R08/R02 TR: Hoover 8/29/17

[shuteye]

The Bridgeport Ranger Station issued three walk-in permits at opening time, 8am, August 29, including ours. The ranger said no one for a month had reported needing crampons for Mule Pass, Burro Pass, or Horse Creek Pass. On the trail we immediately heard of parties turning back at the passes. At Twin Lakes smoke was in the air and a little rain too, helping to clear the smoke. Not many mosquitos till the higher elevations where snow was still melting. I wore a headnet making dinner 3 of the 4 nights. Nights were cold, forty-something I guess, even though we heard San Francisco was having a heatwave.

We camped just below Mule Pass the first night, between Mule and Burro the second, a few miles down Matterhorn Canyonon on the third, and a good ways up Spiller Canyon, easy off-trail, the fourth night. Last day we went over Horse Creek Pass and down to Twin Lakes via Horse Creek Canyon. The trails of all three passes were blocked by snowfields but easily bypassed by scrambling on the projecting rock ridges, mostly class 2. Horse Creek Pass was easy to ascend, hardest to descend. To avoid the steeper part of the second snowfield we scrambled in the margin of talus between the bergshrund and the cliff face till we could plunge-step. Matterhorn Pass looked clear both sides though we didn't attempt it.

[balzaccom]

Nice, That spot at Crown Lake is one of my all-time favorite views in the Sierra.