LoJ: #401 (Pre-LiDAR #408) / 13,304' Sheep Mountain Sheep Mountain A

You can use the summit of Stony Pass as the trailhead start for this hike, but if you want to reduce round-trip mileage a little, drive on down SE from the pass summit for just over one mile to where a short road turns off to the left (east) and park. During summer months, there is often a shepherds tent set up here and a large sheep herd may be grazing somewhere in the vast areas of surrounding tundra. Coordinates are: N 37° 47' 15.78" W 107° 32' 13.83". Put on your packs and head out, first descending east to cross the minor creek that comes in the the NE. It is a little marshy here, even in the fall, so during the summer months, you may get boots a little wet. Even as we began hiking up, there were still a few marsh areas. Once through the marsh, hike generally east over lush tundra and grass heading for the north ridge of Sheep Mtn. A direct path to the ridge will encounter more rock. To avoid that rockier terrain, swing a little north to find a minor gully with more tundra. We joined this ridge about 300 feet below the summit and continued to the top of the large, flat area, covered mostly with smaller, scree-type rock and talus. This is the best place for a lunch break if it times out that way. The entire hike up will be laced with sheep trails. This large, flat area is not the official summit, however, Google Earth shows it as having the same elevation as the marked summit. To get to the designated summit, you must continue hiking east, following the ridge as it narrows with steep drop-offs on either side with rocky ribs and talus slopes. Progress will slow, but there are no serious obstacles to overcome. It may be difficult to determine the true summit if no cairn is present. If you continue on to Greenhalgh via this ridge, at some point you will have crossed the true summit.

Return as you came, or continue to Greenhalgh. For some better photos of this peak and Greenhalgh, see reports for Sheep and Greenhalgh on Lists of John.