Squire Creek Pass via Eight-mile Trail, Higher Squire — Friday, Aug. 29, 2025

When I first saw an aerial picture of the Exfoliation Dome decades ago, I thought surely it was in Yosemite. Finally today got around to dipping my toe into this amazing corner of the Mountain Loop Highway, hiking up Squire Pass, with a side trip up Higher Squire peak.  

TL;DR;

• Trail: Overall better shape then I expected
  • Middle section quite rooty, but not bad (for me, on this day)
• Higher Squire: Terrific 340 degree views
  • But have to climb a bit of steep vegetation to get it
  • If a climber, check out "Squire Spire" just W
  • Else good views can be had just by meandering up lovely granite meadows above Squire pass until things get steep
• Road:
  • Is narrow, but thanks to road crew is in surprisingly good shape
  • That said would take medium or greater clearance
    • Due to 1 pothole, and a couple ( currently dry ) fords
  • Near the end there is a "end-your-day" ( wheel swallower ) pothole:
    • But sometime today someone ( probably the new register folks! ) plonked a stick in it with some yellow tape, thanks!
• Parking:
  • 2 cars today, out of probably space for 8 back ins'
  • No trailhead toilet
• People:
  • Heard some climbers on the wall, but saw no one else
• Critters:
  • Lots of pissed off squirrels ( aren't they all )
  • Saw one bear scat, but hard to tell how old given rain
  • Large toads
• Berries: Blue/Huckleberries in full force,
  • Starting at 3400' and then amazing as get closer to the pass ( and most of way up to base of Higher Squire )
  • Why is it I can never seem to remember to bring containers?
• Water: I would take all the water you need, although...
  • There is a large stagnant pool at 3045'
  • And a few micro trickles/ponds later on if desperate
• Trash: Can't believe it has taken until end of August for my first Mylar Balloon capture ( on Higher Squire ).  
  • Unfortunately was shredded, so took 5 mins on steep ground to retrieve
  • Apart from that all good though, no other trash

SQUIRE PASS ( FROM EIGHTMILE )

Trail can be described in 3 sections:

• Easy, well maintained forest trail to start of Three O'clock wall climbing area
  • Sun seemed to be leaving at around 3pm, not sure if this is reason for the name
• Rooty/Rocky section, with a couple easy blowdowns
  • It's isn't actually that bad, just take your time
• Lovely traverse towards pass, with ever expanding views
  • Note to see views, you have to stop leaning over to eat berries

The pass itself is a great area to explore, recommend continuing up a little (southward) following easy granite "leads" for even better views.

HIGHER SQUIRE

Terrific 340 degree views, but have to climb a bit of steep vegetation to get it

• If a climber, consider "Squire Spire" (unofficial) just West
  • Looks way sexier looking then the treed Higher Spire :)

Higher Spire summit block has quite a bit of scrappy Class H2+DBV (my made up Cascadian Heather class 2+ grade, with Duff, Blueberry Veggie holds)

• From Squire Pass, Wandered beautiful granite slab leads SSE towards the treed Higher Squire
• At about 4500'  ascend steep vegetation to gain the ridge about 4741'
  • There is a bit of root finding, and you will be using lots of veggie belays especially if damp ( like it was today)
• Once on the NW ridge it is a much more enjoyable jaunt up to the summit rocks
• Really great views including Three Fingers, Whitehorse, Baker, Pugh, Del Campo, Monte Christo peaks, etc.
• As was damp, fell on my ass a couple times descending
• Note, seen some GPX tracks that come at peak from NE, but couldn't see the way down enough to be able to comment

Once at meadows, have the option of taking one of several granite slab stream beds direct down to trail. They were dry when I was there, but must be beautiful when running.  I really can't remember were I went though, as I was heads down picking blueberries, and not really paying attention to where I was going (and thus falling on my ass again).

EXFOILATION DOME (WHAT A GREAT NAME!)

While didn't explicitly visit the Exfoliation Dome, did at least get some good views, and it remains a personal legend to me given the (assumed) double entendre of geology-nerd ( the process that forms this type of cliff ) and climber ( loss of epidermis ) interpretations :)

Great area climbing link attached for active climbers, and those long retired armchair types like me.

More Information on this Trip Report

• https://www.mattsea.com/darr/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exfoliating_granite