Peak 3,132 / Peak 3,278 / Pyramid Peak / Herlihy Peak
A traverse of the northern portion of the Sherwin Range, with ascents of Peak 3,132 (Northwest slope, class 1), Peak 3,278 (Northwest Slope, class 1), Pyramid Peak (Northwest Slope, class 2) and Herlihy Peak (West Face, class 2-3), August 7, 2020.
Timeline:
August 7, 2020. I parked at a turnout near the intersection between Old Mammoth and Lake Mary Road, and at 6:56 I started up the steep ridge that marks the Northern end of the Sherwin Range. I walked past old mining equipment from the days of Mammoth City, along an old us trail that wanders right and then left of the ridge proper, till I reached a flatter area. From there it was easy walking (class 1) along the crest of the ridge, tagging all the high points on the way, with great views both westward toward Mammoth Crest and Eastward toward the town of Mammoth Lakes. Here I record only the summits that receive an elevation designation on the USGS map: Peak 3,132 (a pretty indistinct bump on the ridge) and Peak 3,278, which had a wind shelter and a summit register with various scraps of paper (one entry called this peak "Mammoth Nipple" – as good as any other name I suppose). After that the terrain got progressively more blocky, and there was some class 2 travel over talus to stay right on top of the ridge. I traversed a few more bumps along the way until I reached the summit of Pyramid Peak (Peak 3,580), at 10:07. This was marked by a wooden peg and had a tiny glass jar for a register with a crumpled up piece of paper inside. I did not sign.
More difficult terrain started here. To get to Herlihy Peak (Peak 3,584) one needs to drop a couple hundred feet over steep and unstable scree and talus till it is possible to traverse left across the West side of the peaks. Then, one finds the best way up a ridge that leads to the peak directly opposite Pyramid Peak (not the highpoint, but a nice vantage nonetheless). A use trail reappears near here and it was quick work to the summit of Herlihy Peak (10:54). This was the best summit of the day, partly because of the views (Southeast to Bloody Mountain, Red Slate Mountain and Duck Lake Peak, West to Mammoth Crest and Northwest to Pyramid Peak and Mammoth Mountain), but mostly because of the touching memorials to Bob Herlihy, a Sierra climber who died struck by lightning in 1972 at Bishop Pass. There are two registers boxes, one containing the original register (dating back to 1972) as well as Bob Herlihy's ashes, and a more recent one placed by Bob Burd on a visit to the area with Herlihy's son Stephen. Bob Burd's report of his 2017 trip to place the new register contains more details, as well as photos of the original record book. The register features 1-3 entries a year recently, many fewer in the 1980s (none between 1980 and 1986), with some by familiar names like Vern Clevenger (8/10/1980), and more recently JD Morris, Eric Su & co., and Sean O'Rourke – many of them signing both registers. I did that too, and contemplated my next move.
The next peak on the ridge, Peak 3,592, seemed fairly easy to reach but required some down and up, and I had promised the family I would be back for lunch. So I decided to stop the traverse here, and to head down to Woods Lakes, then to the Duck Pass trailhead and on to my car. I left the summit at 11:10 and scampered down the horribly loose scree and talus on the Southwest side of the peak. I was relieved to reach gentler terrain as I neared the lower of the Woods Lakes (12:07) and from there it was a quick hike / run to Lake Mary (13:02). I started to walk around the lake to Lake Mary Road but by chance ran into Magali and Maia who were heading to the marina. They gave me a ride back to my car and we all had lunch together at home. (A 6:10 hour day, 8.90 miles, 3,600 feet of elevation gain).