Sky Pilot Col (Sierra High Route Pass #31 : September 2018) : DoubleTap

Video of my northwest bound trek up and over Sky Pilot Col (11,670ft) on the Sierra High Route (SHR) during a 4 day backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park and the Hoover Wilderness in September of 2018. This pass never gets above Class 2 but it has very loose terrain on both sides.
Sky Pilot Col is a very interesting pass in that it looks almost vertical from afar. However, as you get closer to it the path up on the east side becomes very apparent and is actually not technical at all. But the east side of the pass is very tedious with a long and somewhat steep scree field that takes a lot of energy to ascend to the top of the pass.
The northwest side of the pass is far more dangerous given how loose and steep it becomes. On top of that it is no longer a scree field but a field of small to medium size talus that moves under every step. I triggered a rock slide on my way down and became part of that rock slide before what seemed like an eternity when I came to a stop. By far one of the most harrowing ascents on the entire SHR only eclipsed by Snow Tongue Pass. In addition, after the first steep descent slope you will then need to navigate multiple talus and snow fields & chutes until you finally make it down to Shepherd Lake where the terrain becomes more gentle. I remember being extremely frustrated on the descent as it took much longer than I expected. Maybe during a normal winter (2017-2018 winter was a low snow season) it would be easier with more snow and less talus to navigate through.
Contents include:
0:21 Starting the East Side Ascent from Cascade Lake (10,300ft)
1:17 North Peak (12,242ft) View
2:01 Explaining the Route Over "Conness Pass (11,300ft)" - Unnamed Pass on the SHR
2:33 First Scree & Small Talus Slope on the East Side of Sky Pilot Col (10,840ft)
5:24 Sea of Very Large Talus Field (11,070ft)
7:12 Final Ascent Approach Route up East Side of Sky Pilot Col
7:50 Top of Sky Pilot Col (11,670ft)
9:19 View Northwest from the top of Sky Pilot Col - Stanton Pass (11,160ft) in the Distance
9:29 View East from the top of Sky Pilot Col - Conness Pass (11,300ft) in the Distance
9:55 Descent Down Northwest side of Sky Pilot Col & Hiker Triggered Rockslide
11:09 Route Down the Northwest Side of Sky Pilot Col
11:18 First of Many Snowfields & Large Sun Cups on the Descent
13:11 Frustrated by Multiple Scree Fields / Chutes & Snow Fields on the Descent
13:49 Melting Horizontal Snow Pack
15:04 Last Frustrating Talus Field on the Descent
15:28 Shepherd Lake (10,310ft) & Shepherd Crest (12,040ft) View
16:22 View Back Towards Sky Pilot Col on Stanton Pass Ascent
16:37 Music Credits
16:47 End

[@doddpeak]

Really enjoyed this video and the others as well. Thanks for sharing your efforts!

[@matthewparker7515]

Thanks a bunch, much appreciated!

[@mrxmrp8795]

Amazing landscape thanks, hope your cough gets better

[@matthewparker7515]

Thanks so much! I am happy you enjoyed the video. I have started calling that cough my "High Sierra Cough" as it seems to rear it's ugly head when I go backpacking. It eventually went away once I got home.

[@petr-podrouzek]

Fantastic, Matthew 🙂

[@matthewparker7515]

Thanks my friend!