Matterhorn Peak – Sawtooths

Location: Bridgeport, CA
Elevation Change: 7100′ to 12,264′ (summit)
Recomended Map: Hoover Wilderness – Tom Harrison Maps

The Sawtooth Mountain Range of Bridgeport, CA is only 2.5 hours by car from our store in Truckee. Whoo Hooooo! Drive 13 miles from town to the dead end on Twin Lakes Rd and you are positioned to ski up numerous drainages ringed in 11-12k peaks. Matterhorn Peak is the tallest and most impressive looking one. It also has deeper snow due to its north aspect and higher elevation. The Twin Lakes Campground is closed when you are trying to ski there, and you just stuff your car on the side of the road where it now says, “no parking”. I’m pretty sure those signs are for the hectic summertime scene here. Be courteous as you go through the campground on your tour as there are a few staff members living in the closed campground in the winter. Sure, you could pirate sleep here, but it’s pretty cold in the valley. Camp somewhere else and drive in and park in the morning. And as always, carpool to trailheads where possible.

You can see half of the actual Matterhorn peak from the car. There are 2 small important bridges in the trees at the south end of the campground that provide access to the Horse Creek trail and Matterhorn Drainage. Start early and skin or boot up crusty snow following the buried summer trail and continue up on the east side of Horse Creek until the first real hill causes you to re-assess your direction and angle. Resist the temptation to start skinning uphill too early in the large Horse Creek Meadow. You’ll get blisters side hilling for an hour. Sometimes you can’t help it because there is low snowpack down low. This west facing side of the valley is usually full of wet slide debris. Remember this problem area on your return in the afternoon warmth.

Next, climb the steep 300′ hill above Horse creek Meadow with a switchback or two, and reach a bushy ridge, that trends right and towards the Matterhorn Glacier. Like any backcountry ski tour, continue into avalanche terrain only because you can logically explain your confidence in the snowpack. The Eastern Sierra Snowpack isn’t totally sketchy like in the Rockies, but it is drier and different than the slightly more predictable Tahoe Snowpack. If Matterhorn seems tracked out to the bejesus, no problem! Head left towards Horse Creek Peak or Twin Peaks. Check out photos from Crater Crest looking towards Matterhorn, and you’ll learn cool neighboring terrain. Or Head up right towards Col de Doodad and the Cleaver where fewer people ski. And finally, check out the amazing little couloir right above the meadow at dead center. It’s pretty easy to find on the way down.

When you reach the Matterhorn Glacier, I suggest climbing the East Couloir. Some folks just can’t wait to carve up the Ski Dreams Chute before others get there and boot up to ski down it. But what is the adventure in that? This is the Matterhorn! Get up there if you can! The summit is unreal. Skin to the base of the Matterhorn East Couloir and put your skis on your pack for an easy walk to the top. It’s not too steep but beginners may want ice axe and crampons. Skiing back down the East Couloir can be good in the lower half, but the upper portion doesn’t hold much snow. There is an alternate steep couloir climbers left of the East Couloir with an entrance beside a small cornice. Most people walk around to find the wider Ski Dreams run when they reach the top of East Couloir.

Note: the west couloir looks cool, but it does not provide access to continue to the summit. Knock it out afterwards if you have time. 

Reaching the summit from the top of East Couloir will take you maybe 45 minutes. You can’t ski off the summit, so just bring what you need for this last push. The aspect is SE behind the peak, so there may not be a lot of snow. I usually bring an axe but not boot crampons. Bring some water, food, and your down jacket. There are a few paths that work to reach the summit from East Couloir. You need to traverse over at a low angle to get onto the south ridge most easily and avoid 2nd and 3rd class moves. Look for the easiest way and enjoy stellar pictures of your friends walking up the final south ridge to the summit.

The small summit is exciting, with a crazy straight-down view you need to peer over.  If you don’t climb to the peak, there is still a great view at the top of the East Couloir looking south past Mt. Whorl towards the peaks of Tuolumne Meadows. You can see Dana Peak, North Peak, Mt. Conness, and Mt. Lyell. Matterhorn Peak’s summit is the most amazing thing you can climb between Shasta and Mammoth in both summer and winter.

There is no crevasse danger in the path of this ski tour that I am aware of, nor have I noticed any Bergstroms. I have not been up there to ski in May or June however when some holes may worth looking out for. I suggest this ski tour for Feb to April. If you don’t see any snow on the first hill above the campground, you might keep driving south for a higher elevation trailhead that is probably open at this point.

Not sure if this tour is for you? Go with a guide. For big Eastern Sierra Peak ski tours, I recommend Sierra Mountain Guides from Bishop. Owner Howie Schwartz and I both skied Matterhorn together for our first time about 25 years ago. I dropped that shot in the picture gallery. We had Steph, Will Richardson, Howie and me on skinny tele skis, Matt Clark on a solid snowboard with snowshoes, and John Morrison showing us the way (and lapping us) on Ski Dreams with his Fritschi Mantra setup.

I also believe Dave Miller, owner of International Alpine Guides AIG has permits to guide in the Sawtooth’s. Dave has 15 years under his IFMGA certification and has a satellite guide office at our Truckee Store location. Howie and Dave are the real deal, and fun to ski with.

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