Teen Boys Adventure: High Canyons and Lakes of Northern Yosemite, California

The Trip

Enjoy seven hiking days exploring the granite crags and sparkling lakes of Northern Yosemite and the Hoover Wilderness. Hike past seven lakes as we ascend through the Hoover Wilderness to reach the boundary of Yosemite National Park, just past Summit Lake. Experience scenic Virginia and Matterhorn Canyons before climbing over Burro Pass (10,650') close to Matterhorn Peak (12,279'). Spend an evening in the shadow of Matterhorn and Finger Peaks nestled close to the spectacular Sawtooth Ridge at the headwaters of Piute Creek. We cross Mule and Rock Island Pass before descending to lovely Kerrick Meadow on our way to Peeler Lake sitting atop the Sierra Crest. Finally, we depart the high country following Robinson Creek on our descent to Twin Lakes.

Backpacking in Yosemite and the Hoover Wilderness affords us ample opportunities to swim in relatively warm lakes, fish both streams and lakes (California fishing license not required for those under 16). We emphasize “Leave No Trace” wilderness ethics, share the responsibility of preparing meals, teach wilderness travel skills, and provide plenty of time for just having fun. This moderately strenuous trip is designed for 12-15 year-old teen boys, in good physical condition, with some prior outdoor experience. 

The Sawtooth Ridge lives up to its name due to its blade shape created by the sharpening action of glaciers on both the north and south sides. The white spires which make up the ridge are composed of both solid and fractured granite. Cirque basins can be found nestled high up on both sides of Sawtooth Ridge, many of which hold late-season snow or small glaciers. Our route takes us on a geological journey through U-shaped valleys carved by glaciers and over passes where huge rivers of ice overflowed into the adjoining basin.

We graciously travel through land where the Sierra Me-Wok lived for 10,000 years, spending the summer and early autumn hunting in the high country and trading with the Piute tribe of the Great Basin from the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. During the gold rush in 1848, settlers pushed out the indigenous populations to make room for mining and raising sheep.

Sierra Club leaders and assistants of unaccompanied youth outings are subject to additional leadership requirements. These requirements include undergoing criminal background checks and participating in child abuse recognition and prevention training and mandatory reporting. The most important aspect of any Sierra Club National Outing is the health and safety of each participant. Contact the trip leader if you have additional questions after you have read the complete trip description.

The itinerary described here should be taken as a general plan; the actual route and schedule may well be different. How far we get each day and where we camp depends on the weather, environmental factors (such as lingering snow, high stream flows, smoke from forest fires, etc.), how we feel, and other factors outside of our control. Flexibility is important.

Day 1: We meet at 3:00 PM at a Forest Service group campsite near Green Creek trailhead (7,980') the afternoon before we begin our hike. The campsite is provided and arranged for by the leader. This gives everyone an opportunity to get acquainted, acclimated, and do a last-minute gear check and pack weigh-in. Dinner is provided.

Day 2: Following breakfast, we distribute group equipment and bear canisters. After everyone has packed their gear and a brief trail talk, we begin our hike past Green and East Lakes, Nutter Lake, and Gilman Lake to our first camp at Hoover Lakes (9,823'). Today's hike is 6.4 miles and a 2,136' climb to these grass and rock-fringed lakes.

Day 3: Continuing southwest, we reach Summit Lake (10,183'). After traversing the length of this long, open lake, we cross Summit Pass and enter Yosemite National Park. The dark volcanic rocks of this area contrast sharply with the lighter granites on the divide between Virginia and Spiller Canyons. We hike 5.8 miles descending 1,738' down Virginia Canyon to our camp for the evening near the banks of Return Creek and the junction of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Day 4: We continue through moderate forest cover before reaching the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Following the PCT on its northward path, we ascend along cascading Spiller Creek and climb a series of switchbacks with views of Excelsior Mountain, Shepherd Crest, and Mt. Conness. We reach Miller Lake where we will have lunch and an opportunity for a quick swim in one of the best swimming lakes in the Sierra. We depart Miller Lake and hike a short uphill stretch before descending nearly 1,000' in two miles to the floor of Matterhorn Canyon. We leave the PCT and begin our ascent of this U-shaped glacial canyon to locate a nice camp at 8,600'. We will have hiked seven miles while descending 1,850' and ascending 1,790'.

Day 5: After breakfast, we continue our hike up-canyon to Burro Pass (10,640'), before descending quickly to a group of glacial tarns spectacularly located beneath Matterhorn and Finger Peak and the Sawtooth Ridge. We will have climbed 2,200' in 5.8 miles to reach this stunning camp.

Day 6: We descend Piute Creek within view of Sawtooth Ridge before climbing over Mule Pass (10,470') and heading back into the Hoover Wilderness. After picking our way down the backside of the pass, we hit the junction with the Rock Island Pass trail and ascend to dramatic Snow Lake just below the pass. Long views and a breathtaking alpine setting make for a perfect high camp at 10,100'. Today’s hike will be 6.25 miles while ascending 2,000' and descending 2,100'.

Day 7: Leaving Snow Lake, we hike over Rock Island Pass and descend to Kerrick Meadow; a large subalpine grassland where we are likely to see frogs. We head north through the meadow to a junction with a lateral trail to Peeler Lake. Peeler sits atop the Sierra crest with part of the lake in Yosemite and the remainder in the Hoover Wilderness. We will round the lake to the Hoover Wilderness side and locate our camp on the eastern shore at 9,518'. Our 5.2 mile hike will give us time to swim or fish in the large lake. 

Day 8: From Peeler Lake, we descend ten scenic miles and over 3,000' to our exit at Twin Lakes. After four miles, we encounter Barney Lake with grand views south to the cirque headwall and polished granite walls dropping steeply to the east and southeast edges of the lake. We enjoy lunch here before hiking our final six miles to the backpacker's parking lot at the west end of Twin Lakes.

Getting There

Our trip begins at 3:00 p.m. at a group campsite located near the end of Green Creek Road, which leaves Highway 395 five miles south of Bridgeport and 21 miles north of Lee Vining. The campground is 127 miles from Reno, 232 miles from San Francisco, and 366 miles from Los Angeles.

The leader sends out a roster in advance of the trip to facilitate ride sharing along with specific driving directions to the group campsite. Please don't make transportation arrangements until the leader confirms you as a trip participant. We also recommend that you do not plan to fly home on the last day of the trip, as we cannot guarantee to complete the trip at a specific time.

Accommodations and Food

The first trip meal is dinner on our first day. The last meal is lunch on the final day. The Sierra Club provides all meals and snacks. Vegetarians are welcome provided we know in advance. Cooking and clean-up duties are shared by all members of the group on a rotating basis. All our food will be carried in Sierra Club provided canisters to protect the bears from our food.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is rated a 4 out of 5 (moderately strenuous) and is designed specifically for young teen boys. You must have the ability to carry your own gear plus 14-16 pounds of group gear. Boys should have some prior outdoor experience. Proper equipment, a positive attitude, and adequate conditioning are essential for your personal enjoyment and the success of the group effort. We may have to cross snowfields that linger far into the summer and there are stream crossings. We will backpack a total of 47 miles for the trip. Daily mileage ranges from five to ten. Most days we spend 5-6 hours on the trail including breaks. Our campsites are between 8,614' and 10,325'. The highest point on the trip is 10,640' when we cross Burro Pass.

Participants must be in good physical condition. Hiking, running, and cycling are good training activities. Adding a fully loaded backpack to your training hikes helps to build muscles specific to backpacking. An overnight backpack trip prior to our trip would be good preparation and give you a chance to test out your gear. Leader approval is required. Please complete and return the approval and other forms within 30 days of signing up for the trip. Failure to do so can jeopardize your participation. A parent or guardian must sign the participant agreement and medical forms. The leader will arrange a Zoom meeting to discuss the trip with each participant prior to approval. Parents are welcome to attend the Zoom meeting. The leader is happy to discuss the trip and answer any questions parents may have prior to sign-up or during the approval process.

The High Sierra is well known for its excellent summer weather; however, extended storms can occur at any time of the year. Afternoon thunderstorms, with sudden cloudbursts of wind, rain, hail, and even snow are not uncommon. Be prepared for extremes: high temperatures during the day can exceed 80 degrees and fall into the low 30s at night.

Equipment and Clothing

The Sierra Club provides food and group equipment including stoves, pots, bear-proof canisters, cooking utensils, fuel, etc. Keep your personal gear at or below 20 pounds so that, with the addition of 14-16 pounds of group equipment and food, your total pack weight is 35 pounds or less at the start of the trip. You are responsible for providing and carrying your own camping gear, clothing, toilet paper, etc.

Your pack must have room for group equipment, as well as your personal gear. A backpack capacity of 60L or greater is required. Each participant's group load is one food canister (9” x 13”), plus additional non-food items such as a stove, fuel bottle, tarp, rope, pot set, or group water filter. This is roughly equal to the size of a full paper grocery sack. Tent sharing, to save weight, is encouraged and facilitated by the leader ahead of time, if requested. Pack weight is checked upon arrival at the group campsite to ensure your gear is 20 pounds or less.

The leader is happy to provide advice on suitable gear. We give each participant a new Sierra Club whistle (bring your own lanyard) that must be always worn except while in your sleeping bag. The leader sends a list of required and optional equipment after you sign up for the trip.

If you use a phone for taking pictures, be aware that phones have limited battery life. To extend the battery life, the device should be fully charged before trip departure and placed in airplane mode. It is recommended the device not be used for other activities such as listening to music or reading unless you have a backup battery or charging stick. We are out of cell phone range during much of the trip; however, the leader carries a Garmin InReach satellite communication device for emergencies

References

Map:

It is recommended, but not required, that teens carry one of the following maps:

• Hoover Wilderness, Tom Harrison Maps. 
• Yosemite National Park Trails Illustrated Topographic Map, National Geographic. 

(These waterproof and tear-resistant maps can be obtained at REI, amazon.com, and most backpacking stores.)

Books:

• Morey, Kathy et al, Sierra North: Backcountry Trips in California's Sierra Nevada. Wilderness Press. A classic guide to hiking the Sierra from the Desolation Wilderness south to Yosemite National Park.
• Secor, R.J., The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails (published by The Mountaineers). An excellent general reference to trails, cross-country routes, and climbing routes in the Sierra Nevada.
• Laws, John M., The Laws Field Guide To The Sierra Nevada. An excellent field guide to plants, animals, etc.

Conservation

 “It is easier to feel than to realize, or in any way explain, Yosemite grandeur. The magnitudes of the rocks and trees and streams are delicately harmonized, they are mostly hidden.” -- John Muir

We have the privilege of hiking in some of the most pristine areas of this wilderness. Visitors like us have an impact on the wilderness. Our trip provides a good opportunity to consider why it’s important we minimize this impact and how we can do so by carefully observing the seven Leave No Trace principles. We will also discuss how wilderness practices have changed over time and how they can be further improved while at the same time allowing wilderness experiences such as ours.

As we travel along these trails, we will see examples of the impact of climate change and overuse of the resources of Yosemite National Park and the Hoover Wilderness beginning with the indigenous populations to the miners, sheepherders, U.S. Cavalry, and Yosemite State Park to the current National Park and Forest administrative management.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and operates under permits from the Humboldt-Toiyable National Forest and Yosemite National Park.