Hoover Wilderness
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Horse Creek Canyon Hoover Wilderness |
August 27, 2010
When I was very young, my family did some camping here at Twin Lakes. I remember mom saying, "On the other side of those mountains is Yosemite; some day we'll go there." Well, I have been to the park since then, dozens of times, but I never have gotten up-close-and-personal with Sawtooth Ridge itself. This is the day.
Lower Twin Lake and Sawtooth Ridge
At the far end of the lakes is Mono Village, which sports a marina, a big campground, and a day-use parking area at lakeshore. A substantial breeze, quite gusty at times, is a product of an unseasonal cold front that is moving in.
There are no signs directing me to any specific trail, so I wander toward Robinson Creek, which must be crossed. Eventually I do find a bridge that formerly accommodated an old road. Shortly thereafter, I spot a sign marking a real trailhead.
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| Trail through the campground | The actual wilderness border is an hour's walk from here |
The trail switchbacks up the steep hill, coming close to the creek a couple of times. I am pleased to see that there still is plenty of water flowing.
Horsetail Falls
After a 700-foot climb, the path straightens out and heads directly up the canyon. There is hardly any tree cover for a while, but one well-situated pine affords some shade for a rest stop.
In a way it is unfortunate that all the best views are generally westward, in the direction of the sun. It would have been best to have begun this hike early in the morning; but that would have been difficult, since I woke up some 200 miles away.
Climbing toward the peaks is exciting
A beautiful cascade appears that is not indicated on the topo sheet. The present angle of the sun is thwarting efforts to get a good photo; perhaps later will be better.
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| The pictures don't do justice to these falls | |
At the top of the falls is a long meadow, being enjoyed by hikers and picnickers alike. The official trail turns eastward here, but I continue up beside the creek, crossing into the Hoover Wilderness beside a little pond.
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| An amazingly light-colored creek bottom | The only pond on the route |
At the end of the meadow the going becomes a bit rough, with some hands-on scrambling necessary in places. The reward is that my surroundings become increasingly spectacular with each step.
Horse Creek and Twin Peaks
A talus jumble is obstructing the route; but there is a pathway over it. This is an awesome place, with a pair of cascades tumbling down from different directions.
In the center is Matterhorn Peak, 11985* ⇔
Matterhorn Peak, the northernmost 12,000-footer in the Sierra Nevada, clearly was named after its famous look-alike in the Swiss Alps. This area also features the northernmost glacier system in the Sierra. I can name four of them, and there are others. I would bet that most Californians don't even know that glaciers exist in their state; yet there are about 100-700 such bodies, depending upon how one actually defines them.
In front is one of the Three Teeth; in the rear is Dragtooth
The original plan was to proceed as far as is reasonably feasible, expecting the scenery to become ever better as I progressed. That has indeed proved to be the case, and doubtless the views beyond the next 800-foot ridge would be qreat. Although getting up the canyon is becoming increasingly difficult, that isn't the problem. More importantly, the wind is blowing stongly enough now to be unpleasant.
Further exploration will have to wait
With a heavy sigh, I decide not to continue farther; yet even the gale will not prevent me from photographing the exotic rock formations immediately above. They comprise a long ridge-top called The Cleaver.
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The Cleaver
As I start back across the talus field, the wind blows the hat right off my head. A significant scramble down the rock jumble is necessary in order to retrieve it. Fortunately, a huge cairn helps me not to become lost in the process!
Northward view
Numerous flowers line Horse Creek, so I stop to visit with a few that will hold still long enough for a picture. I find myself constantly glancing over my shoulder at the peaks, lest a good photo-op be missed.
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| Paintbrush | Fireweed |
A rock-climber's paradise
It's mellow in the meadow
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| Anderson's Thistle | Baneberries |
On a final backward look, I notice a little rectangular formation to the right of Dragtooth, that I remember reading about. It is a 25-foot piece of granite known as The Doodad, a well-known climbers' challenge first conquered in 1934.
Matterhorn Glacier on the left, Dragtooth Glacier on the right
The Doodad
Continuing out of the meadow, I discover that the postponed shots of the falls aren't going to work out; for the sun has virtually set on the north-facing cascade.
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| Twin Lakes | Some squirrel forgot his lunch |
Halfway down the switchbacks, the marina comes into view. I hadn't even noticed it on the way up, being apparently too busy following the new trail.
The Twin Lakes Marina and Robinson Peak, 10741*
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| The trail is green near the bottom | A beaver has been here |
After passing the trailhead sign, I take a wrong turn, veering too far to the right in a maze of well-worn paths. It takes some time to backtrack up to a little footbridge that was not seen on the way in. Having no idea how I actually got over here originally without that bridge, at least now I can make my way through the campground and over to the car.
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§: I wanted an in-depth interview with Sawtooth Ridge, and that is what I got. The steady ascent, toward the most spectacular rock formations I have seen in the Sierra, is the stuff of an ideal hike. Next time I will go the extra mile (and the extra thousand feet).
Try to be on this trail by early morning. The views of the east-facing
cliffs will be better, and you will have more time to explore the farthest
reaches of beautiful Horse Creek Canyon.
California Hiking Trails
Horse Creek
Sawtooth Ridge
Matterhorn Peak
Twin Lakes, Bridgeport