Prologue
As the summer of 2025 wound down, my plan was to get in a handful more trips into my favorite place, the Eastern Sierras. Shepherd Pass was the goal. Pablo was my partner in crime.
I’d been near this area on my first trip of the summer and made a mental note that I wanted to bring my good friend Pablo back here for the amazing fishing opportunities. Although I grew up fishing, I don’t fish anymore (Pablo and I would talk about the core reasons behind that for hours), but I loved to watch Pablo fish, and even more, loved eating the tasty trout he cooked up.
With that being said, the first area of lakes we visited had no fish at all. A smaller second area had fish, but they proved to be quite elusive to Pablo. And although we might not have had fish on this trip, we did have every kind of weather possible.
I’d been near this area on my first trip of the summer and made a mental note that I wanted to bring my good friend Pablo back here for the amazing fishing opportunities. Although I grew up fishing, I don’t fish anymore (Pablo and I would talk about the core reasons behind that for hours), but I loved to watch Pablo fish, and even more, loved eating the tasty trout he cooked up.
With that being said, the first area of lakes we visited had no fish at all. A smaller second area had fish, but they proved to be quite elusive to Pablo. And although we might not have had fish on this trip, we did have every kind of weather possible.
Day 1
Daily Miles: 6.82 mi
Total Miles: 6.82
Daily Elevation Gain: 3,513.8 ft
Daily Elevation Loss: 613.5 ft
It was a 6 hour drive to the Shepherd Pass trailhead. We stopped in Meyers that morning for burritos that would serve as lunch as well as a no-cook dinner that night.
Shepherd Pass is one of the “Four Bad Passes,” according to Ken Robinson’s book, High Sierra, A Love Story. In his words, “The four trails that have these low trailheads I therefore call the Four Bad Passes.” The Shepherd Pass trailhead is at 6,326 ft. Shepherd Pass itself is at 12,005 ft., and yup, that’s a 10.6 mile climb of nearly 6,000 ft. In my opinion, there is nothing at all “bad” about it.
The trailhead lies at the end of a dirt road that branches west from Manzanar, the World War II internment site for Japanese Americans along Highway 395. We arrived and parked at about 4 pm and knew we only had until about 7:30 before darkness would require headlamps. We were a bit overly ambitious to think we could make it to Anvil Camp, a mere 8.5 miles up the canyon. The Shepherd Pass trail actually starts in Symmes Creek Canyon and travels up into the deep, sometimes narrow rocky canyon before climbing 4,000 ft. to a ridge on the southern side at about 4 miles, then drops 500 ft. into Shepherd Canyon. That 500 ft. drop was a bit of a kick in the gut, knowing we would then have another almost 2,000 ft. climb to the pass.
Shepherd Pass is one of the “Four Bad Passes,” according to Ken Robinson’s book, High Sierra, A Love Story. In his words, “The four trails that have these low trailheads I therefore call the Four Bad Passes.” The Shepherd Pass trailhead is at 6,326 ft. Shepherd Pass itself is at 12,005 ft., and yup, that’s a 10.6 mile climb of nearly 6,000 ft. In my opinion, there is nothing at all “bad” about it.
The trailhead lies at the end of a dirt road that branches west from Manzanar, the World War II internment site for Japanese Americans along Highway 395. We arrived and parked at about 4 pm and knew we only had until about 7:30 before darkness would require headlamps. We were a bit overly ambitious to think we could make it to Anvil Camp, a mere 8.5 miles up the canyon. The Shepherd Pass trail actually starts in Symmes Creek Canyon and travels up into the deep, sometimes narrow rocky canyon before climbing 4,000 ft. to a ridge on the southern side at about 4 miles, then drops 500 ft. into Shepherd Canyon. That 500 ft. drop was a bit of a kick in the gut, knowing we would then have another almost 2,000 ft. climb to the pass.
I’d wanted to hike this pass earlier in the year, but I read extensive reports about “a brief unavoidable snow crossing just under the top of the east side, a steep tongue of snow that is the last snow to melt every year.” I’d traveled alone on that trip and thought it better to skip an exposed section described like that. I knew from satellite imaging that there would be no snow crossing on this late September trip.
In fading light, we crossed a trail surrounded by rabbit bush, then passed into stands of age-old juniper and crested the ridge into Shepherd Canyon, getting our first glimpse of Mt. Williamson. At 14,379 ft., it is the second-highest mountain in both the Sierra Nevada range and the state of California, and the sixth-highest peak in the contiguous United States. Without knowing it at the time, it would become a focal point for us on each and every day of this trip.
In fading light, we crossed a trail surrounded by rabbit bush, then passed into stands of age-old juniper and crested the ridge into Shepherd Canyon, getting our first glimpse of Mt. Williamson. At 14,379 ft., it is the second-highest mountain in both the Sierra Nevada range and the state of California, and the sixth-highest peak in the contiguous United States. Without knowing it at the time, it would become a focal point for us on each and every day of this trip.
Cresting the ridge to Symmes and into Shepherd. Mt. Williamson is the most prominent peak.
Darkness came quickly and we paused to put on headlamps. We passed two hikers coming back out close to 8 pm. We said our hellos and continued. At almost 7 miles in, we decided to call it a day. We still had another 1,100 ft. of climbing over two more miles to reach Anvil Camp. We knew we could have made it, but it would have been much later and would have really drained us. We stopped at Mahogany Flat, set up camp, and had some dinner in order to get a bit more sleep before climbing the final 2,000 ft. to the pass in the morning. We knew a storm front was supposed to come in the following afternoon, but at that point had no idea the punch it would pack.
Day 2
Daily Miles: 5.62 mi
Total Miles: 12.44 mi
Daily Elevation Gain: 3,333.3 ft
Daily Elevation Loss: 534.8 ft
After a decent night of sleep, we woke to a relatively warm morning. The night had clouded over and the temperature had stayed comfortable all morning. After packing up and having some breakfast, we hit the trail at about 8 am.
First, it was a 1,200 ft. ascent to Anvil Camp where we had planned to stay the previous night. We were both glad we hadn’t pushed any further than 8 pm the night before, as the climb was quite taxing. After checking out all of the good-looking campsites, we moved on. After walking out of camp on a trail surrounded by mahogany bush, we were now up in the pine trees.
First, it was a 1,200 ft. ascent to Anvil Camp where we had planned to stay the previous night. We were both glad we hadn’t pushed any further than 8 pm the night before, as the climb was quite taxing. After checking out all of the good-looking campsites, we moved on. After walking out of camp on a trail surrounded by mahogany bush, we were now up in the pine trees.
This was also when the trail, which had been smooth DG (decomposed granite) and then softer forest duff, began to get rockier. The higher we went, the more desolate and alien the geology looked. The trail steepened tremendously near Shepherd Pass as the wind picked up and the clouds threatened rain.
We got to the top and spent a few minutes taking in our surroundings. It was absolutely spectacular. I’d never had such a view 7,000 feet down into the Owens Valley before.
Top of Shepherd Pass
This was a big decision for us. We could hike the 5 more miles over another off-trail pass and into Wrights Lakes Basin, or we could veer off trail and about 2 more miles into Williamson Bowl. The storm seemed to be gaining strength, and we decided to take a hard left and head into the bowl.
Pablo makes his way toward Williamson Bowl with the prominent Milestone Peak and drop into the Kern River Valley behind.
As we ascended, two hikers crested the ridge in front of us and started down. They’d stayed further left and we stayed further right, passing each other with a distant wave. At the top of the crest, the clouds became much more menacing.
The view of two Williamson Bowl Lakes framed by Mt. Williamson on the left and Mt. Tyndall on the right.
We decided to be proactive and put on our rain gear and pack covers. It was a good thing we did, as minutes later it started snowing. The snow continued all the way to where we found a good campsite near one of the lakes. We sat for a while, watching the snow come down and hiding behind rocks to keep the wind from pummeling us. We each chose a spot and set up our tents as the snow continued to fall. I got in my tent and put on some warm clothes. It was 12 o’clock in the afternoon.
My tent minutes before visibility went down to zero. (Photo Credit - Pablo).
Once in our tents, the precipitation changed to both rain and hail and intensified greatly. We’d made it just in time. The next 18 hours were a blur. The precipitation never let up. Sometimes raining. Sometimes hailing. Sometimes snowing. The wind gusting all the while. We had no contact with each other except for a period of about 5 minutes when I visited Pablo’s tent and we chatted. We were each sequestered in our tents, reading, napping, listening to podcasts, and even cooking dinner from 12 pm on Thursday until Friday morning at 8 am.
Day 3
Daily Miles: 1.63 mi + 2.00 mi side quest = 3.63
Total Miles: 16.07 mi
Daily Elevation Gain: 433.1 ft + 584.0 ft side quest = 1017.1 ft
Daily Elevation Loss: 374.0 ft + 587.3 ft side quest = 961.3 ft
Not only was the day and night a long one, but somehow I’d developed a tiny hole in my air mattress. It wasn’t terrible. I just had to add air to it every 2 hours or so. On a normal night of sleep that would have been fine, but over an 18 hour whirlwind, it was just one more thing.
With that being said, Friday was a new day. The clouds had risen and the precipitation had ended. We crawled out of our tents at 8 am stiff and beat up. Eighteen hours is a very long time to spend in a tent. We were greeted with stunning views.
With that being said, Friday was a new day. The clouds had risen and the precipitation had ended. We crawled out of our tents at 8 am stiff and beat up. Eighteen hours is a very long time to spend in a tent. We were greeted with stunning views.
Our Campsites
The sun making its first appearance in 18 hours.
Blue skies appear around Mt. Williamson.
We made our way to each other, glad to be out of the tents. It was time for a decision. Our plan was to spend the day in Williamson and head over the Class 2 off-trail Tyndall Col in the afternoon. Unfortunately, everything 500 ft. above us was now covered in a thin layer of new snow, not ideal conditions for off-trail semi-technical travel.
We decided instead we’d head out of the bowl and hike the 6 miles around Mt. Tyndall and into the Wrights Lake Basin instead of the shortcut over the Col. We waited until the sun and wind helped dry out our tents, packed up, and ascended the ridge behind our camp.
After seeing the view of another part of the bowl, and the blue sky in the distance, we decided to drop our packs and hike along the ridge to see deeper into the bowl.
We decided instead we’d head out of the bowl and hike the 6 miles around Mt. Tyndall and into the Wrights Lake Basin instead of the shortcut over the Col. We waited until the sun and wind helped dry out our tents, packed up, and ascended the ridge behind our camp.
After seeing the view of another part of the bowl, and the blue sky in the distance, we decided to drop our packs and hike along the ridge to see deeper into the bowl.
View on the ridge above our camp.
We walked the ridge until it dropped off and stopped to chat. We collectively decided that we were indeed deep in the bowl and really didn’t know if we’d ever be back. It felt a bit silly to make the effort to move to another place without fully exploring the one we were standing in. At that point, we made the decision to walk back, retrieve our packs, and make our way deeper into Williamson Bowl.
It was just over 1.5 miles of pristine walking to find our next camp spot. During that time it started to rain, we put on our rain gear, and then the rain tapered off.
It was just over 1.5 miles of pristine walking to find our next camp spot. During that time it started to rain, we put on our rain gear, and then the rain tapered off.
Pablo making his way into the bowl surrounded by rock and fall-colored grasses.
We found a terrific camp spot near where I’d planned to camp the night before, near one of the lakes just under Tyndall Col. We had some snacks while the rain blew through and then set up camp. We’d decided we’d take one backpack, snacks, rain gear, and a few other things and day hike as much of the bowl as possible. Looking up at Tyndall Col, the snow had already melted, but the crossing looked like more than either of us were up to at that moment in time.
Tyndall Col. The actual crossing is through two tiny specks of snow in the low point on the right in this picture.
The next few hours were spent wandering the entirety of Williamson Bowl. We first circled the lake we were camped near, then made our way up to Lake Helen of Troy, and then circled back directly under Mt. Williamson to a smaller yet stunning lake.
Once back, Pablo headed for the tent and fell asleep almost instantly. I decided to do some exploring above our camp to get a better look at Tyndall Col.
Tyndall Col from up higher
Our tiny tents in the lower left
Once back at camp, I decided to take a couple of different time-lapse pictures while I waited for Pablo to appear. I sat in total silence and took it all in.
Later, we found a flat rock to have some dinner.
The weather report told us that the next day was supposed to be good weather. Pablo had found some lakes under Diamond Mesa, on the far side of Shepherd Pass, that looked amazing. That would be our goal for tomorrow.
Day 4
Daily Miles: 12.42 mi
Total Miles: 28.49 mi
Daily Elevation Gain: 2,286.7 ft
Daily Elevation Loss: 5,255.9 ft
Other than having to refill my pad more than a few times, it was a comfortable, if not very chilly, night. It got down to just below 30 and the early morning hours were the coldest. We were up at 6:30 am but waited a bit longer until the sun hit our iced-over tents to emerge into the light.
The walk out of the bowl through the sun-drenched talus was a welcome change from our walk in.
The walk out of the bowl through the sun-drenched talus was a welcome change from our walk in.
Pablo heading out of the bowl.
We headed back up the steep ridge to the high mesa that led down to a small pond we’d passed in the worsening weather two days earlier.
We crossed the Shepherd Pass trail and walked uphill to a good-sized boulder. There we left my backpack and the majority of the contents of Pablo’s backpack and put what we’d need for the day back into his pack.
Five minutes into our walk, I froze and put out my arm for Pablo to freeze as well. A very large bunny was sitting perfectly still and watching us. We watched right back for quite some time, and the bunny never moved more than a blinking eye. It was one of those magical moments.
Five minutes into our walk, I froze and put out my arm for Pablo to freeze as well. A very large bunny was sitting perfectly still and watching us. We watched right back for quite some time, and the bunny never moved more than a blinking eye. It was one of those magical moments.
Bunny
We’d marked three lakes we wanted to hit. The first was mostly dry but had fish, and Pablo gave it his best try.
The fisherman
The climb up into the basin with the first lake was stunning. The colors of fall were just starting to pop, and combined with the glaring white granite and the cobalt blue sky above, it was beautiful.
The climb up the basin.
The second lake was amazing. Set in a bowl just under Junction Peak and Diamond Mesa, it was enormous. It had a shallow section that was cut off from the main lake by a long spit. It was immediately clear that the shallow part was filled with fish. Pablo sat down and got to work while I spent almost an hour exploring the area.
The shallow lake, the spit, and the larger deeper lake.
Once Pablo and I met back up (Pablo fishless once again), we headed up over another ridge and then down to a third lake that I called “Elbow Lake.”
“Elbow Lake” from the ridge above.
Adam coming down the ridge that appeared much less challenging than it was.
We split up once we hit the lake’s edge. Pablo headed around the corner to fish and swim, and I stayed put, waited for the wind to subside, and then dove into the icy blue-green water.
Swim spot
After drying off, I walked around the lake’s edge and found Pablo after his swim. We plotted a line back to our pack and started on our way. Halfway there we stopped to take in our surroundings.
Pablo descending.
In no time at all we were at our packs. After repacking, snacking, and drinking, it was time to make our way into the clouds. We assumed we would be deep into the clouds for the rest of the day.
We were surprised that in just minutes the clouds opened up and we had 360-degree views.
Pablo descending.
As the afternoon went on, the shadows of the 13,000 and 14,000 foot peaks spread across the Owens River Valley.
Mountain peak shadows.
We hiked past Anvil Camp, where we stopped to cook dinner, with the plan of getting to the ridge sites we’d passed on the way in and stopping there for the night.
The setting sun made for a beautiful evening.
The setting sun made for a beautiful evening.
Day 5
Daily Miles: 4.36 mi
Total Miles: 32.35
Daily Elevation Gain: 58 ft
Daily Elevation Loss: 2769 ft
It was a very wet night and condensation coated the outside and inside of our tents. We woke up to a soggy mess but an unbelievable sunrise. After a bit to eat we hit the trail for the 4+ miles back to the car.
Another amazing Eastern Sierra trip. This was a trip more in the style I’d been doing as of late. Shorter mile days lasting from sunrise to sunset, covering a variety of terrain both on and off trail. I loved seeing a new pass and a brand new area. I look forward to coming back to Shepherd Pass with Pablo and re-exploring the Wrights and Wallace Lakes Basins where he can fish to his heart’s galore.