High Sierra Topix

Hi all,

Long-time lurker, first-time poster. (Intro post here.)

I have the opportunity to do a point-to-point sobo hike to Tuolomne, where my partner will leave a car waiting for me. This would be 9/1-9/4, and there are permits available for Horse Creek, Green Creek, Leavitt Meadows, and Buckeye Creek.

I would love to bag at least one peak, as well as get to explore an area I don't know at all. The vast majority of my experience in the Sierra/high mountains is on-trail, but I have a fair amount of experience scrambling and peak-bagging in the desert. I don't mind long days, night-hiking, and patient route-finding.

I'm currently debating between three ideas:

1. Horse Creek - Matterhorn Peak (up SE slope / down SW slope) - Matterhorn Canyon - PCT - Rodgers Meadow - Grand Canyon of the Tuolomne
2. Horse Creek - Matterhorn Peak (via SE slope) - McCabe Lakes (via PCT) - Young Lakes (via Don't Be a Smart Pass) - Conness Peak - Tuolomne
3. Green Creek - Virginia Canyon - PCT - Volunteer Peak - Pettit Peak - Piute Mountain - Bear Valley (???) - Grand Canyon of the Tuolomne

#s 1 & 2 both seem super cool, but I worry I might be biting off more than I can/want to chew for my first real Sierra xc adventure.

With #1, the xc travel is concentrated in the first part of the trip, but there's a chance I don't find a route up-and-over Matterhorn that I'm comfortable doing with a pack on...not the end of the world since it seems like I can just head down Spiller Canyon to the PCT, but would be a bit of a bummer.

#2 is mostly xc, which could be amazing or mildly frustrating, depending on how things go. It also looks like there's a good chance this area will be in the annoying state of "not enough snow to cover the talus, but just enough to make it feel a bit sketchy." Maybe better saved for a future trip with more experience under my belt.

#3 doesn't have as impressive peaks, but I love that it includes peaks that would be very hard to do as a day-trip, and it gives a real tour of the northern Yosemite backcountry. It also looks like significantly easier terrain overall. It's a bit ambitious on the mileage, but I can always cut it down by skipping a peak or skipping the GCT.

Would love to hear from those of you who have been up in this area - what would you do? Please help me make a decision so that I can stop drawing route variations and get back to work!

Go up Matterhorn Peak. I would say just get on top of every peak that you feasibly can on any trip if that's what you wanna do. I don't think I have ever sat on a Sierra summit and didn't enjoy it. The only 1 is maybe tallac cuz it's always so busy up there but if you go for sunset you can find solitude.

Whorl is a much better climb than Matterhorn, FWIW. But it's also cool to look up at Matterhorn from Bridgeport and be like "I climbed that!" Just be ready for some serious gravel slogging on the backside of that peak.

I'd save Conness for when you can do a different route (I assume you're not solo'ing the West ridge). The North/East/West ridges are great, and it's also a short duration peak you can save for a day when you wanna take it a bit easier.

Spiller Canyon is fantastic hiking, I'd rather just follow that canyon downstream than mess around with slogging up Matterhorn Peak/Pass with a heavy pack. If you've slogged up the stupid Horse Creek use trail mess, at least reward yourself with the cruise through Spiller. Course, Matterhorn Canyon isn't bad either...

I haven't climbed Piute myself, but it's no cakewalk. There's some route finding & bushwhacking challenges. Keep in mind most trip reports will be from very experienced people this deep in the back country.

The GCT is always a great time, one of the better scenic destinations in Tuolumne. Even if you don't hike the whole thing, the stretch from Glen Aulin to Tuolumne is a scenic delight and will make you want to return for the rest. If you don't hike it with high water flows for max waterfall scenery, the footing is drier and the water is warm enough you can actually swim in it.

I think your option 3 is a bit too far afield (too much time spent getting to and from that area) and Piute will involve a super long summit hike with lots of potential for brush and other frustrations (whereas Volunteer and Petit would be straightforward). It would be really good option if fishing was the main priority instead of getting some nice peaks.

I think Matterhorn is the most obvious summit to put on routes 1 and 2 but I would suggest a revised itinerary that maximizes peak targets and keeps it simple: You do Horse Creek and climb Matterhorn up and back from the SE then proceed down Spiller Creek where you can add climbs of Virginia Peak and/or Whorl Mtn. if you want. Then you hit the trail and head out via Cold Canyon to Glen Aulin and then Tuolumne.

A variation of this theme is to do Matterhorn (and you can still do Whorl if you'd like), then head over the saddle between Twin Peaks and Virginia Pk and you can climb Virginia Peak and if you like Twin Peaks before descending Return Creek (Virginia Canyon) to get out to Tuolumne. I would agree with others that climbs of Conness, North Peak, Shepherd Crest and the like are a bit too far off this route to be convenient, so they should be reserved for another trip.