Postmortem

Like most wilderness areas, there is basically an endless amount to explore in Hoover Wilderness. Thru hiking, rock climbing, peak bagging...you could get lost for days. Hoover Wilderness is particularly attractive because it is not heavily traveled and borders Yosemite Wilderness, allowing you to go in and out of two entirely different Wilderness zones as you please. Permits are relatively easy to obtain and the terrain is spectacular. Additionally, Hoover Wilderness is actually pretty accessible being a 20min drive outside of Bridgeport - a small but "real" town with a few motels, restaurants, annual events, and stores, making it a good base camp before or after your trip. Bottom line - I highly recommend.

I designed this route with the intent to see as much as we could in 3 days. The first day was by far the hardest and most technical - steep climbs through class 2 scree fields, some easier class 3 scrambling, off trail navigation, and bushwhacking. The second and third days were almost entirely on trail. I think one of my favorite parts was Spiller Canyon. You are completely off trail in Hoover Wilderness, making your way down this loamy canyon with Yosemite Wilderness in the background. This is the entrance to the Yosemite Wilderness section of the loop. I do not know how much more alpine you can get - John Muir would be proud. Caltopo 2D and 3D map images for general reference below - click for full screen. Source Caltopo map link below as well for detailed look.

Note on distance: My original Caltopo distance data was reporting suspiciously high when compared to the originally planned route as well as Magda's watch tracking data - almost 8 miles too high. Elevation was spot on. After reading up on this it seems to be a common problem caused by a combination of phone GPS accuracy and too high of a sampling rate within the Caltopo app. So I ended up throwing the .GPX file into Claude and had it run a filtering algorithm to remove some of the GPS jitter which is where the distances below came from. So I doubt it is perfect, but it now more closely matches the originally planned route. I also decreased the app's sample rate from every 1GPS/5sec to 1GPS/10sec for future use. In the Caltopo map you will find planned, raw, and filtered data.

Breakdown of days:
Day 1: 10.05mi, +4215' -1747'
Day 2: 16.53mi, +3319' -3065'
Day 3: 14.07mi, +1465' -4231'
Total: ~41mi, ~9000ft

Source Caltopo map: https://caltopo.com/m/QGBAS9K#

September 4, 1:30PM: We left the bay area early afternoon on Friday to beat the traffic. It's a solid 5hr+ drive to get over to the eastern Sierras and we needed a good night sleep. We did not want to rush and be getting to bed at 1AM. The drive was pretty smooth and we were pulling into the Bridgeport area around 7PM. At the intersection of 108 (Sonora Pass) and 395 we saw a big family of deer and stopped to take pictures and video! We love spotting wildlife so that was fun to see.

September 5, 8:51AM: We were officially in motion. A little later than I was hoping for, but not terrible. The name of the game was slow and steady - it was not hot, maybe high 60s/low 70s at lower elevations during the day, but with heavy packs and steep climbs ahead I knew we were not going to be fast. We left Cattle Creek Trailhead in between upper and lower Twin Lakes which is not a well known spot. It is not marked on Google Maps, there is very little information online, and no one we talked to on trail had heard of it. You still need a permit for overnight use, but it does not appear to be quota limited. There was only one other car parked there when we arrived and no one else when we arrived back. So it is an easy permit to get but you add mileage to the loop. It would definitely be more efficient to start at Horse Creek Falls Trailhead on the western end of lower lake but those permits were all gone. This mileage savings is illustrated below with the dashed yellow line (red line is the actual route we took). It also forces you to walk around the lake at the end to return to your car which is just straight up annoying, but we managed to get around that luckily - more on that later.

September 5, 12:56PM: The bushwhacking section...fun! Fortunately it wasn't too spikey, but everything is harder with a full pack since you are not as maneuverable. We made our way through it and once it opened up our target was clear. We were in the heart of the steep climb right before 1PM. There was an option to go around the bushes to the left but it would have involved a lot of side sloped talus field traversing and we decided against it.

September 5, 2:38PM: A classic Sierra scree field that never seems to end. You look up and think "just over that ridge!" but there always seems to be a little bit more. We took our time and moved slowly up the field, being mindful of footing. We still had a long way to go and could not afford a setback. Once we passed the local saddle it mellowed out for a bit and the views opened up dramatically. We kept following the creek which led us to the bottom of the next rock field climb - the route was clear. We took a break to refuel and kept moving forward around 3PM.

September 5, 4:13PM: The train had arrived to Rock City - population: 2

September 5, 4:44PM: The final push! The entrance into Spiller Canyon was right in front of us. The winds were howling at this point as the Bernoulli effect was in full force. Gusts were easily as high as 50mph. A few class 2.5-3 moves in here but nothing crazy and we would be home free.

September 5, 5:25PM: Welcome to Spiller Canyon! Yes, that is Yosemite in the background - lets go walk into Yosemite!

At this point we were feeling accomplished - we climbed over 4000ft through high winds and tons of rock without too much drama. But then reality hit me - we were about 4 to 5miles behind schedule. There was just no way we were going to make the campsite objective. We sat down and talked through our options. Neither of us were feeling bad, just a bit tired. We knew we were through the hardest part of the trip. There would be long days ahead to make up the time but nothing technical. The decision was made to walk for another hour or so to use daylight, find a campsite, and start earlier tomorrow. Absolute worst case scenario if we fall behind the next two days and get off trail later than expected, we would stay an extra night in Bridgeport before driving home to the bay area. We had plenty of food and water, proper layers, no injuries - just a bit behind schedule. The show must go on. We made our way down the loamy canyon with our next objective in mind - the PCT running through Yosemite Wilderness.

September 5, 6:55PM: Found a good camping spot and called it a day. Magda was on tent duty and I was on dinner duty. On the menu was macaroni pasta with meatballs, pesto, and parmesan cheese! Yes, yes, I know we are carrying extra weight with that kind of food but having somewhat real food after a day like today is worth it. We were in bed by 9PM.

We checked into our motel and booked it over to one of the only restaurants still open: Chiles y Milagro and honestly it was pretty solid. I would go back. After dinner we did the last packing in advance of tomorrow, sanity checked weather, and got to sleep by 10PM. It was going to be a long day tomorrow!

September 5, 11:34AM: We reached the Hoover Wilderness boundary! Climbing started immediately after leaving the trailhead which left little room for a warmup. The terrain changed quickly and the sawtooth ridge before us was memorizing. We went a little further and took our lunch break. The real climbing was about to begin.

It was honestly starting to get a bit sketchy. The further we climbed up the stronger the winds got. I looked overhead at the clouds frantically racing across the sky from the wind directly against us. Strong winds against you are one thing. But strong winds while wearing a heavy pack and climbing over steep loose rock is another. Your center of gravity is all messed up and the extra surface area from the pack can turn you into a sail boat. We got pushed off our feet a few times and had to be extra careful. Temperatures were dropping and we were highly exposed to the elements. Once we got through most of this section with threw on our rain jackets and glove liners for added protection.

September 6, 6:02AM: It was a rough first night. Neither of us could sleep well. I was just not that tired and Magda was cold. I had brought two down coats, one lightweight and one heavier. The heavier one saved her. Despite the night I pushed myself out of bed and began preparing for the day - pumping water, changing, making tea to warm up, and getting some calories. Magda stayed in the tent to for warmth and dealt with packing up all the sleeping gear. It was just around freezing, and frost covered our tent. Fortunately the inside tent was dry but we were careful not to spread the condensation everywhere (especially the sleeping bags). We were in motion by 7:45AM which gave us an hour of extra time compared to yesterday. Down Spiller Canyon we went.

September 6, 10:31AM: We were through Spiller Canyon and made it to the PCT! I may have navigated us a bit off the intended route which led us through some really steep side slopes...whoops! The important part was we made it to our objective and were on trail!

September 6, 11:25AM: Miller Lake! Time for an early lunch before the going gets harder again. After Miller there would be about 1000ft of descending that would test our feet and knees followed by Burro Pass - about 2000ft of climbing over 6mi. Nothing terribly steep but it adds up. We used the opportunity to get some serious calories, dry the socks and feet, and just enjoy the lake. There was no one else out there. Shortly after leaving the lake we spotted a deer!

September 6, 1:17PM: We made it to the entrance of Burro Pass and were making good time! Not going to lie, my feet were starting to feel it and spending 10min off them made a world of difference to avoid cramping up. I did not have much feet conditioning prior to this trip and the heavy pack was wearing them down.

September 6, 3:28PM: As we made our way up Burro Pass the terrain began to change. What started as forest became meadows and creeks, and eventually turned sand and rock. It was a gentle slope and gave us the ability to soak it all in. Off in the distance we spotted another deer - this time a large male with beautiful antlers!

September 6, 5:14PM: Top of Burro Pass...and we were feeling it...the sights along the way were unreal and looking back down the pass from where we came just showed how much ground we covered. We got an amazing shot from the backside of Matterhorn too.

OK, I have to admit something. I kind of screwed up. We were getting low on water in the middle of the pass and after consulting the map I was sure we were going to get up and over the pass no problem, pump up on water and carry on. I pushed a bit too hard and we should have just stopped to fill up down at the bottom of the pass. The creek diverted away from the trail pretty far by the time we ran out of water and we still had over 500ft of vertical left. We were conserving water beforehand and by the time we hit the steepest part of the pass were really slowing down. Magda had made the suggestion to fill up earlier and I wanted to move forward. Should have listened to the wife!

September 6, 6:25PM: We made it down off the pass and found a good spot to pump water. The water spot was only a few minute walk from where we called it a day - a nice meadow which was at the bottom of a bowl overlooking Sawtooth Ridge. I generally knew which peaks were what but I ended up going down the rabbit hole on this one as an excuse to explore Caltopo's pro 3D features. Google Earth is not detailed enough, but Caltopo's simulated view is pretty awesome.

We followed the same system as yesterday - Magda worked on the tent and bedding, I worked on dinner. The sun was setting and temperature was going to drop quickly so we tried to move fast. More pasta tonight for dinner! No meatballs, but I brought along some cured bacon bits! We enjoyed some hot tea as the sun set and formed an orange glow all around us. We did not see a single person that evening.

September 6, 8:41PM: The stars and Milky Way were already coming out in full blast. Obviously not the highest quality photos, but can't complain what your phone can capture. We were crawling into our sleeping bags by around 9PM, ready to get up early again the next morning.

September 7, 6:09AM: Another mediocre night at best. Sleep was on and off, but luckily it was not as cold. Well, I did not think so at least. Magda struggled again with the cold - probably should figure that out before the next trip...the day was going to be mainly descending over 4000ft and I knew my feet would be feeling it by the end. I made more hot tea and munched down some carbs. We were in motion before 7:30AM.

Quick PSA - remember that a fed bear is a dead bear! Always properly store your food! Please review this accurate set of photos which illustrate what can happen when a black bear smells marshmallows in a bear canister that has not been fully closed.

September 7, 9:21AM: We made it back into Hoover Wilderness by getting up and over Mule Pass! Getting to this point was about 1000ft of climbing so we knew it was pretty much all downhill from here.

Shortly after crossing the wilderness boundary we came across funny looking rock! I thought it kind of looked like a piggy, while Magda thought it was more of a mouse. These are life's most important questions. What do you think it looks like?? Oh and there were some pretty wildflowers too.

September 7, 10:31AM: Crown Lake! Absolutely stunning. It was at this time that we realized that most of the lakes we had seen on this trip had little beaches next to them. That was something we were not used to in the Sierras. I imagine it has to do with glacier erosion but I do not know for sure. We spent a solid 45min or so at this lake to eat a late breakfast and rest the feet before the next stretch of downhill. Spirits were high, we just had to keep going. We continued moseying our way down the trail.

September 7, 1:41PM: Barney Lake! Another beautiful spot. It felt really nice to dig my feet into the fine warm sand. We were finally starting to see a more significant number of people pass by. Makes sense being only 5 miles or so from Horse Creek Falls Trailhead. Most people were coming up the trail or had even camped out at this lake the previous night. We took another leisurely break to enjoy the views and water.

September 7, 4:05PM: Off trail and back at the Twin Lakes Resort!

On man, what a trip...but alas...we still had another 3mi or so to go to get to the car! Remember, we parked at Cattle Creek Trailhead and are now exiting Horse Creek Falls Trailhead. We would have to walk around the lake to get to the car. We were kind of checked out at this point and ready to be done. Of course we could have done it but it did not seem pleasant. We tried asking around for a ride from a few people at the resort and got strange looks. One of the employees kept trying to tell me "there was no road to get to where you need to be" and proceeded to mansplain what I needed to do. We had a whole back and forth and eventually I gave up on him and we decided to walk on road and try to hitch hike. Fortunately we got lucky super quickly and were picked up within minutes! I believe their names were Eric and Tina...if you ever find this - thank you!

On the way home we spotted more deer and stopped for dinner to get Mexican food. Job well done. Nom nom nom.

One more fun story. About 20 minutes outside of Bridgeport is a military base called the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. Founded in 1951, it served as a major training camp for cold weather operations for those heading off to the Korean War. I have driven past it a handful of times and seen some cool stuff - giant cargo helicopters taking off, live training missions. Well, we were driving by the base and getting some nasty sun glare on our smudged windshield so we decided to pull over and clean it. We stopped at one of the closed gates on the far side of the base. There was no sign that said we could not pull over so it seemed fine. Quite literally within 10 seconds of parking we had a military police officer in a pickup truck roar up behind us, park next to us in the middle of the road, and ask what was going on. We explained and it was all good - he turned around to leave but it definitely had X-Files vibes to it. No idea where he came from, did not see him approach us, and it all happened faster then we could process. Just remember - they are always watching.

Hoover Wilderness did not disappoint and I am looking forward to future trips in the area. I have ideas for some peak bagging routes, more thru hiking, and hopefully some backcountry ski touring. More to come, stay tuned!

Tim Murcko

murcko.tim@gmail.com
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Bay Area, CA