The SHR – Navigational Breakdown

Timberline country

Some specific sections that I remember to be tricky:

  • I found it generally tricky to find trails when you are coming from an off trail section, especially when you are in a forested area. Some examples are finding the Horseshoe Lakes trail, the trail that leads to the Deer Lakes and getting onto Iceberg Trail.
  • The way up towards windy ridge. I could not find any “use trail”.
  • Identifying Frozen Lake Pass from the Lake Basin can be a bit tricky. I got the map out a couple of times but was able to go into the right cirque eventually.
  • The “three mile traverse” on the side of Evolution Valley. Most of this is in some sort of forest, which makes orientation quite difficult.
  • The descent down into Second Recess. There is a faint trail but it disappears often. Again, the wooded character of the area makes progress a little hard.
  • I think the description and the maps I had were incorrect for Nancy Pass. I crossed somewhere to the south and then had trouble to reconnect into the Minarets.
  • The section from Twin Island Lakes until you can see Bench canyon does not have many landmarks.

Complete Breakdown:

Day: The Obstacle: The Fatcs: My Thoughts:
1 Kearsage Pass Trail Can be long but easy
  Descent to Road’s End Trail It’s really long and one creek crossing can be tricky at high levels
       
2 Copper Creek Trail Trail It’s a long uphill, easy trail
  Off Trail to Grouse Lake Off Trail Forested and hard to orient, it’s short though and you can’t really go wrong when following your compass
  Grouse Lake Pass Class 2 Easy to identify and easy to walk up, some sections around the lake were a little tricky
  Goat Crest Saddle Class 1 Easy to identify and very easy to walk up, descent can be steep, good glissading
  Descent into Glacier Valley Off Trail Stick to the granite slabs on the left and it works out well, finding the beginning of the State Lakes Trail can be a little frustrating
       
3 Finding Horseshoe Lake Trail Off Trail Can be frustrating, Read map well and trust your skills
  Windy Ridge Class 2 There is a little trail that helps, otherwise need to follow map and compass
  Gray Pass Class 1 Easy to identify and you can’t really go wrong from Windy Ridge, Descent is a little steep but you can’t go wrong
  White Pass Class 2 Little harder to identify cause you can’t see it from Gray Pass. Way through cartridge creek south fork needs some scrambling, it’s a long uphill.
  Red Pass Class 2 Easy to identify, traverse from white pass is a little steep but not too hard, Descent is long but has excellent glissading, the chute down to Marion Lake is steep and loose and needs a little carful walking
  Lake Basin Off Trail Good if you can find the old JMT, some steep sections to climb over, it’s a long way to the base of Frozen Lake Pass
       
4 Frozen Lake Pass Class 2 Can be hard to identify, Make sure your know the correct mountain as Vennacher Needle, Some loose talus on the ascent to be careful about, one of the harder passes that pays off if you pick good lines on stable talus, descent has a little walked out trail and more scrambling or glissading
  Mather Pass Trail Fairly easy
  Cirque Pass Class 3 Not hard to identify, Not a class three but its really long and there is a little exposure and scrambling, one of the physically harder passes
  Potluck Pass Class 2 easy to identify, Looks intimidating from far, mix of loose scree in the beginning and some easy scrambling with exposure towards the top, a little harder than average over all
  Knapsack Pass Class 1 Easy to identify and easy scrambling
  Bishop Pass Trail Trail easy but a long descent
       
5 Muir Pass Trail Easy walking but it is really long
  Traverse along Evolution Valley Off Trail Make sure your altimeter is set right and stick to the elevation recommended, hard because no landmarks to orientate, the whole thing felt hard and unpleasant to me
       
6 Snow-Tongue Pass Class 2-3 ok to identify, ascent is easy scrambling, descent is steep and loose, take your time and be careful, one of the sketchier parts of the high route
  Puppet Pass Class 2 fairly easy to identify, ascent is straight forward, descent is steep talus but not exposed
  Descent into French Canyon Off Trail aim for Royce Falls and just walk down
       
7 Feather Pass Class 2 pretty easy to identify and fairly easy walking and some scrambling, descent is gradual and has good glissading
  White Bear Pass Class 2 medium hard route finding to get up, steep and a little exposed descent, stick to the right
  Gabbot Pass Class 2 easy to identify and fairly easy walk up, ascent and descent are both long with some extra scrambling on the descent along Mills Creek
  Down into the 2nd Recess Off Trail little trails that fade in and out are hard to follow at times, finding the best line down isn’t super easy, some unpleasant bush waking
  Crossing Mono Creek Water Crossing Make sure you find a downed log otherwise unpleasant to cross
       
8 Bighorn Pass Class 2 Steep Slopes to walk up, medium hard to identify
  Shout-of-Relief Pass Class 2 easy to identify, lots of scrambling to get to, descent has excellent glissading
  Duck Lake to Deer Lakes Off Trail Stick to the description or try to follow faint trail, the gap you go through can be a little hard to identify
       
9 Mammoth Pass Class 2 Many little trails that descent from the Crest down to the pass, easy to follow but steep and loose, following your compass till you hit actual mammoth pass trail can be unnerving
  Nancy Pass Class 2 This one is hard to identify because I felt like Ropers description wasn’t correct here. Also I had copied (what I think was) Andrew Skurka’s route from CalTopo and it also goes over the wrong pass. Make sure you identify the correct pass (the left one!). The one I did was steep and loose but not super difficult.
  Slot up to Cecile Lake Class 3 Few easy climbing moves with one or two hands, no exposure
  Down to Iceberg Lake Class 2 Make sure you find the little trail, its steep and loose and a little bit exposed
       
10 Whitebark Pass Class 2 Fairly easy to identify, traversing steep slopes is a little unpleasant, descent was sketchy due to hard steep snowfield
  Glacier Lake Pass Class 2 Easy to identify, easy due to large soft snowfields, Talus can be long and tiring
  From Lake Catherine to Twin Island Lake Off Trail tricky route finding, stick close to Roper’s description
  Twin Island to Bench Canyon Off Trail somewhat tricky route finding, read map well and orient on natural features
       
11 Blue Lake Pass Class 2 Classic talus pass, both sides steep but not super hard, easy to identify
  Finding Iceberg Trail Off Trail Somewhat frustrating because of low visibility in trees, follow in direction of trail and keep eyes open
  To Toulumne Meadows Trail Easy walking but long mileage
       
12 Mine Shaft Pass Class 2-3 Easy navigating to Gaylor Lake, medium to identify, continuation towards Spuller Lake somewhat exposed and steep traverse, route finding a little tricky but not too hard
  East Ridge of Mount Conness Class 2 Pick the bigger spur. Not too hard to identify, little exposure but fun
  Sky Pilot Col Class 2 Long ascent and descent on lots of talus, top is steep and loose, snowfields made ascent more difficult for me but descent super fun
  Crossing Virginia Canyon Off Trail Keep an eye on Grey Butte and you can’t really go wrong
       
13 Stanton Pass Class 2 (3) Easy to identify, some scrambling up but fairly easy, descent is steep with some climbing moves and a little exposure, solid bedrock
  Horse Creek Pass Class 2 Easy to identify, easy walking up and a long way walking down, the descent is easy if you have snowfields at top and find a little use trail lower