Tinker Knob and Granite Chief

October 2024

I was close to some of the Sierra’s northern peaks for work in late October, so I figured I’d try to bag some SPS peaks. The first two on the list were Tinker Knob and Granite Chief. I set out for a day hike of these peaks early on Sunday morning.

It was a brisk fall day in the Sierra, but the sky was jet blue, and the snow from last week’s dusting was mostly melted off: perfect hiking weather. My route was simple: I’d walk south along the PCT, tag Tinker Knob, jump back on the PCT, and ascend Granite Chief’s northeast ridge before turning around and reversing my route.

It was quite windy and busier on the PCT than expected, but the day just about as planned. Tinker Knob came and went without too much effort, offering an excellent view of Granite Chief to the south. The ridge leading to Granite Chief offered some complications in the form of lingering snow. I alternated between steep and slippery snowfields and dryish outcroppings of granite—both options were somewhat hazardous, forcing me to ascend with great care.

Eventually, I was on the summit, with stupendous views of the northern Sierra. If I recall correctly, I could make out that great mass of water that is Lake Tahoe to my east. I met another hiker who had ascended from the ski resort. He asked how the ridge I came up was. I said it was a little sketchy, but if he was careful, he’d be fine. He trotted off in that direction, only to return a few minutes later—staved off by the poor conditions. I certainly did not want to descend the ridge either, which was hard enough to climb. So I tried checking out a chute I spotted on the peak’s east face during my ascent that I thought might go. 

Looking down from the top of the chute, it looked fairly manageable. I couldn’t see down the entirety of the chute, but I sent it down anyways. Fortunately, this paid off, and it did not cliff out. There was a bit of tedious scree and boulder hopping, but eventually I made it to the PCT. Several hours of hiking later, I was back at the car.