Trip Advice: Shepherd Pass and Mount Tyndall
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:22 am
Hello all,
I am considering a trip to climb Mount Tyndall in early September.
Our group is likely to consist of five people. Three of us are Level 3 hikers, two of us are Level 2. Class 2 terrain is generally the goal here. Main interest is high country scenery and a physical challenge-- we want to knock out one of the tough east-side passes and climb a new (for us) 14er. We have a three-day weekend to get this done, so three nights and two days. There is a good chance that we won't be able to get our permit in advance, so will have to pick it up the morning of day 1 and won't be able to get an early start. All five of us are young and fairly athletic, but there is some variation in current levels of physical fitness among the group. None of us have ever hiked any part of this particular route. All have hiked at altitude, but not all have been above 13k.
My general plan is to spend day 1 getting as far up Shepherd Pass as possible. If we make it all the way up, great, but I think more realistically we're likely to camp partway up, somewhere between Mahogany Flats and the Pothole. Day 2 we will finish off Shepherd Pass and climb Mount Tyndall via whatever looks like the easiest route-- that appears to be the northwest slopes from what I've read. Day 3 we will hike out.
I have done a bunch of reading about this region, but still have a few areas where I'd love some advice from the more experienced folks here.
First: Any recommendations for a campsite on our second night? I would love to camp somewhere with really majestic views. It looks like that shouldn't be a problem in this region-- is it reasonable to just plan to camp somewhere north of Mount Tyndall, between Shepherd Pass and the JMT, and assume that we'll be able to find water and views easily enough?
Second: Can anyone give me some thoughts as to the feasibility of a slightly more aggressive day two, in which we drop our packs, ascend Mount Tyndall, descend to our packs, then go across Rockwell Pass to camp in the Wright Lakes Basin? Rockwell Pass looks fairly straightforward on topos and photos that I've seen, but I'd love any insight here. Is it possible to climb Rockwell Pass, drop our packs on the top of the pass, and follow the ridge to Tyndall (looks questionable on topos)? Would it make sense to go to Wright Lakes first and then ascend Tyndall from the south (I understand that this involves an awful lot of fairly steep talus)?
Third: Any other advice on this area-- things we should watch out for, things we should do differently or try to see?
Ultimately, what we will do is get to the top of Shepherd Pass, check out the area, and then make a plan that seems reasonable given the terrain and our condition. But any advance insight would be helpful. Thanks!
I am considering a trip to climb Mount Tyndall in early September.
Our group is likely to consist of five people. Three of us are Level 3 hikers, two of us are Level 2. Class 2 terrain is generally the goal here. Main interest is high country scenery and a physical challenge-- we want to knock out one of the tough east-side passes and climb a new (for us) 14er. We have a three-day weekend to get this done, so three nights and two days. There is a good chance that we won't be able to get our permit in advance, so will have to pick it up the morning of day 1 and won't be able to get an early start. All five of us are young and fairly athletic, but there is some variation in current levels of physical fitness among the group. None of us have ever hiked any part of this particular route. All have hiked at altitude, but not all have been above 13k.
My general plan is to spend day 1 getting as far up Shepherd Pass as possible. If we make it all the way up, great, but I think more realistically we're likely to camp partway up, somewhere between Mahogany Flats and the Pothole. Day 2 we will finish off Shepherd Pass and climb Mount Tyndall via whatever looks like the easiest route-- that appears to be the northwest slopes from what I've read. Day 3 we will hike out.
I have done a bunch of reading about this region, but still have a few areas where I'd love some advice from the more experienced folks here.
First: Any recommendations for a campsite on our second night? I would love to camp somewhere with really majestic views. It looks like that shouldn't be a problem in this region-- is it reasonable to just plan to camp somewhere north of Mount Tyndall, between Shepherd Pass and the JMT, and assume that we'll be able to find water and views easily enough?
Second: Can anyone give me some thoughts as to the feasibility of a slightly more aggressive day two, in which we drop our packs, ascend Mount Tyndall, descend to our packs, then go across Rockwell Pass to camp in the Wright Lakes Basin? Rockwell Pass looks fairly straightforward on topos and photos that I've seen, but I'd love any insight here. Is it possible to climb Rockwell Pass, drop our packs on the top of the pass, and follow the ridge to Tyndall (looks questionable on topos)? Would it make sense to go to Wright Lakes first and then ascend Tyndall from the south (I understand that this involves an awful lot of fairly steep talus)?
Third: Any other advice on this area-- things we should watch out for, things we should do differently or try to see?
Ultimately, what we will do is get to the top of Shepherd Pass, check out the area, and then make a plan that seems reasonable given the terrain and our condition. But any advance insight would be helpful. Thanks!