A woman just posted on the Ladies of the JMT Facebook group yesterday, saying that she and her friend had to exit the backcountry due to weather, and a ranger recommended Shepherd Pass. If I remember her story correctly, she said that they nearly met their demise, with the friend slipping, then sliding down a steep section. She was able to self-arrest, and they had to dismantle a hammock to belay themselves down a 300-foot cliff.
Some of the responses to that thread were from other hikers who thought that the 2 women got off-trail, but I really don't know. Sounds sketchy though!
