Advice for Shepherds Pass Trip

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wl1193
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Advice for Shepherds Pass Trip

Post by wl1193 »

Hi everyone. My name is Will and I will be doing a trip over Shepherds Pass with a friend. This is our first backpacking trip to SEKI. Have been to Desolation Wilderness and Emigrant Wilderness in the past few years. The highest I have been is Granite Dome in the Emigrant Wilderness. I would say we are above average in fitness and feel comfortable on class 2.5 for me and 3 for my friend.

We have a permit from Thursday July 23 to Monday July 27. Enter and exit via Shepherds Pass.

My main focus is to explore and fish (catch and release) and his is to climb Mt Tyndall, fish (catch and release) and explore. So we may split up for an afternoon or day for him to climb Mt Tyndall.

We plan to stay overnight at trailhead before heading up the pass on the 23. I’ve read reports etc but I’m not sure how much area we can realistically see and do in the short period of time.

I would like to see some of the lakes near Diamond Mesa, some of the lakes in the Wrights lake area. But am also interested In visiting Wales Lake, Lake South America or the lakes below Forester pass. A lot of lakes I would like to visit but they are all in somewhat different areas. Don’t think I can see them all given the time frame we have.

So I would like some advice on areas to visit. After Diamond Mesa should we head for the area of Lake South America and its surrounding lakes, the Forrester Pass lakes, or go in the opposite direction and visit the Wrights lake area and try to see Wales?

Any advice, wisdom and information is greatly appreciated.
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freestone
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Re: Advice for Shepherds Pass Trip

Post by freestone »

If this is your first time over Shepherds, don't be in a big rush to see it all, it takes time to figure out what works and what doesn't in the fishing department. I would try to stay flexible and make decisions based on how everyone is feeling. Altitude and steepness of the terrain in that area can really kick your butt. On a topo map, it all looks easy to traverse, but its actually filled with small timbered canyons, ridges and ledges that take time and effort to traverse. But to answer your question, I would stay around the Tyndall/Shepherd pass area and explore those lakes first since that's the mountain your partner wants to climb. Maybe even consider a trip into Williamson bowl. Wright and LSA are in different drainages so realistically, they are another day from the Tyndall area and LSA is notoriously fickle in yielding its fish easily or quickly. Most if not all of the lakes on the JMT below Forresters Pass are fishless and many of the small lakes northeast of LSA on the Kings Kern Divide have been restored to fishless as well.
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Re: Advice for Shepherds Pass Trip

Post by SSSdave »

Many that look at the four notorious 6k passes over the Sierra Crest from those low low sagebrush trailheads of the Owens Valley, don't seem to pay attention to the topographic vertical climb necessary to do so in what they obviously think everyone does in a single day. Most do not. That is in part because they just read it is 10 miles as though that is all that counts or read reports from prominent climbers and ultralight backpackers that regularly do so ho hum. Just getting over the pass in two days will be strenuous for most mortals. Additionally, it a several mile hike from the pass down that Tyndall Creek basin to get anywhere else.
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Re: Advice for Shepherds Pass Trip

Post by Wandering Daisy »

There is a classic class3 route on the north side of Mt. Tyndall. It is not for the faint-hearted- a lot of exposure, but a really fun climb. I have camped at the small lake between Shepherd Pass and Mt Tyndall and day-hiked/climbed, first up Tyndall, than down the back side to Wrights Lakes (tricky route finding) and back over Rockwell Pass to my camp in one long day. Also have reached Milestone Basin in two very long days. With your short timeframe, that is a lot of cost for the short benefit. If you seriously want to fish you need many more days.

Here is what my plan would be:

Day 1 Camp near the Pot Hole.
Day 2 set up a camp near the pass, day hike Williamson Bowl.
Day 3 early climb Tyndall, move over Rockwell Pass to Wrights Lake Basin
Day 4 Fish and explore in Wrights Lake Basin
Day 5 Come back over Rockwell pass and explore/camp at one of the lakes in Diamond Meas.
Day 6, Go out

If you do not have a day6, then you would have to head out on Day 5. Then you may be able to do a short hike up to the Diamond Mesa lakes in addition to Williamson Bowl. If I had to choose between the two, Williamson Bowl would win.

Personally I would not go to all the effort to go up Shepherd Pass for as short of a trip as you have. You will need to get a pre-dawn start to beat the heat. It is a brutal pass.
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wl1193
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Re: Advice for Shepherds Pass Trip

Post by wl1193 »

Hi Thankyou for all the great advice.. I have looked at the topo maps in the area have experience with land navigation (from the military) I do recognize this will not be an easy trip. I am prepared to adjust on the fly if needed. There wasn't many options due to the trail quota and this being a last minute trip. I will post a trip report when I get back. Thanks again.
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Re: Advice for Shepherds Pass Trip

Post by windknot »

Note that Inyo National Forest just released their walk-up permit quota for each trailhead today. So you have more options now for open trails than Shepherd Pass. Not at all to dissuade you from your trip, as the challenge of Shepherd Pass is well worth it in my opinion. But if you are open to or prefer other areas, I see that several (most) trailheads have open spots now.
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Re: Advice for Shepherds Pass Trip

Post by bobby49 »

I've done Shepherd Pass in 2018 and 2019. I always start from the trailhead at 3 a.m. when the air is cool. That helps a lot. Then I reach the first ridge at 6 a.m. I will pass the only water at about 7 a.m., and then it is straight up to the pass at 2-3 p.m. After that, I normally camp at the Tyndall Creek junction. Milestone Basin isn't too far from there.
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Re: Advice for Shepherds Pass Trip

Post by dbogey »

Getting over the pass if you're in good shape is no problem. My daughter and I (she only backpacks once a year) started at the trailhead around 5:30ish and were at the top by 1 pm. There are at least 3 places for water on the way up. I found the walk down worse than the way up on my knees :(

Wandering Daisy is a good source of info.
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