Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Colorado 13er · Southeast Face from West Brush Creek
Overview
White Rock Mountain sits at the head of West Brush Creek, northeast of Crested Butte. After a long 4WD drive, you walk up the valley on faint trail, climb three grassy benches into the basin below the peak, grind up loose rock to a saddle east of the top, and pick your way through crumbling white pinnacles to the summit.
It is Class 3. The last 100 yards are the crux: pale, rotten rock worn into spires and steep gullies of loose sand. The best line drops to the north side below the pinnacles, then climbs a short, very loose gully to the top.
The round trip is about 8 miles with 3,200 feet of gain from the end of the West Brush Creek Road.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m. from the end of the road.
Turnaround
Be at the saddle east of the summit by 11 a.m.
Crux
The last 100 yards: rotten spires, sandy gullies and a short, loose final gully.
Route-finding
Difficult. Faint trail up the valley, then head north-northwest into the basin below the southeast face, staying on the east side of its stream.
Water
West Brush Creek and streams in the upper basin. Filter it.
From Gunnison, take Highway 135 north through Almont toward Crested Butte. Between mile markers 24 and 25, roughly 2 miles short of Crested Butte, go right on County Road 738, the Pearl Pass Road. It is paved for a mile, then gravel.
Stay left at a private road at about 4.5 miles. At about 5.3 miles, turn left onto FR 738.2A, the West Brush Creek Road. Passenger cars should park at the primitive camp area on the right just past this turn.
With high clearance, follow FR 738.2A: potholes for the first half mile, stay right at about 6.2 miles, pass a gate, and ford West Brush Creek at about 7.3 miles (can be deep early in summer). Then it is about 1.7 slow, potholed miles up the east side of the creek to the road's end on a grassy knoll. Primitive campsites line the road; there are no campgrounds.
Trail in the treesTundraRidgeTalus and screeExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
End of the road 10,085' · 0 mi
A trail heads north-northwest along the east side of the creek, fading after about half a mile.
2
Open slope 10,500' · 1 mi
Where the trail comes close to the creek, cross it before the forest. Climb an open slope near the edge of the trees for about 400 feet, then head into the forest.
3
Upper West Brush Creek 11,300' · 2.3 mi
Work through the trees into the upper valley, passing the foot of a rock glacier, and follow the creek to the end of the trees. Bits of trail come and go.
4
Three benches 12,000' · 3.1 mi
When you find a trail heading northwest toward the saddle south of White Benchmark, leave it. Head north-northwest into the basin below White Rock, staying east of its stream, and climb three benches of grass, low trees and willows.
5
Grassy meadow 12,600' · 3.4 mi
The last bench puts you in a pretty grassy spot with a small stream, often visited by elk, right below the southeast face.
6
Saddle east of the top 13,200' · 3.8 mi
Climb about 600 feet of unstable rock north-northwest to a flat saddle just east of the false-looking summit block. Walk west.
Watch for: Loose rock.
7
Summit 13,523' · 4 mi
The last 100 yards can take an hour. Follow the crest a short way until the spires push you onto the north side. Contour below them, maybe dropping a little, until you are under the true top, then scramble up a short, steep gully of loose rock.
Watch for: Crumbling rock that breaks off easily. Stay off the sandy gullies on the south side.
Getting down
Return the same way. The ridge over to White Benchmark is much harder and not recommended.
If things go wrong
From the grassy meadow at 12,600 feet, it is an easy walk back down the benches.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past the first half mile the route follows faint paths and trailless benches to a rotten summit. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
Other routes
Every way up White Rock Mountain we list, with its class.
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.