Williamson and Tyndall (California 14ers)

pics by Harlan W. S.
June 24-26, 2008

I packed to Shepherd Pass on Tuesday, then climbed Williamson and Tyndall the next day.

I’ve wanted to get out here for years, but always a greater need came up and I had to postpone my trip. This time, I decided to go solo, since it was much easier to obtain a permit for my unique schedule. I was also not sure that I would find too many people willing to do both peaks in the same day. Finally, I wanted to do some tight-herding.

100k overview map with GPS traces. The pink arrow points in the direction of the Google Earth view.	24k map close-up of the dayhike to Williamson and Tyndall.	A Google Earth view (no vert exag). Viewing direction is ~SE, and corresponds to pink arrow in 100k map. Shepherd Pass is by lake in foreground; Williamson is at L, and Tyndall at R.
Trailhead, 5:50 AM, 6300’. It was about 65°F outside.	Wild rose.	View SW up Symmes Creek Canyon.
View SW up Symmes drainage.	Williamson is the high peak in back. One cuts SE over the ridge that divides the Symmes Creek and Williamson drainages, near Mahogony Flats...	…then loses 550’ to enter Williamson Cr drainage.
Waterfall in distance.	The forested area is near Anvil Camp. Note the waterfall.	Sure looks like a great place to camp…
…but it’s only 10AM, so I head on.	View UP, at Shepherd Pass.	Tyndall from Shepherd Pass. One actually climbs up a “rib” on the L side of Tyndall, and must be careful not to slip in BBQ sauce.
My camp. Charly and George set up.	Next morning, I get up before sunrise.	Williamson Basin was a horrible mess of snow and loose moraine. Williamson (with famous black stain) is center left.
Sky pilot.	The black stain; view up. The correct chute is above the stain, and involves 1500’ ascent on very unstable talus.	View back, 2/3 way up West Face chute.
Go right of this landmark.	View down the 60’ chimney (some say 100’). The chimney looks tough, but the rock is stable Sierra granite. When ascending, use a tight “tunnel” on climber’s left.	View S at summit. Whitney and Russell in center. Just before 9AM.
Lone Pine Peak is at middle R. There was thick smoke haze from the Olancha (and other) fires.		View NW.
		Returning ~10:30AM; view back at Williamson.
Tyndall’s east face. See view of lake From Tyndall summit.	Now I’m looking WNW across Tyndall’s N rib.	Near Tyndall top, view ESE .
View W. The summit rock is very narrow.	View S.	The lake we saw before, at the base of Tyndall’s E face.
Looking back to Shepherd Pass.	My camp is out there somewhere. The pass is below the cliff in the middle of photo (on R side), just beyond the big snowfield	Home at 3 PM. Charly and George pack up to leave. I got some rain and snow that night.
Next morn, one of the sun-cupped snowfields.	Alpine Columbine >10k’.
Monkeyflower	Granite Gilia.	Penstemon.
Broad-flowered Gilia.	Polemonium sp.	Prickly Poppy.
Wallflower.	Tree-shaded trail.	Prickly Pear at ~7500’.
Mariposa Lily.	Fuschia.	More roses in Symmes drainage.
Low-altitude Columbine.	Onion.