Muir Gorge (Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River)

Muir Gorge (Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River) Rating: 2C R VI ***** Vehicle: Passenger car Time: 3 days or more Car Shuttle: ~26.5 miles Season: Low: July-Sept Norm: Aug-Sept High: Aug-Sept Approach: ~15 miles Gear: 60 foot rope for handlines and lowering packs. One Exit: ~15 miles light weight harness per team for possible belays or Good Eats: The Tioga Pass Resort just outside the east enough webbing to improvise a harness. Four locking entrance to Yosemite NP at Tioga Pass is delicious! “The biners, helmet, wetsuit, neoprene gloves Grill” in Tuolumne Meadows is a classic. Beer and ice Rubber: At least 3mm/2mm. 4mm/3mm would keep you cream can be had at the White Wolf Store. White Wolf warmer but weight is a factor on the long approach and serves diner nightly. exit Camping: White Wolf or Tuolumne Meadows are the Hazards: Very remote canyon, rescue would be difficult. obvious choices but can be difficult to get a site at. Significant flow, stiff downclimbs, lots of effort required to Tuolumne Meadows has a first come first served haul a big pack through the canyon. backpackers camp if you don’t mind being away from your car. The Porcupine Flat campground between the trailheads has nice sites and is usually not full, even on weekends. Introduction: tired we simply lay down in restful comfort on the river The Muir Gorge is a fantastic semi-technical bank beside a wood fire, instead of trying to go down canyoneering adventure located in a remote and the gorge in the dark or climb over its high shoulder to spectacular corner of Yosemite National Park. John our blankets and provisions, which we had left in the Muir and Galen Clark first explored the Gorge in the morning in a tree at the foot of the gorge. I remember early 20th century. In Muir’s The Yosemite he wrote stir. Clark remarking that if he had his choice that night about the adventure: between provisions and blankets he would choose his blankets.” “In the morning of the second day out from Hetch Hetchy we name to what is now known as "Muir Staring downsteam at the head of the Muir Gorge Gorge," and Mr. Clark without hesitation prepared to gives the canyoneer an ominous but excited feeling, force a way through it, wading and jumping from one The walls of the gorge are shear and tall as the mighty submerged boulder to another through the torrent, Tuolumne cuts through their ramparts. Within the bracing and steadying himself with a long pole. gorge the canyoneer will find amazing waterfalls and Though the river was then rather low, the savage, blue green canyon wide pools as narrow in places as roaring, surging song it was ringing was rather nerve- 20 feet across and bounded by granite cathedrals trying, especially to our inexperienced companion. many hundreds of feet high. With careful assistance, however, I managed to get him through, but this hard trial, naturally enough, Though the Muir Gorge is only semi-technical and can proved too much and he informed us, pale and be descended by an experienced canyoneer without trembling, that he could go no farther. I gathered some the need to rappel, the canyon should be given wood at the upper throat of the gorge, made a fire for respect as the location is very remote, the him and advised him to feel at home and make downclimbing stiff and the penalties quite high for himself comfortable, hoped he would enjoy the grand errors. Don’t let the rating fool you, do not enter this scenery and the songs of the water-ouzels which canyon with out previous class C technical haunted the gorge, and assured him that we would canyoneering experience. return some time in the night, though it might be late, as we wished to go on through the entire cañon if Since John Muir’s exploration in the early 20th possible. We pushed our way through the dense centaury the Muir Gorge has only seen a handful of chaparral and over the earthquake taluses with such known descents. As such, it is in pristine condition and speed that we reached the foot of the tipper cataract holds a surreal and magical beauty. It is of the utmost while we had still an hour or so of daylight for the importance that all future descentionists work to return trip. It was long after dark when we reached our preserve this character. adventurous, but nerve-shaken companion who, of course, was anxious and lonely, not being Driving Directions: accustomed to solitude, however kindly and flowery A Muir Gorge descent requires a long car shuttle and full of sweet bird-song and stream-song. Being between White Wolf and Tuolumne Meadows. This route description is licensed under a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved. (See www.sierracanyons.org for more information) Fortunately as of the summer 2008, the park was Towards the end of the approach the grade will flatten running a shuttle bus (the YART) between these two out and pass through a section of forest. After the trailheads twice a day. In 2008, the YART went from forested section the trail passes along a granite slab Tuolumne Meadows to White Wolf in the morning and at waters edge then up and over a series of granite from White Wolf to Tuolumne Meadows in the boulders. While hiking here, the Muir Gorge looms evening. Check with the park service of exact pick-up ahead. times. In this area, there are a few good campsites adjacent Due to this schedule, it is best to leave your car in to swimholes that make great places to spend the Tuolumne Meadows and catch the YART back to it night as the head of the Muir Gorge is less than a mile after your hike. away. From the “Y” at Crane Flat on hwy 120 inside Day 2, ~6 hiking miles, 1.25 canyon miles: Yosemite National Park, follow the Tioga Rd. (hwy From your campsite, continue downstream on the 120) east for about 14.5 miles to White Wolf Rd.. Turn Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne trail until you reach Left on to White Wolf Rd. and continue about 1 mile to the point where the gorge clearly heads down and left the White Wolf Campground. This is the exit trailhead. (LDC) and the trail jogs right and starts to climb uphill You can leave a car here in the backpackers parking away from the gorge. This is where you enter the area. watercourse. To reach the start trailhead, return to the Tioga Rd. Scramble left (LDC) down a short slope to join the (hwy. 120) and continue east up into the Yosemite watercourse. high country. In about 9 miles you will reach the Porcupine Flat campground (decent camping often Canyon: with vacancies, even on weekends). After about 16 Day 2 Continued: more miles just after the bridge over the Tuolumne Suit up on the rocks on the bank of the Tuolumne. At River in Tuolumne Meadows Turn Left on to the first the route requires a bit of river scrambling and Tuolumne Meadows Stables access road. Pass the wading with a swim or two thrown in for good Lembert Dome trailhead immediately on your right. measure. Soon the river makes a sweeping bend to Continue about ¼ mile to a point where the road the right (LDC) and becomes boulder chocked. Here makes a shape right turn. This is the upper trailhead. exit the river on the right (LDC) and bypass the bend You can park on the shoulder anywhere along this in the river by hiking though the forest. Rejoin the river road that is not signed “no parking.” Please store all after the bend by carefully downclimbing large food that may be in your vehicle in the provided bear boulders. boxes. The PCT is accessed through the gate at this turn. At this point the inner gorge is in plain view ahead of you. Follow the watercourse down into it, Approach: downclimbing drops as necessary. Be careful some of A Muir Gorge descent is best staged as at least a 3- the downclimbs are stiff and the rock can be slippery. day trip. With this timing, the pace is fast but reasonable. Some teams may prefer to take 4 or more Be sure to make note of the many very deep potholes days as this will beak up the approach and exit hikes in this section of the canyon. One of these potholes and allow time to enjoy the absolutely incredible has scoured completely through to the pool below and siwmholes on the Tuolumne River along the way. makes an awesome downclimb experience. Day 1, ~15 hiking miles: Further down canyon the canyon tightens further and Starting at the PCT trailhead down the road from the the walls soar. The scene is otherworldly and surreal. Tuolumne Meadows stables follow the PCT for about This middle section of canyon is characterized by 6 miles to Glen Aulin. Just after the bridge over the some very long swims through river wide pools. Toulumne River in Glen Aulin, leave the PCT and follow the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne Trail west All too soon, the canyon begins to widen and for about 9.5 miles passing California, LeConte and vegetation reappears on the banks of the river. At this Waterwheel Falls as well as number of spectacular point the gradient steepens again and the river swimholes and campsites. plunges down a series of serious drops.

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