This is about five miles up the Virginia Lakes Road off 395 at Conway Summit. We will ride about 5½ hours to a camp in Virginia Canyon. Virginia Canyon (Avalanche Camp) to Matterhorn Canyon. The trail follows the north side of Blue Lake and then climbs fairly steeply in open forest to Cooney Lake in the first mile. The route then climbs 750’ past the Frog Lakes on shale slopes to a saddle at mile 2.6. The rocky path descends steeply to the Green Lake Trail junction at mile four. Turn left at the junction toward Summit Lake and climb 170’ in 0.4 miles to the lake. The trail drops steeply as it enters Yosemite National Park, turning into a gentle descent down through Virginia Canyon after the junction to Virginia Pass. The path down the canyon is through lodgepoles and meadows, with areas of trees downed by avalanches during high snow years.

6.4 miles, 1,250’ gain, 750’ loss Enjoy the gentle descent down Virginia Canyon to the junction of the Pacific Crest Trail at mile 2.3. The trail to the right continues down the canyon before climbing 1,000’ fairly steeply up Spiller Creek and finally up to a saddle at mile 4.6. Wonderful views to the west open up as the trail undulates another 1.4 miles to Miller Lake. Camp is another 0.2 miles along the west shore of the lake. The lake is fairly shallow which makes it a good swimming lake. There are wonderful views across the canyon of the Tuolumne River as far as the Cathedral Range to the south from near the outlet of the lake or the low dome to the west of the lake.

8.6 miles, 2,050’ gain, 2,250’ loss The trail leaves Miller Lake to cross a wide meadow to a wonderful view of the mountains surrounding upper Matterhorn Canyon. The path then switchbacks down through the forest before bottoming out in Matterhorn Canyon at the junction to Burro Pass at mile 2.3. Continue left on the Pacific Crest Trail, dropping gently through forest along the meandering Matterhorn Creek for 1.2 miles. The path turns away from Matterhorn Canyon to follow Wilson Creek, climbing steadily through open forest to gain 1,000’ over 2.3 miles, crossing the creek several times. The trail finally leaves the creek for a final 600’ sunny ascent over one mile to Benson Pass. The route descends 900’ in 1.7 miles to the large meadow at the inlet to Smedberg Lake. Watch for the comfortable camp in the trees near the stream on the east side of the meadow.

Smedberg Lake is a beautiful lake nestled in a slick rock basin beneath towering Volunteer Peak and easily warrants a leisurely day enjoying the lake. There are some excellent side trip options, however. Rogers Lake (4.5 miles RT, 900’ gain and loss) is one mile by trail off the PCT and has traditionally offered excellent fishing.

About 6 miles The trail follows the southern shore of Smedberg Lake before crossing a low ridge and dropping briefly before climbing 250’ to the Rodgers Lake junction at mile 1.2 and then the Murdock Lake/Rodgers Canyon junction at mile 1.5. The route then descends steadily, dropping 1,900’ in 2.9 miles to the Benson Lake junction. Hikers might need to wade Piute Creek just before the junction early in the season. Benson Lake is known for its sandy beach and excellent swimming .

The route leaves the trees as it climbs 1,400’ out of the Benson Lake drainage in two miles to a series of small lakes below Seavey Pass. The lakes provide excellent lunch spots before the easy ascent to Seavey Pass. The trail then drops to the PCT/Kerrick Meadows junction. Follow the trail to the right toward Wilma Lake, descending moderately 1,200’ through forest, with occasional short climbs, to the junction to Bear Valley at mile 4.3.

The rocky trail then climbs steeply out of the canyon through sunny, open forest, gaining 800’ in 1.3 miles before dropping 1,000’ in 1.1 miles to the Stubblefield Creek. The climb out of Stubblefield to Macomb Ridge is steep, sunny, and rocky, with an elevation gain of 1,200’ in 2.4 miles. Then, the trail descends 500’ in under a mile into the Tilden Canyon Creek drainage and the junction to Tiltill Valley. Follow the Pacific Crest Trail to the right for 500 feet to the Tilden Lake junction, turning right to follow the creek to the lake. The trail climbs rather steeply at first, but is mostly a gentle ascent of 600’ in three miles through forest and meadows to the southern end of the lake.

Enjoy the tranquility of Tilden Lake.

6.8 miles, 550’ gain, 800’ loss Returning 0.7 miles to the trail, the route then drops 700’ in 1.4 miles through forest to Jack Main Canyon to rejoin the Pacific Crest Trail. Turning right, the route soon leaves the forest to climb gently along the long meadows and brief sections of forest of Jack Main Canyon to our camp near the upper end of Grace Meadow.

9.0 miles, 900’ gain, 1,500’ loss The trail steepens as it leaves Grace Meadow, passing in and out of forest to the Bond Pass junction at mile 0.6. The trail levels out and then drops through a large meadow to Dorothy Lake, passing around the sandy north shore of the lake. Climbing easily over Dorothy Lake Pass, the path then descends away from Yosemite National Park in open, granite terrain past Stella, Bonnie, and Harriet Lakes, then turning right at the Cascade Creek junction toward Cascade Falls and Piute Meadow. A fairly steep descent of 900’ in 1.4 miles to the Upper Piute Meadows junction offers good views of distant peaks. The West Walker River drainage presents a challenge with numerous junctions. Turn downriver at the Upper Piute Meadows/Piute Cabin junction and then right at the Long Lake junction in 0.3 miles to follow the trail along the east side of Lower Piute Meadows for one mile before turning into the meadow to camp.

8.3 miles, 850’ gain, 1,800’ loss The trail leaves the West Walker River as it continues toward Leavitt Meadow, passing the Long Canyon junction at mile 1.1, and then rejoins the River near the Fremont Lake junction at mile 1.8. The path is generally downhill, occasionally leaving the river to ascend low ridges near the Hidden Lake junction and beyond Roosevelt Lake. The trail passes the junction to Secret Lake at mile 6.4 as it drops out of the forest to contour along the dry, sunny slope above the meadow. A bridge crosses the river to the Leavitt Meadows Campground. Walk upriver through the campground and through a small grove of trees to the trailhead parking area. The pack station will arrive at the trailhead parking area by 2:30 to drive you back to your vehicles at Mono Village.

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