R03/R01 TR: Shepherd, Williamson Bowl, Wallace Lake and Wrights basin (w/ some peak bagging). July 2019

[giantbrookie]

Nice photos of an extraordinary trip. That's quite a crazy touch taking a backpack up over Trojan and Barnard. That is a wild and wonderful route.

[Harlen]

Congratulations on a great route. That high point on the Cleaver looks pretty sharp! What a fantastic area- well done.

[commonloon]

Thx giantbrookie... I was wishing a little I had my fly rod at times ;-) We were both using relatively smaller packs.

Thx Harlen. The Cleaver is/was sharp! Definitely the high point aesthetically of the trip for me. The ridge and its views. Although the Wrights lakes basin was incredibly green and beautiful; I've been thru there before but never seen it look like that.

[CAMERONM]

Nice report! I am glad to see that Trojan and Barnard looks less daunting than I thought, they are on my list as well.

[henryfk]

Crampons made for easy travel around Lake Tulainyo Up and around Lake Helen of Troy they were plenty handy. We would have been a lot slower otherwise, unless your packing some stiff boots. Axes optional.

[Wandering Daisy]

I am debating if I will camp in Williamson Bowl, or just day-hike from the lake on Shepherd Pass. What are the campsites like? Any suggestions on where is best?

[SSSdave]

Impressive route.

I'd been tentatively planning for months to go over Shepherd on a 10 day trip I've been trying to get in for a decade, during the third week of the month but just a minor chance of that now. Thanks for the report CL about the pass that shows my timing would be optimal. After my 6-day Desolation trip last week, the heel of my right foot where the big plantar ligament attaches to the bone and that I injured last fall, still becomes a wee sore after hiking a few miles even without carrying my huge pack. Instead am more likely to go with a plan B relaxed semi base camping trip over Bishop Pass over a couple days into Dusy. But will see. Am considering just tackling the 2.7k over the divide late during an afternoon if weather is cool then feeling out how that feels. If ok may proceed while if not may hike out and do plan B.

[CAMERONM]

I am debating if I will camp in Williamson Bowl, or just day-hike from the lake on Shepherd Pass. What are the campsites like? Any suggestions on where is best?

Daisy it is a surprisingly long hike from the pass to the bowl, so if you are positioning to go up Williamson fresh you might want to go some distance closer. The bowl itself is interesting but typically high-alpine alienating; I don't recall seeing any inviting camping spots. I camped on high ground on the ridge mid-way between the pass and the bowl and hunkered down for an extremely windy night that broke two of my carbon stakes.

[commonloon]

I am debating if I will camp in Williamson Bowl, or just day-hike from the lake on Shepherd Pass. What are the campsites like? Any suggestions on where is best?

We camped near the center of the bowl, on a knoll, mostly rock. If you look on the USGS it's right under the "son" in Williamson. There were a few spots that had obviously been used multiple times. It was pretty good as we were sheltered, at least on 1 side, from wind, etc. Lake "WL3713" was ice-free enough to get water, should be fine now.

There is also great campsite at the very top of Shepherd pass, a bit hidden, between the little lake and the drop-off. Not one of the 2 obvious spots next to the tarn.

[commonloon]

SSSdave, I hope the foot gets better... always sucks being injured.

Daisy: Agree w/ Cameron, on travel in the bowl, views, and wind. We found a shelf to hide behind and I only used a couple of stakes and tied the rest of my guylines around big rocks... It's a challenging place to camp.

If you're going up Williamson then I should say the chute still had some snow when we were doing our little traverse. I may have a photo. The center of bowl campsites are very close to the start of the standard route.