White Crack to confluence overlook?

[Nick]

Dagnabbit!

If you want to PM me your exact itinerary I can call out the guard be a backup searcher and if you get stuck out there. I will drag @Nick...

If you drive out with a bad forecast you are braver than me, amigo. Be safe out there.

If this is turkey weekend, I might already be down there waiting for the call!

 

[Artemus]

If this is turkey weekend, I might already be down there waiting for the call!

Oh, I just remembered I will be in Texas for bird day from Wednesday AM to Sunday PM so that may not be helpful....

 

[Dave]

If this is turkey weekend, I might already be down there waiting for the call!

I have the whole week post-Black Friday to work with, but my White Crack reservation is for Saturday and Sunday nights. As long as this weather moves out in short order, it should be fine. Depending on conditions, I might have to just go out-and-back via Potash instead of completing the loop.

Since I'm planning to be out for the week I won't really sweat getting stranded, as I'll have proper supplies. I'd just rather not slide off a cliff edge.

 

[Dave]

Just thinking aloud here. CNP tweeted today most 4wd roads in the park are impassable. I asked about White Rim. Here's the response:

We don't know WR cond. Probably a few icy spots, but bulk is likely clear (mud?). Shafer is closed. Info on park website.

NWS says another storm will move over the region starting Monday/Tuesday. Keeping a close eye...

 

[Artemus]

You could smell your way in from Potash, deciding as you go what the road was like and whether you could reverse it. If you had to drive out due to impending storm you could get back to pavement from Monster tower in probably 3 hours if the roads were dry and probably 5 from White Crack ????? Just thinking aloud too. Better to drive first thing while the roads are frozen if they are wet. Be safe out there. I have my own travel crux tomorrow at the airports

 

[Dave]

I'd much rather be stuck in desert mud than fighting holiday airport crowds. Luck to you in your travels.

 

[Artemus]

I'd much rather be stuck in desert mud than fighting holiday airport crowds. Luck to you in your travels.

I hear that. Probably safer too.

 

[Dave]

The trail goes, and it's awesome. Cane within two miles of the confluence but had to turn back due to a loss of daylight.

Shafer Trail was snow-covered but Potash was fine. Potato Bottom to Mineral Bottom was a muddy nightmare.

 

[Artemus]

w00t! You made it !?!!?? Well done lad. Looking forward to pics. So you continued all the way around. Ground clearance problems? Describe "nightmare". Amazing. Interesting.

 

[Nick]

The trail goes, and it's awesome. Cane within two miles of the confluence but had to turn back due to a loss of daylight.

Shafer Trail was snow-covered but Potash was fine. Potato Bottom to Mineral Bottom was a muddy nightmare.

Awesome. You've totally inspired me to get out there. Looking forward to hearing more about it.

 

[Dave]

w00t! You made it !?!!?? Well done lad. Looking forward to pics. So you continued all the way around. Ground clearance problems? Describe "nightmare". Amazing. Interesting.

Car made it around okay. Clearance wasn't a major issue but Murphy and Hardscrabble were slippery. I had to psych myself up for Murphy. Once I hit Potato Bottom, the sandy sections had long pockets of deep mud. I had to lock the center diff and floor it.

Worse was the Horsethief Trail up top. The entire thing (which you can usually cruise at 55 mph) was ice and mud. I about fish tailed off the road a couple of times.

Awesome. You've totally inspired me to get out there. Looking forward to hearing more about it.

I'll have a lot of beta to add coming up. Suffice it to say, I'm surprised the route isn't on any maps. There are signs of recent use (even cairns) and my guess is it's only the logistics of the trip that keep it off the radar.

 

[Nick]

Nice. A general question for you and anyone else who has done the White Rim. For just 4WD/hiking/exploration, how long would you spend out there? What else would you make a point to see? And any particularly awesome campsites to shoot for?

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Most people like to camp at White Crack, which is nice, but I also enjoyed camping up at Murphy Hogback. I've only done it as a one night trip so far, but if you want to do more hiking you could easily spend a few nights along the White Rim.

 

[Cody]

Nice. A general question for you and anyone else who has done the White Rim. For just 4WD/hiking/exploration, how long would you spend out there? What else would you make a point to see? And any particularly awesome campsites to shoot for?

I would suggest two nights. White Crack is a great camp, so are the Murphys. There is a ruin at Fort Bottom worth seeing and a jaunt up into Syncline Canyon and Upheaval Dome would be worthwhile.

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[Dave]

I spent two nights at White Crack. In the summer you could get down to the confluence and back in a day, but it would take all day and you'd fry in the sun.

The Murphy sites are cool, but pretty close together. The sites along the river could be really pretty in the fall when the color is on the trees.

Personally, I'd hike the Syncline Loop as opposed to coming up from the bottom. There is a short little slot in Holeman Spring Basin but it was full of mud/water so I didn't drop into it .

I felt rushed on the drive out. The hardest thing planning longer White Rim trips will be securing sites.