winds you up to a bench with a great view of the valley, just before getting to the wilderness boundary below Ruby Peak. The road is a 4x4 auto route that passes by a couple nearly-indistinguishable trailheads for accessing the summit of Ruby Peak. A highlight of the climb is arriving at the quarry where Murray Creek forms a waterfall. If on a mountain bike (or if you're crazy with your cross bike), you can access the Ruby Peak DH trail to come down quickly.
The route featured here starts at the gravel on Black Marble Lane but you can get more elevation gain by starting from the Wallowa River and riding to this route or up Lime Quarry Road from the north. There is a point that it appears the road is ending at private property, with many warning signs posted. You stay left at the fork and wind around the last house. You may have to deal with some dogs that I had to talk to a lot and keep my water bottle pointed and ready. Once you're past that, you're home free. The road is fairly good and open to the lime quarry, but then becomes more progressively grown in until it benches out nicely at a primitive camp spot.
