Shellrockin' Loop

ShellRockin' is a remote loop in the Pasayten Wilderness approximately 42 miles long with about 14,000ft of gain. The crux of this route is a 7+ mile off-trail traverse of ridges and peaks between 7000ft and 8700 feet above sea level. Depending on the time of the year there could be steep snow travel required and rock fall is always a danger as well as lightning, exposure, and possibly nasty weather. The rest of the route should be pretty straightforward but following the route could be tricky after you complete the traverse as you descend into the Middle Fork Pasayten Valley as well as the northern end of Buckskin Ridge Trail. Excellent navigation skills, as well as alpine traveling skills, are a must. 

At this time I recommend doing the loop counter-clockwise for two reasons, one, to make sure you get done the off-trail section before dark and, two, to try to get through the off-trail section before possible afternoon lightning storms. I also recommend using a GPS device or smartphone with an app like Gaia GPS that has the GPX file for this route uploaded but do keep in mind that the GPX file was created by me drawing a line on a map, not an actual recording from someone doing this route--I have not done the off-trail part of this route. From all of my research, it does seem that the route is doable but going off route could lead to some tricky or dangerous areas. And in addition to your normal safety gear you might want to bring traction and or an ice ax, snow might linger here late into the summer in some parts of the off-trail traverse and you might want to wear a rock helmet at times on the traverse. 

August is the ideal time to do this route, though a month earlier or later could be possible you could be pushing your luck with snow possible.