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Sherman/Sheridan, Gemini/Dyer, and Peerless/Horseshoe
Total Distance (according to GPS): 12.1 miles
Total Ascent (according to GPS): 5,620 feet
I was able to drive my 2WD Camry all the way to the closed gate around 12,000 feet, which was much higher than I expected to be able to drive, considering a recent condition report on the road. It was surprisingly snow free and mostly dry.
Mt. Sherman (Class 2) – 7:00am
I began hiking around 5:30am. I followed the road to a snow chute up to the saddle between Sherman and Sheridan. I needed microspikes there and my ice axe helped, but wasn’t necessary. There was an obvious trench where people had been glissading down. The remainder of the route followed the trail to the summit.
Gemini Peak (Class 2) – 7:33am
From the summit of Mt. Sherman, I adjusted my goal/plan for the day, which was originally just Sherman and Sheridan. I could see Dyer Mountain and it looked like an interesting and realistic option. So instead of heading back south to the saddle, I continued north along the ridge to Gemini Peak.
Dyer Mountain (Class 2) – 8:17am
The route to Dyer Mountain became much more clear from the summit of Gemini. I could see a trail along the ridge, beside avoidable snow. It was mostly class 2 talus along the narrow ridge and then snowy towards the top. I glissaded from the summit back down the ridge, heading southeast.
Mt. Sheridan (Class 2) – 10:24am
The easiest route to Sheridan seemed to be back over Sherman, so I followed the ridge back the way I came and headed south. I re-summitted Sherman at 9:24am and descended back to the saddle. There was a trail to the summit of Sheridan, over class 1/class 2 talus. I paused on the summit to evaluate the weather before continuing south.
Peerless Peak (Class 2) – 10:55am
As I traversed over to Peerless and Horseshoe, I found an alternative route back down to the trailhead, which I used later instead of going back to the Sherman/Sheridan saddle (see map of route below).
Horseshoe Mountain (Class 1) – 11:32am
There was an easy trail to the top of Horseshoe with a short section of snow to cross just before the summit.
My route back was mostly mild until the end, when I had to descend a steep, somewhat loose, talus field and then cross the creek in order to get back to the road to the Fourmile Creek trailhead. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that route, but it avoided steep, wet, snowy sections. It was the most tedious terrain of the day, but still never exceeded class 2.
My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):
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