Shepherd Pass - no go this year

[tomba]

A warning about Shepherd Pass this year.

I did a route last week that involved going over Junction Pass and then Shepherd Pass.

Shepherd Pass is seriously hard this year. It is best to avoid crossing it for most people. There is a steep snow field (actually two snow fields) that is still blocking it, even so late in the season. There is no good foot path through the snow.

I didn't know about that when I planned my trip.

Near the pass I met a couple of climbers that crossed that snow eastward with helmets, ice axes, and spikes. Even with that equipment they were not comfortable crossing. As I got close to the snow I saw their footprints and I saw that their feet were sliding down.

I climbed a chute next to the snow filed. It becomes a steep and exposed class 3 (hands and feet) climb. I don't know when a climb becomes class 4. The worst part is that that hand holds and foot holds are often loose. The rock breaks off. I had to test the holds. For critical spots I avoided any holds that had any signs (cracks mostly) that they may become loose. I got a couple minor scrapes and bruises when holds broke off. I went up, but I would not go down that way. Having a relatively small and light backpack helped.

Later I met a ranger that told me they had to rescue someone who slid down the snow while attempting to cross it.

[Bishop_Bob]

yikes - thanks for the alert

[texan]

Thanks for the alert. Mav already did a SAR update about a man who fell going up Shepards Pass on 9/8 its on the HST website, unfortunately he broke his leg. I have gone over that pass a few times and that snow field(s) at the top are steep. Luckily, when I did it the snow was soft, no issues. If it was hard I would have turned around not worth the risk. Thanks again for sharing.

[texan]

A warning about Shepherd Pass this year.

I did a route last week that involved going over Junction Pass and then Shepherd Pass.

Shepherd Pass is seriously hard this year. It is best to avoid crossing it for most people. There is a steep snow field (actually two snow fields) that is still blocking it, even so late in the season. There is no good foot path through the snow.

I didn't know about that when I planned my trip.

Near the pass I met a couple of climbers that crossed that snow eastward with helmets, ice axes, and spikes. Even with that equipment they were not comfortable crossing. As I got close to the snow I saw their footprints and I saw that their feet were sliding down.

I climbed a chute next to the snow filed. It becomes a steep and exposed class 3 (hands and feet) climb. I don't know when a climb becomes class 4. The worst part is that that hand holds and foot holds are often loose. The rock breaks off. I had to test the holds. For critical spots I avoided any holds that had any signs (cracks mostly) that they may become loose. I got a couple minor scrapes and bruises when holds broke off. I went up, but I would not go down that way. Having a relatively small and light backpack helped.

Later I met a ranger that told me they had to rescue someone who slid down the snow while attempting to cross it.

Sorry, I didn't see the link about the rescue that Mav posted in your original post.

Texan

[gunnarjakob]

I ascended Shepherd Pass on Labor Day this year, it was really tough. The snowfield is very steep and I didn't dare crossing it with microspikes and ice axe. I too ended up going up the chute to the left of the snowfield, stayed to the right within the chute, and then did a scary downclimb with lots of loose rock that felt like class 4 to end up just above the snowfield where the steep rock ends and scree starts again. Initially my plan had been to go back down across Shepherd Pass but I ended up changing plans and came back down via Junction Pass which was much easier.

I am glad SAR were able to get the person out alive! I met a solo hiker along my trip a couple days later who had planned on descending Shepherd Pass and hopefully talked him out of it.

PXL_20230904_161307951(1).jpg

PXL_20230907_193506979(1).jpg

[tomba]

The chute I climbed was to the right of the snow. There was a gap between the snow and the chute wall until the snow ended. I continued up to the ridge. There may be a better way.

Below the chute:

IMG_2268.jpg

Snow crossing with footprints:

IMG_2269.jpg

The gap next to the snow:

IMG_2271.jpg

View of the footprints from above:

IMG_2272.jpg

View up in three directions from one spot:

IMG_2273.jpg

IMG_2274.jpg

IMG_2275.jpg

This is where I came out on the ridge:

IMG_2276.jpg

[gunnarjakob]

@tomba thanks for posting this, super interesting! I actually went up the same route on my initial attempt but turned around near your "view up in three directions" because of loose holds and rock falling from above.

[CAMERONM]

Great photos- thanks to everyone!

[Carne_DelMuerto]

For the Shepherd Pass uninitiated, like me, how tough is this pass on a normal year? Class 2?

[TurboHike]

For the Shepherd Pass uninitiated, like me, how tough is this pass on a normal year? Class 2?

I've done it multiple times. It really depends on the year and month, which is probably not the answer you're looking for. Even late in the season there is usually at least a small snow field near the top of the pass, except in exceptionally dry years.

The worst for me was in the month of May, which required ice axe and crampons.

The easiest was August, just a small snow field, which I crossed with maybe 20 steps. It had a good boot track, and I waited until about 10 am so that the snow was soft enough to kick and flatten the steps. I used trekking poles but did not use traction devices.