Summiting 14ers Tyndall and Williamson

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El Gigante
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Summiting 14ers Tyndall and Williamson

Post by El Gigante »

"So this is the breakdown: leave SD (or Arcata!) Thursday night for Independence. Crash there. Friday AM start out on the Shepherd pass trail.
Sleep at or near Shepherd Pass Friday night. Sat AM is early – pre dawn – for the ascent of Williamson. Back at the pass Sat. night. Sunday is Tyndall.
Summit and back to the camp."
The above is a basic itinerary Emailed to me today for a Sierra trip planned for late June. I hear this area closes July 15 for Big Horn Sheep re-population. Does this sound feasible? My friends are adventurous but not experienced in the Back country. Will Crampons (or at least 5 Pts) be necessary? Ice axes? I know they dont have or use either.
Any information any of you experience "Sierrans" might have would be helpful. And might help me avert "Potential Trouble" with some friends.
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Re: Summiting 14ers Tyndall and Williamson

Post by quentinc »

I think this was a pretty dry year, although others can speak more intelligently to that. I did the trip you describe during a dry year, and there was almost no snow anywhere by the last weekend before July 15. And if there is snow at the pass I'm sure there will be a highway of footprints for you to follow.

In terms of itinerary, getting to the pass in one day is ambitious unless you are well acclimated to the altitude. On my trip, I camped at the Pothole (great name) area. The Williamson climb is not that hard so long as you don't mind slogging up one to two thousand feet of scree. Then there is a short, moderate class 3 pitch, which is easier than it looks. On my second day, I moved my stuff up to the pass and set up camp, started for Williamson around 9:30, and easily made it back before dark. On your next day, Tyndall takes only a few hours. It's a great trip. You'll have lots of company, though, if you do it that last weekend.
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Wild Bill
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Re: Summiting 14ers Tyndall and Williamson

Post by Wild Bill »

It ended up being an almost Average winter snow pack...what ever that means! Ice axe is a good tool to have.
A recommendation for you; what I did when I bagged those peaks. Take lights and walk the first part of the Shepherd Pass Trail when you arrive the first night. The first section goes up Symmes creek. Then you go up switchbacks to a very obvious saddle. Make camp there. Decent area to sleep, but no water. When you wake the next morning, you will have shortened part of the unpleasantness of Shepherd Pass. It is a long grinding hike! But the view off of the summits are worth it!
I've camped at the pass; water is nearby.
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Re: Summiting 14ers Tyndall and Williamson

Post by ERIC »

Wild Bill wrote:It ended up being an almost Average winter snow pack...
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Re: Summiting 14ers Tyndall and Williamson

Post by copeg »

Shepherds pass is a long haul and a serious pain in the rear. Lots of elevation gain and a lack of acclimation can make things much worse - be aware of this especially if you or your friends are unfamiliar with how your bodies react to high elevations.

Water can sometimes be a pain after you leave Symmes creek, although this time of year you may find some running creeks between there and Mohogony Flat.

Anvil Camp is a popular location to camp, up close towards the pass it gets rocky and I'm not sure how successful you'll be at finding good camping.

Of particular note is the pass itself - there is a perennial snowfield just below the pass, this time of year I'm guessing the entire chute leading to the pass is covered. This is a very steep snowfield with no true way around it (do a google images search of shephards pass and you'll find some photos of what to expect). There may be tracks leading across making things feel a bit safer, but I'd always recommend being on the safe side with an ice-axe and crampons - especially if your ascent is early in the morning and there was a descent freeze overnight.

The climbs themselves I'm a bit unfamiliar with as well as the current snowpack that far south at this time, but I'd expect a fair amount of snow and keep in mind which face(s) you will be ascending - if any are north facing expect snow.
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Re: Summiting 14ers Tyndall and Williamson

Post by MooseTracks »

DISCLAIMER: THESE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE FROM ONE YEAR AGO!!! But I thought they might give you a better idea of the pass itself.

First off, the snow field immediately below the Pass, as seen from the Pothole. The "trail" winds up through the scree on the right and behind the large outcropping:

Image


The boot track traverse which starts behind that outcropping (remember, this was taken LAST YEAR):

Image


The view down the chute from half way across (note to self: DON'T FALL HERE):

Image

I had brought crampons/axe, but ended up stashing them at the Pass while I climbed Tyndall. The rest of the pics from that hike are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moosepics6 ... 772158641/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Again, sorry they aren't more recent, but it will at least give you an overview of what you are getting into. Have a great time! I'm one of the sickos who actually ENJOYS Shepherd's Pass!! :eek:

-Laura :cool:
"Why do I climb? Quite simply because the mountains and I had to meet." - Colette Richard

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moosepics621
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