Sherpani Peak and Paddy-Go-North rest atop the ridgeline that extends south from Granite Mountain. At the same time, they offer excellent views of Teanaway Backcountry. And like Paddy-Go-South and Tucquala Peak, the two peaks are close together to climb in one trip.
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Sherpani Peak and Paddy-Go-North at a Glance
Access: Paddy-Go-Easy Pass Trailhead
Round Trip: TBD
Elevation Range: 3360′-6720′
Gear: helmet
GPS Track: availableDog-Friendly: with guidance
The Preface
It was a long but rewarding climb on American Border Peak yesterday. Then today, the pup and I spent my free day visiting Paddy-Go-North and Sherpani Peak. They are just north of Paddy-Go-Easy Pass.
I wanted more sleep, and so we didn’t leave the house until late morning. By the time we stumbled into Salmon La Sac, it was past noon. Then we only started walking after 1 PM in the hot weather.
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Paddy-Go-Easy Pass Trail
Glad we started hiking in the shade. We were here late last fall, climbing Tucquala Peak and Paddy-Go-South. So this time, I thought we’d come back for these two high points north of the pass.
Once we left the lower forest, the terrain steepened. But the switchbacks had offset the incline to be more manageable. We later met a ranger on their way up to Sprite Lake. Then at 5600′, we left the path and went toward Paddy-Go-North.
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Bypassing Paddy-Go-North
Since Sherpani Peak sat farther on the ridge, I wanted to climb it first. Then we’d work our way south to Paddy-Go-North. From there, a short scramble would take us down to Paddy-Go-Easy Pass.
So we moved north in the forest and soon came out into the clearing. There the impressive cliffs of Paddy-Go-North towered overhead. Then we continued northwest through a broad talus field.
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En Route to 6150′ Saddle
On the other side of the rock field were heather slopes. Then we followed several animal trails and made it up to the saddle overlooking the other side. There The Cradle above French Creek dominated the eastern skyline.
Later we moved north through a small rock field and reached Point 6564’s east saddle.
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Sherpani Peak Climb
We got our first full view of Sherpani Peak. The broken ridgeline didn’t look conducive for traversing. So we went through another talus basin with snow patches. The pup got to roll around in them. Shortly, we got up to Sherpani Peak’s south saddle and began boulder hopping through the southeast face. Through heather slopes and slabs, we quickly made our way up to the east ridge.
Judging by the terrain, the best way to get to the top was from the north. So with more effort, we climbed up through many boulders to reach the summit block. The stacked rocks needed some mantle moves to get up. The big boulder perching on the summit required getting up a big step. I propped the pup up to the top, knowing that he would be able to hop off.
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Sherpani Peak Summit Plus Outro
Views up here were similar to those on Tucquala Peak and Paddy-Go-South. The Cradle and Nursery Peak dominated the east side of the French Creek Valley. Other known high points included Goat Mountain, Mount Daniel, Granite Mountain (Teanaway), and Hawkins Mountain. Views to the north and the south were just as excellent.
After an extended summit visit, we began to make our way back down. Getting off the summit rock was a little tricky for me. But with a good stretch in the leg, I was ablet o reach a foothold on the side. It helped to get down onto the platform below. We reversed our route through the boulders and got back down into the basin toward our next objective: Paddy-Go-North.
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Getting to Paddy-Go-South
For the most part, we were able to traverse on the ridge. At first, the route to Paddy-Go-South looked straightforward. But as we got closer to the summit, a deep notch stopped us at our tracks. The hidden, broken ridge came as a complete surprise. As a result, we went down the north slopes so we could bypass the crux.
Without snow, the terrain felt choppy. Luckily, after doing some digging, we located a ramp below the notch. Then we used it to get up to the north slopes below the summit. Once we got up to the top, came another surprise: mosquitoes! Fortunately, the periodic breezes kept out most of them during our brief stay.
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Paddy-Go-North Summit
The views were more or less the same as Sherpani Peak. I didn’t take as many photos up here as a result. The evening sun was beginning to bring out more colors. Meanwhile, it was casting shadows on high points over on the western horizon.
After our short stay, we began our descent to Paddy-Go-Easy Pass. Then something else stopped us at our tracks. The map showed smooth contour lines on the southeast ridge. But it was not the case. There was a significant drop-off, so it wasn’t conducive for scrambling. So instead, we headed down the northeast slopes. Then I found a suitable place to get off the buttresses.
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Outro
We made a quick stop on Paddy-Go-Easy Pass. Then we began the fast descent back down to the trailhead and got back just before it became completely dark.
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