This route description is licensed under a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved. (See www.sierracanyons.org for more information)

Muir Gorge (Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River) Rating: 2C R VI ***** Time: 3 days or more Season: Low: July-Sept Norm: Aug-Sept High: Aug-Sept Gear: 60 foot rope for handlines and lowering packs. One light weight harness per team for possible belays or enough webbing to improvise a harness. Four locking biners, helmet, wetsuit, neoprene gloves Rubber: At least 3mm/2mm. 4mm/3mm would keep you warmer but weight is a factor on the long approach and exit Hazards: Very remote canyon, rescue would be difficult. Significant flow, stiff downclimbs, lots of effort required to haul a big pack through the canyon.

Vehicle: Passenger car Car Shuttle: ~26.5 miles Approach: ~15 miles Exit: ~15 miles Good Eats: The Tioga Pass Resort just outside the east entrance to Yosemite NP at Tioga Pass is delicious! “The Grill” in Tuolumne Meadows is a classic. Beer and ice cream can be had at the White Wolf Store. White Wolf serves diner nightly. Camping: White Wolf or Tuolumne Meadows are the obvious choices but can be difficult to get a site at. Tuolumne Meadows has a first come first served 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: The Muir Gorge is a fantastic semi-technical canyoneering adventure located in a remote and spectacular corner of Yosemite National Park. John Muir and Galen Clark first explored the Gorge in the early 20th century. In Muir’s The Yosemite he wrote about the adventure: “In the morning of the second day out from Hetch Hetchy we name to what is now known as "Muir Gorge," and Mr. Clark without hesitation prepared to force a way through it, wading and jumping from one submerged boulder to another through the torrent, bracing and steadying himself with a long pole. Though the river was then rather low, the savage, roaring, surging song it was ringing was rather nerve-trying, especially to our inexperienced companion. With careful assistance, however, I managed to get him through, but this hard trial, naturally enough, proved too much and he informed us, pale and trembling, that he could go no farther. I gathered some wood at the upper throat of the gorge, made a fire for him and advised him to feel at home and make himself comfortable, hoped he would enjoy the grand scenery and the songs of the water-ouzels which haunted the gorge, and assured him that we would return some time in the night, though it might be late, as we wished to go on through the entire cañon if possible. We pushed our way through the dense chaparral and over the earthquake taluses with such speed that we reached the foot of the tipper cataract while we had still an hour or so of daylight for the return trip. It was long after dark when we reached our adventurous, but nerve-shaken companion who, of course, was anxious and lonely, not being accustomed to solitude, however kindly and flowery and full of sweet bird-song and stream-song. Being

tired we simply lay down in restful comfort on the river bank beside a wood fire, instead of trying to go down the gorge in the dark or climb over its high shoulder to our blankets and provisions, which we had left in the morning in a tree at the foot of the gorge. I remember stir. Clark remarking that if he had his choice that night between provisions and blankets he would choose his blankets.” Staring downsteam at the head of the Muir Gorge gives the canyoneer an ominous but excited feeling, The walls of the gorge are shear and tall as the mighty Tuolumne cuts through their ramparts. Within the gorge the canyoneer will find amazing waterfalls and blue green canyon wide pools as narrow in places as 20 feet across and bounded by granite cathedrals many hundreds of feet high. Though the Muir Gorge is only semi-technical and can be descended by an experienced canyoneer without the need to rappel, the canyon should be given respect as the location is very remote, the downclimbing stiff and the penalties quite high for errors. Don’t let the rating fool you, do not enter this canyon with out previous class C technical canyoneering experience. Since John Muir’s exploration in the early 20th centaury the Muir Gorge has only seen a handful of known descents. As such, it is in pristine condition and holds a surreal and magical beauty. It is of the utmost importance that all future descentionists work to preserve this character. Driving Directions: A Muir Gorge descent requires a long car shuttle 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 running a shuttle bus (the YART) between these two trailheads twice a day. In 2008, the YART went from Tuolumne Meadows to White Wolf in the morning and from White Wolf to Tuolumne Meadows in the evening. Check with the park service of exact pick-up times. Due to this schedule, it is best to leave your car in Tuolumne Meadows and catch the YART back to it after your hike. From the “Y” at Crane Flat on hwy 120 inside Yosemite National Park, follow the Tioga Rd. (hwy 120) east for about 14.5 miles to White Wolf Rd.. Turn Left on to White Wolf Rd. and continue about 1 mile to the White Wolf Campground. This is the exit trailhead. You can leave a car here in the backpackers parking area. To reach the start trailhead, return to the Tioga Rd. (hwy. 120) and continue east up into the Yosemite high country. In about 9 miles you will reach the Porcupine Flat campground (decent camping often with vacancies, even on weekends). After about 16 more miles just after the bridge over the Tuolumne River in Tuolumne Meadows Turn Left on to the Tuolumne Meadows Stables access road. Pass the Lembert Dome trailhead immediately on your right. Continue about ¼ mile to a point where the road makes a shape right turn. This is the upper trailhead. You can park on the shoulder anywhere along this road that is not signed “no parking.” Please store all food that may be in your vehicle in the provided bear boxes. The PCT is accessed through the gate at this turn. Approach: A Muir Gorge descent is best staged as at least a 3-day trip. With this timing, the pace is fast but reasonable. Some teams may prefer to take 4 or more days as this will beak up the approach and exit hikes and allow time to enjoy the absolutely incredible siwmholes on the Tuolumne River along the way. Day 1, ~15 hiking miles: Starting at the PCT trailhead down the road from the Tuolumne Meadows stables follow the PCT for about 6 miles to Glen Aulin. Just after the bridge over the Toulumne River in Glen Aulin, leave the PCT and follow the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne Trail west for about 9.5 miles passing California, LeConte and Waterwheel Falls as well as number of spectacular swimholes and campsites.

Towards the end of the approach the grade will flatten out and pass through a section of forest. After the forested section the trail passes along a granite slab at waters edge then up and over a series of granite boulders. While hiking here, the Muir Gorge looms ahead. In this area, there are a few good campsites adjacent to swimholes that make great places to spend the night as the head of the Muir Gorge is less than a mile away. Day 2, ~6 hiking miles, 1.25 canyon miles: From your campsite, continue downstream on the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne trail until you reach the point where the gorge clearly heads down and left (LDC) and the trail jogs right and starts to climb uphill away from the gorge. This is where you enter the watercourse. Scramble left (LDC) down a short slope to join the watercourse. Canyon: Day 2 Continued: Suit up on the rocks on the bank of the Tuolumne. At first the route requires a bit of river scrambling and wading with a swim or two thrown in for good measure. Soon the river makes a sweeping bend to the right (LDC) and becomes boulder chocked. Here exit the river on the right (LDC) and bypass the bend in the river by hiking though the forest. Rejoin the river after the bend by carefully downclimbing large boulders. At this point the inner gorge is in plain view ahead of you. Follow the watercourse down into it, downclimbing drops as necessary. Be careful some of the downclimbs are stiff and the rock can be slippery. Be sure to make note of the many very deep potholes in this section of the canyon. One of these potholes has scoured completely through to the pool below and makes an awesome downclimb experience. Further down canyon the canyon tightens further and the walls soar. The scene is otherworldly and surreal. This middle section of canyon is characterized by some very long swims through river wide pools. All too soon, the canyon begins to widen and vegetation reappears on the banks of the river. At this point the gradient steepens again and the river plunges down a series of serious drops.

This route description is licensed under a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved. (See www.sierracanyons.org for more information)

An experienced party with the correct ropes, anchor building tools and skills could descend this section if the river was at very low flow. However, most should bypass this section because of a dangerous siphon about two thirds of the way down the section. Do not underestimate this section, as even on rope a slip into the siphon would probably jam your body under heavy flow… To bypass this final section exit the river on the left (LDC) just before a house sized boulder in the middle of the watercourse around witch the river drops away on both sides. Hike up and over a shoulder and then down slabs to rejoin the Tuolumne. From here, river scramble downstream and swim a couple more pools to a point where the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne trail gets close to the river again on the right (LDC) bank. Change on the rocks on the riverbank. Exit: Day 2 Continued: Rejoin the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne Trail and hike down canyon about 5 miles past some of the best swimholes (outside of the Muir Gorge, that is!) of the trip all the way to Pate Valley. In Pate Valley, cross two bridges over the Tuolumne to reach a very large trailside campsite. Day 3, ~ 10 hiking miles plus ~5000 vertical feet: Get an early start as you have a LOT of climbing to do to get to White Wolf. Follow the trail up, up, up following signs for Harden Lake and White Wolf at trail junctions. Behold never ending switchbacks, some sections of which put the golden staircase in Kings Canyon and Walter’s Wiggles in Zion to shame. Up, up, up you go. It will be hot and long, keep on stepping. The good news is that when you reach White Wolf you can get beer and ice cream at the little store there. Who, knows maybe you’ll even stay for dinner. If you are riding the YART back to your car in Tuolumne meadows the bus stop is just outside the store. Non-Technical: A nice feature of the Muir Gorge route is it is non-canyoneer friendly. If you have backpacking friends that don’t canyoneer they can do the hike with you. When you leave the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River Trail to descend the Muir Gorge they stay on it, climbing up and around the gorge. They’ll be up high wondering how you are doing in the gorge and you’ll be in the gorge wondering how they are doing up on the trail. You’ll all get to enjoy some nice backpacking, camping and swimholes together!

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