Whitehorse Mountain #653

I had a go at Whitehorse Mountain and couldn't have picked a better day: mid-80s, clear skies to the horizon, and easy route finding. The only thing to spoil the day was a heckuva lotta uphill and me not getting enough sleep the night before.

I'd attempted Whitehorse twice before: once with friends and we were turned back at High Pass in white out conditions, and another time I went out by myself and things just didn't ""feel"" right; I turned back before Lone Tree. This time I was alone again but, as I said, the day was grand.

I got to the trail head around 7 to find 4 cars in place with a couple guys heading up just before me. I left the cars to hear another crew getting in behind me but the trail was about as vertical as anything I have seen. While I remembered the Devil's club in detail, I didn't recall that killer trail. By about half way up you start to see a blow-down or two. In the first two spots I followed a few footprints that seemed to head uphill and cut off a switchback, but the trail ultimately just traversed and I ended up bushwhacking back to it. From there I jumped the downed trees and stayed to the trail.

By Lone Tree I was hitting snow but it was sparse and icy. I had trouble staying on trail but once I crested to the ridge, I was following some easy boot prints. The route ambled along and then cut over the main snow field that creates the stream down the north face (you can hear the water from the trail). This is long walk in the hot sun in the open. I spotted the two guys who were in front of me but they seemed to be making better time than I was.

After you make it across the easy snow field you hit a small knotch and can get phenomenal views of Whitehorse before you dip to the backside and hike up to High Pass. The snow allowed you to stay high and not lose too much altitude but that long trek up to High Pass in the hot sun was brutal. I had 4 liters of water with me and drank every drop.

At the top I could see the duo our front had made better time (again) and were now in the final ascent up the steep face, onto a snow finger\bridge, to a steeper face to the summit. I struggled along on solid snow to the time, made an easier time of the ramp to the summit than I thought (side stepping twice for people), and then to the beautiful views.

I enjoyed an hour or so before I chase the others down. They headed out about 30 minutes earlier so I had the top to myself for a while. The glisaging made the trip down super easy. I bumped into the two who were coming behind me at High Pass and caught up to a few others by Lone Tree.

I had trouble with the trail coming up so I stuck with two guys who had been up before to avoid getting lost. Ironically, or humorously, we did get lost and spent about 45 minutes bushwhacking down the hill. No falling or slipping made for a super-fast descent and I got to my car just as my feet were telling me they were done for the day. Nine hours, car to car.

In a few weeks the snow bridge to the summit will be gone forcing people to take to the rocks. I wouldn't recommend that as the climbing would be on crappy stuff. Guess it happens all the time. The insects weren't bad and the blow downs were tolerable but it would be nice to see it cleaned a bit. Overall, beautiful mountain but a strenuous hike.