[pct-l] Shepherd Pass alternate

[gary at hbfun.org]

IMHO, it would be best to just bite the bullet and go over Shepherd. 
Unless you want to really get a taste of the Sierra.

Starting at Crescent Meadow and going through Bear Paw Meadow then over 
to the Big Arroyo and down to the Kern River would be long, but well 
worth it.

Sawmill Pass is beautiful, but starts very low, IIRC it’s 8000’ of gain 
to the pass. Nice camps along the way so it could be done in two days. 
Same with Taboose, there’s a camp with water on the way up.

Gary

On 2022-07-20 06:16, David Hough reading PCT-L wrote:
> I'm not sure how well this got out, so I'll give it another try for 
> Susan:
> 
>> From: Susan Virnig <susan at newstories.org>
>> Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2022 14:53:56 -0700
>> 
>> I=E2=80=99m a section hiker from Spokane and you all have been very 
>> helpful=
>>  in the
>> past.  I=E2=80=99m trying to get into the PCT around mile 775 by 
>> Tyndall Cr=
>> eek, to
>> have a continuous connection.  (Last year left via Shepherd Pass, 
>> which is
>> a crazy trail =E2=80=94 9000=E2=80=99 elevation gain/loss in 6 miles.)
>> 
>> Currently have a permit to go back into Shepherd Pass, but am 
>> wondering if
>> there is a way from the west to get back up to the PCT that is not 
>> quite so
>> steep and hopefully better maintained.  Any suggestions?
>> 
>> =E2=80=94Sunshine/Susan from Spokane
> 
> The desert passes from the east side are all bad news.
> 
> Besides Shepherd, there's Taboose, Baxter, and Sawmill.   I've only 
> done
> Taboose, and only downhill.    Never again.    Baxter is not maintained
> at all, I think.    Shepherd is mostly used by mountaineers hoping for
> Mt Williamson, I think.     The upside is that nobody will be checking
> wilderness permits on any of these routes, I think.
> 
> You could get to Tyndall Creek from the west side, but it would take a
> very long time.   The High Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadow is 50
> miles to the PCT.   I am away from home and don't have maps handy to 
> see
> if you can do much better from another west side trailhead.   A Mt 
> Whitney
> permit, if you can get one, would be easier.
> 
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