The route up Shepard and then Williamson creek is a trail less climb from around the 6400' level to camping areas below the N. Face of Mt Williamson at 11000+'. It is a choice of wading through thick brush along the creek bottom or fighting the sand along the side of the canyon above the creek. For the most part opt for the side hill, but every so often you are forced into the creek bed. Eventually make your way to the junction of Williamson cr. and turn up it. Struggle on up the creek to about the 9000' level where you climb high on the N side of the creek into a burn area and follow a burned manzanita bench on a traverse until the creek again comes up to meet you. Cross back to the S. side of the creek the going becomes easier as you climb into talus and more open forest. Breaking above timberline you can see your destination at last! Only another hour or so to go. We made camp on a large flat rock in the middle of the moraine just below the lowest of the lakes in the Williamson drainage. We decided to take a little different way back down. We stayed high on the N canyon wall and traversed to a high saddle on the ridge from where we dropped straight down to the junction of Shepard creek. I don't think that in the long run it really saved us any time or effort and definitely do not recommend it as an approach up the canyon. It is steeper than the creek route and just as brushy.

Route Description

Climb the initial slopes of the couloir just above your camp. In early season this consists of 40 degree snow, later, scree. Higher up, the route consists of a myriad of couloirs short faces and rubble strewn ledges. Continue up, sometimes on snow and sometimes on the rock of the couloir wall. The areas where you had to climb the short faces however were relatively firm, you just had to be cautious exiting onto the ledges above as they were all covered in debris. At the point where the main couloir branches into three distinct route possibilities, it was a bit difficult to tell which branch to take. We checked out the three possibilities and it became apparent that we should climb the eastern most chute . We had brought ropes and gear as the route is described in the guide as being class 4-5, however we never found it more difficult than 4 and we ended up not using any of the gear. A couple more short walls and a few hundred feet of chute and you will top out to the summit plateau, except that there is no plateau here! The route takes you to the to the top of the N Face just W of Pt 14160 with a steep drop off from the ridge to the S. After a short traverse west around a small peaklet on the ridge you gain the plateau. Walk across the plateau and climb a short slope to the summit.

Essential Gear

Helmet!! Rope, biners and slings.

Miscellaneous Info

This route is subject the California bighorn sheep closure.