Matterhorn Peak California – BOOTS on the TRAIL

Matterhorn Peak ~ Sierra Nevada (July 1983)

2020-09-222020-09-23Posted in Other AdventuresTagged Bridgeport California, Hoover Wilderness California, Matterhorn Peak California, Mountaineering, Northern California, Sierra Nevada (California), Twin Lakes California2 Comments

On our recent mule packing trip in the northern regions of Yosemite National Park, we crossed Burro Pass. This pass sits on the ridge between Fingers Peak to the west and Matterhorn Peak (12,279 feet / 3,743 m) to the east. Heavy smoke denied us a view of Matterhorn but being near it brought back memories of when Tom Pass, Sam Pierce, and I climbed it via its East Couloir route in the summer of 1983. The three of us had met in the mountaineering program run by the Sierra Club’s Angeles Chapter. Looking back, we were young and strong and fearless (but not stupidly so) and anxious to climb some of the storied peaks in California’s High Sierra.

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Mules & Smoke: Day 5 (High Sierra) 10-Sep-2020

2020-09-102021-02-18Posted in California Wilderness Areas, Hiking, Sierra Nevada (California), U.S. National Parks & MonumentsTagged Crown Lake California, Day Hiking, Hiking, Hoover Wilderness California, Matterhorn Peak California, Northern California, Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Wilderness California

If yesterday had been a study in crisp, bright clarity with the scenery resplendent around us, today was its exact opposite. We awoke into a smoke bank as thick as anything we’d yet experienced. The winds had shifted yet again and the smoke from wildfires to the west, north, and south was being driven right up Matterhorn and Slide Canyons. So not only did we have to two passes to cross, we were going to do so without much scenery to enliven the journey. 😦 But you play the cards you’re dealt so, after a good breakfast, we started our hike to Crown Lake in the Hoover Wilderness.

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Mules & Smoke: Day 4 (High Sierra) 09-Sep-2020

2020-09-092020-09-14Posted in California Wilderness Areas, Hiking, Sierra Nevada (California), U.S. National Parks & MonumentsTagged Day Hiking, Hiking, Matterhorn Canyon California, Matterhorn Peak California, Northern California, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), PCT, Sawtooth Ridge California, Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Wilderness California9 Comments

On our layover day, a stiff wind from the north had pushed almost all of the smoke away from Miller Lake. The wind had abated by evening, giving us a quiet night in camp – something we all needed after the drama of the previous 24 hours. Because of the unexpected layover, the trip’s itinerary had to be changed. So today we’d proceed as planned to a camp in Matterhorn Canyon then, the next day, cross both Burro and Mule Passes in one day to a camp at Crown Lake. So, with a plan in hand, we headed north on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on a bright and clear morning toward Matterhorn Canyon. From Miller Lake, the PCT rises a bit before plunging some 1,400 feet down to a junction with the trail up Matterhorn Canyon.

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