South Ridge from West Brush Creek

Overview

White Benchmark rises at the head of West Brush Creek, northeast of Crested Butte. After a long 4WD drive, you walk up the valley on faint trail through meadows full of wildflowers to the saddle south of the peak, then follow the south ridge to the top.

It is Class 2+, with a few rock outcrops on the ridge and rubble near the summit. Watch for mountain goats. It is a good hike for experienced teenagers.

The round trip is about 7 miles with 3,000 feet of gain from the end of the West Brush Creek Road.

Plan of the day

Getting to the trailhead

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.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 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. 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. 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. 4

   Saddle 12,400' · 3 mi

   Above the trees, pick up a faint trail heading northwest and follow it over tundra, through bright red paintbrush, to the saddle between White Benchmark and Point 12,728.

5. 5

   South ridge 13,000' · 3.3 mi

   Turn north and follow the crest past a few rock outcrops. One is thick with goat droppings.

6. 6

   Summit 13,411' · 3.5 mi

   The ridge turns to rock and small boulders on the way to the rocky top.

Getting down

Go back down the ridge, or take a shortcut straight down one of the scree slopes on the southeast face, with more flowers. The ridge over to White Rock Mountain is difficult and not recommended.

If things go wrong

From the saddle, the basin leads straight back to the trees.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

Every way up White Benchmark we list, with its class.

• White BM South Ridge this routeClass 2+ 7 mi