Mt. Sherman

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/13/2026, By: sukumarst
Info: Reached Summer trailhead gate around 5:00am in my Camry Hybrid. Doable by carefully avoiding large rocks and potholes. Started my hike around 5:30am and returned back to the car around 11:00am. This is my 5th 14er and gaining experience and endurance. Looking from the base and during the hike, there are 2 false summits. After gaining the 2nd false summit, it is another easy 100 ft walk to the real summit. There are still 2 to 5 patches of snow depending the path taken. I did not use micro spikes. I had hiking poles. Neither of them are required. The saddle and the final ascending ridge had strong sustained wind. The wind was more during my return. It was that widy at the summit. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/19/2026, By: Benelli22
Info: The approach road is more deceptive than it looks. It isn’t technically challenging whatsoever or a true 4x4-only road, but it’s heavily washboarded and littered with deceivingly sharp rocks. We saw two vehicles with flat tires on the way up. Make sure you have a full-size spare and a plan for changing a tire—or a backup plan if you end up with a flat. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/9/2026, By: cdbrown8x
Info: The conditions were pretty good. Driving and parking: the last 200 yards to the trailhead truly requires high clearance 4WD and careful navigation of the deep holes. Even with a high-clearance truck, I could have done some real damage to my vehicle if I had chosen the route poorly. As an alternative, there is ample parking on the right, just 200 yards before the trail head, and the route to that point is only "bad enough to blow a tire." I wouldn't do this drive without a full-sized spare tire.
Pre-dawn temps at the trailhead were about 30F, there was ice on the streams. Snow fields were solid until the sun softened them up.

There were a couple small snow patches (20-40 yards) where hiking poles were useful but not needed. We had microspikes but didn't need or use them.

There are multiple crisscrossing trails. Pay attention to AllTrails or you could be on the wrong route, as we were. Having accidentally added 1/2 mile to our route up, we put some small rocks across the "wrong way" to encourage others to take the shorter route.

The wind got strong especially at the summit, but wasn't a big problem. Keep in mind that there are some false summits that can trick you. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/1/2026, By: SteffenLikesFrogs
Info: Was completely dry up until the pitch to the Sheridan/sherman saddle. Then snow was intermittent on the Ridgeline leading up to the summit. Trekking poles helped a lot. Microspikes were unessecary and we didnt use them.

It was very windy on the summit. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/28/2026, By: BillMiddlebrook
Info: The road/trail is mostly dry up to the old Hilltop Mine area at 12,900'. Hiking to the saddle has a couple of steep snow traverses. Once on the saddle, there is on-and-off snow on the remaining route, which becomes more continuous as you hike higher. I didn't wear any foot traction, but I did have poles. I'd recommend one or the other, or both, as it was a bit icy in the early morning and slick on the way down. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/28/2026, By: JaylenKorth
Info: Vast majority of the mountain had snow, so we wore microspikes the entire duration of the climb. The road up to the Summer trailhead wasn't in great shape, so we parked at a lower section after not being able to make it with 2WD. The way up to the saddle between Sheridan and Sherman was deeper snow, with a lot of postholing on the descent. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/24/2026, By: wsaunders11
Info: As the last update said, road is totally snow-free and dry. Same for the trail except for a short section below the saddle still holding snow - but traction not necessary. I went up Sheridan and over to Gemini as well, and there’s some snow on the north side of Sherman but again traction not needed. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/22/2026, By: benglish
Info: Road and trail completely dry to the saddle. Some may want traction on the short, mandatory snow crossing at the saddle but trail runners were fine with me. Dry or avoidable snow to the summit and on the traverse to Sheridan. Felt like summer. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 5/17/2026, By: clark_dixon
Info: Road to Iowa Gulch TH was completely clear. A bit of a muddy start through the gully and then some lingering snow patches just before the saddle - all short and easily avoidable or maneuverable without spikes. Otherwise completely dry until the summit. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 5/10/2026, By: stevebarone
Info: Road to the gate/trailhead is completely dry. Snow on the trail can mostly be avoided until the final pitch before the saddle. Microspikes could be helpful there, but they’re most useful from just above the saddle to the summit. After the saddle, there are also sections where the snow can be avoided again for short stretches. No snowshoes needed. Microspikes optional but helpful.

Bring sunglasses. The sun reflecting off the snow was intense. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 4/23/2026, By: RamblinWilly
Info: Trail was mostly dry, spikes helped through some snow but the coverage was minimal. Summit and ridges were cold and very windy, but doable. Would recommend bringing poles until the wind dies down. Road is open all the way to the gate. Saw two moose on the way in. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 4/20/2026, By: likeserpents
Info: road to trailhead bumpy but dry. snow on the trail doesn’t start until around 12,500 ft, but even after that i’d say the trail was like 70% dry. spikes helpful in some spots, especially the last half mile to the summit, there’s some icy patches. once i got to the ridge the wind was incredible. plan for wind, other than that the mountain is just fine. saw some guy do it in vans. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 4/12/2026, By: Ssgustafson
Info: There is a small section of snow to ascend near the Sherman / Sheridan saddle and some inconsequential snow and ice on the ridge. Microspikes not needed. 

Route: Conditions Pics
Posted On: 4/10/2026, By: null_pointer
Info: I used gschwartzkopf's report to ascend Sheridan, but I wanted to provide some pictures to better describe conditions. See all pictures for conditions. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 4/9/2026, By: gschwartzkopf
Info: The road to Fourmile Creek Trailhead is dry all the way to the gate. The lower trail is mostly dry to around 13,000' before becoming snow-covered up to the saddle. From there, there trail is snowy in patches. The summit ridge is still mostly snow-covered. Extreme wind!