"Doug and Cathie Barrows invited me on a "covid friendly" backpack trip to summit Matterhorn Peak. We took the horse creek trail (our of Upper Twin Lake) up on Mon. 13th, 2020 with an overnight after 4 hours of hiking, and then made it through the highest pass on the 14th to camp just within the Yosemite border on an enchanting alpine lake with a small ice floe on it's edge. The camp site felt like it was straight out of the shire with mossy spongy islands and streams leading to the lake. After getting to the camp sight and eyeing what was supposed to be another pass for a circle backpacking route, we decided we'd return the way we came in. The other pass looked a little too intense for us carrying packs. We submitted on the 15th (thank goodness I had packed gloves as lots of scrambling), returned to camp just in time for a quick dip in the lake and then we sheltered in our tents while the rain and hail came down. On the 16th, Kim, wanting one less night in the tent, hiked halfway out with Cathie and Doug and then hightailed it to the car (dodging rain drops) as Cathie and Doug camped another night. " — 40in40 • Jul 15, 2020

"Matterhorn Peak isn't the most fun trail—it's largely covered in unstable granite talus which makes it fairly slow and perilous. However, the views from the top to the south are spectacular. The summit block from Horse Creek Pass is mostly class two scrambling, with a few class three moves. If you choose this route, avoid trying to traverse or climb the scree fields after the pass. Instead, follow the ridge and then cut over to the south ridge. (My return path is roughly the route I would take up if I were to repeat.)" — sareine • Jul 4, 2020

"Saturday. My "just got laid-off" mountain climbing tour continues in the Sawtooth Ridge area of the Eastern Sierra. Specifically, I set my sights on Matterhorn Peak, being an SPS Emblem Peak and generally just looking awesome. I got an early start at Twin Lakes, The original plan was to climb the East Couloir from the Matterhorn Glacier, but like a noob I absent-mindedly ascended not one but TWO drainages to the east towards Twin Peaks. While the scenery was stunning, it wasn't going to get me to the summit, so I sat down on a moraine with a good view of the surroundings and studied the map and the landscape. It seemed like a high traverse to the west would take me to Horse Creek Pass, where I could access the peak's SE slopes. I set off across steep snow until I reached a point on a 60 degree slope with a nasty, rocky run-out. Caution forced me to descend 400-500 ft down to the standard pass route. From the pass I climbed the snow-covered scree and talus to just below the peak. Here I found steep class 2 over an exposed snow slope, but by now the snow was soft that I felt confident to make the traverse and climb the peak from the south. Descent was a straight-forward plunge steppi..." — klotito • May 26, 2018

"A long hike, made longer by the morning meander through the campground looking for the unmarked trailhead. Mostly reasonable trail/goattrack to Horse Creek Pass (aim high), then that looong slog up the sandy slope. 2 hours up, 5 minutes down on that stuff. Wheee! Loved the views from the summit- I remember doing a backpacking loop in N Yose several years ago and picking out the summit and deciding I'd climb it someday - and this was before my peak bagging days." — calipidder • Aug 19, 2014

"Firm new snow on top of late season neve, class 3 climb up the East Couloir without a rope was a bit icy and spooky. Too icy too descend the couloir, down climbed to Horse Creek Pass. Finished the trail in the dark. Super Fun day!" — tcitret • Oct 15, 2011