OverviewMount Williamson is the second highest mountain in California, right behind the ultimate object of many obsessed hikers, contiguous US's highpoint, Mount Whitney. Many who have been to both, though, would rate Williamson as a superior massif; it is truly a massive and complex mountain, with countless sheer walls, steep gullies, aretes, buttresses and spires guarding its summit. Three summits rise from the highest plateau, the southwest one being the highest (the "East Horn" stands at 14,125' and the "West Horn" at 14,160').
The most common way to climb Williamson is via the standard Class 3 West Face route. The climb itself is not very difficult, but getting to the base of the climb is a different matter altogether. The most common approach involves an 11 mile hike to Shepherd Pass, followed by an arduous traverse of the glacially carved Williamson Bowl. The Williamson Bowl area may look fairly flat on your topo, but it has lots of small ups and downs. You have to weave around lakes and climb up and over many large boulders to get to the base of the route.
It is important to note that hiking the trail to Shepherd Pass (12,040 ft) is not a casual outing! The trailhead is only at 6,299 ft! The people who built the trail must have been on crack because parts of it have switchbacks that gain about 3 ft in 100 yds, and at one point it descends almost 1000 ft when it should be going up!
Getting ThereSHEPHERD'S PASS TRAILHEAD (standard approach):From Independence, head west on Market Street for 4.2 miles. Turn left on Foothill Road, which is a gravel road. After driving on Foothill drive for 2.7 miles, you will pass a sign with a hiker symbol on the right and a “Symmes Creek” sign in the center. Keep left and continue for another 0.5 mile. Then, turn right at the intersection where the sign says “Shepherd Pass Trailhead.” Drive another 1.4 miles along a rough gravel road (but still passable with a low-clearance 2wd vehicle) until reaching the trailhead.
According to Charles Altman (using GPS), the distance, from the trailhead, to:
* Anvil Camp = 8 1/4 miles
* Shepherd Pass = 10.3 miles
Red TapeUnfortunately, Mount Williamson is closed for much of the year. The Bighorn Sheep Zoological Preserve encompasses an area bordering the east face of Mount Tyndall and stretches east about 4 miles.This area is only open from December 15 to July 15. This means that Shepherd Pass can be used to access Williamson for only half of the year. The entire south face of Williamson has its own restrictions. It is only open only two months of the year: December 15 - January 1 and April 15 - May 15.
A good blanket statement that summarizes the overall closure conditions is that if you want to summit Mt. Williamson, it needs to be between December 15th and July 15th (i.e. the whole mountain around the summit is closed from 7.16 12.14).
The regions/dates of closure around Williamson are fairly complex, so it is best to consult the Forest Service in Lone Pine before your climb. However, if you want to do the West Face via Shepherd Pass during early summer (no later than July 15), you don't really have to worry about access issues.
This forest service map, which provides a good graphical way of figuring out the closure areas & times, was provided by lavaka (Thanks!).
When To ClimbBecause of the seasonal closures, the best time to climb is during early summer (no later than July 15).
CampingThere are several good camping spots along the trail to Shepherd's Pass. Mahogony Flat is the first camping area you'll get to. It is the first big flat area up the canyon. The most popular area is Anvil Camp, at the 10,000 ft level, 2 miles before Shepherd's pass.
External Links Mt. Williamson's high summit altitude combined with its huge elevation gain mean that under the right conditions (& for those with a penchant for the cold, snow, & suffering) some enjoyable ski & snowboards descents may be had. Check out fellow SPer Sierra Descent's Skiing Mt. Williamson's Bairs Creek Cirque' TR here. Miscellaneous Info' Images
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John Muir Wilderness
