Needing some advice

[huffy13]

I thought about Sherman again, and I still might consider resummiting it if that is our best option, but I don't want to expose them to that choss pile descent on the Decalibron. I have only done Sherman from Iowa Gulch (hike up sucked, but summit views vastly underrated) and I think getting it from the other side would be better. I am looking into Silverheels from the south right now. A good report showing this route by rajz06 is really making this one look promising. I am going to have Sherman on my short list though.

[bohlsen]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will look into each and every one of them. Snow was a concern and I definitely want to keep it easy as possible so we have a better chance at a successful hike. If need be I will just head a little south from Breck if it helps keep the amount of snow minimized. I'll be looking at all the peaks on our way there...heck, I may even see what the Horseshoe Mountain area looks like.

Horseshoe is fun and easy. If you're heading to the Sherman area, I'd recommend Horseshoe over a repeat of Sherman.

Or if you're feeling ambitious, you could traverse the entire ridgeline between Dyer and Horseshoe getting Sherman in the middle. Its a fair bit of time spent up high but the hiking is all very easy and you can escape down to your car from anywhere except Dyer in case anyone in your party gets tired or the weather changes for the worse. I got the idea from James Dziezynski's book, Best Summit Hikes in Colorado (one of my personal favorite guidebooks) and although it looked a bit intimidating to me at first glance, I thought it was comparable to DeCaLiBron in terms of time and effort once I'd done it.

[highpilgrim]

Or if you're feeling ambitious, you could traverse the entire ridgeline between Dyer and Horseshoe getting Sherman in the middle.

You can take your ambition as far as you like; the entire ridge from Dyer, or Sherman can be run easily all the way to Weston Pass. Easy, mellow high altitude cruise with many summits along the way, none of them hard. Dyer, Gemini(2), Sherman, Sheridan, Horseshoe, Ptarmigan and Weston. I may have missed one...

It would take two cars though.

[Jim Davies]

I may have missed one...

Don't overlook mighty Peerless.

Sherman to Horseshoe makes a nice loop. You can park where the road to Horseshoe turns off and not have to backtrack at the end of the day. It's also possible to bail at any of the saddles along the way, if the weather turns or you just don't have the legs - lots of old roads to follow down in that basin.

Of course, at the end of May there will be snow along the route, especially between Sherman and Sheridan - big snowfield and cornice at the saddle. The route to Horseshoe from the road might be almost clear, although there is a spot down at treeline where a huge drift always forms over the road.

[mtree]

In late May/early June you're likely to encounter some deep snowfields around the Sherman area. The standard route should be passable without snowshoes, but you might find them necessary if you take any of the alternate routes. Keep that in mind. I know from experience the snow route between Sherman and White will probably require snow shoes. Possibly micro spikes if it happens to be freezing and/or cloudy.Weather could become a serious factor that time of year. Fog, snow, high winds, and t-storms are all possible. This area is an awesome 'training' ground and a lot of easy hiking and time spent above 13,000ft. Still...don't take it too lightly. Go prepared.

[huffy13]

I am really appreciative of all the input. I will be keeping a close eye on snow conditions as we get closer to May. I like the idea of multiple summits, plus I know the views from the Mosquito Range are great. Horseshoe and all of it's neighbors are definitely on the short list as is Silverheels from the south at Fairplay. I am just ready to get to the mountains, this winter has been a long one. It really all comes down to what the conditions are when the time comes. Looking over the last several years of TRs, the snow conditions can be from one extreme to the other in early June.