Beettlebug-Anne Pass (Unofficial)

[alpinemike]

TITLE: Beettlebug-Anne Pass (Unofficial)

GENERAL OVERVIEW: This pass leads between Beetlebug Lake and Anne Lake. Can be used in conjunction with Margaret-Beetlebug Pass to connect Big Margaret to Anne Lake. It crosses a sub ridge of the Silver Divide.

CLASS/DIFFICULTY: Class 2

LOCATION: John Muir Wilderness to the Northwest of Anne Lake and South of Beetlebug Lake. It is just a crossing of the ridge that divides Long Canyon from the Minnow Creek drainage. HST Map

ELEVATION: 10,990

USGS TOPO MAP (7.5'): Sharktooth Peak & Graveyard Peak

ROUTE DESCRIPTION: This pass is technically not a low saddle or col of a ridge. It is just a crossing of the ridge that separates Anne from Beetlbug Lake. Where you cross exactly will be up to you since most of the terrain is conducive to travel. Crossing further up the ridge will only mean you have to go back down to traverse to Margaret-Beetlbug Pass or down to Beetlebug Lake. Going to low on the ridge means you'll have to gain elevation anyways to get up to the next pass, but can be helpful if you're going down to the lake. I can not comment on taking this pass down to Beetlebug Lake but I'm sure it's doable especially if you follow down the drainage from Margaret-Beetlbug Pass. It will be loose and have lots of talus. The East side of this pass from Anne Lake features grass ramps and granite slabs along with some talus. There really isn't a best way to go up this. Staying along the most gradual contours is a good bet and will get you to the spot we topped out on. There are small microcliff bands that you'll have to navigate through but none if it is too challenging. Pay attention to the fact that there are cliffs further down along the ridge that you're heading towards so obviously don't head in that direction to try and gain the ridge. If you're going West to East don't head down the ridge very far or you'll end up above the cliff bands and have to back track.

View of the ridge from the East shore of Anne Lake. Somewhere left of center of it is where we crossed.

A view up to the ridge where you'll stay along the rib to gain the ridge. If you veer to far West you will end up in a bowl and talus pile.

Typical granite slabs to the top.

Looking toward Margaret-Beetlebug Pass. Gives a sense of the terrain encountered on this side. Loose steep rock for the most part but manageable.

[erutan]

I did this Anne to Beetlebug after reading about it in a thread here - it's definitely not a "thread the needle" type deal to keep class 2 (with some easy 3 if you don't mind), though you can make mistakes. The waypoints I used aren't ideal - I could have dropped to the ridge a little lower etc.

I'll put in a bit more for the Beetlebug side since OP focused mostly on Anne I kept to the W of the col out of beetlebug while dropping, mostly due to snow. Nice gorgeous slabs near the top dropping, some mellow talus, a sandy loose bit but not that steep, then fairly stable terrain down. CYOA.

don't take this too seriously, just what I did with a few sentences of beta

gorgeous slabs dropping over from anne

not too terrible at all

but a little bit nicer

sure, no complaints here!

stayed to the stage right of the gully once it tightened up (left while dropping) where there's some trees to drop through. it'd all work, but less talus that way (and snow for when I did it, more of my concern at the time)