White Crack to confluence overlook?

Dave

Dave

Broadcaster, formerly "ashergrey"
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Joined
May 5, 2012
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I've read a bit about a cross-country route leading from the White Crack camping site on the White Rim Trail leading south down to an overlook of the Green/Colorado confluence. I'm trying to gauge the difficulty of this route and time investment required. Anyone on here have first-hand experience?
 
Asher,

I've walked an old road (mostly reclaimed) from the White Crack camp site heading south. There was a bench with an old camp on it complete with box springs. The whole walk was an overlook/viewpoint extravaganza including at White Crack camp. This is my favorite camp on the White Rim. This memory was from probably 3 camp visits but the last one is almost 10 years ago. If you mean an overlook where you can see the two rivers merge I am not sure I made it down to a point like that. I remember running out of time more than out of passable route. I remember no technical difficulty in where I walked. You planning a visit?
 
I'm considering a visit, yeah... but not sure how much time I want to commit as I also have eyes on Cedar Mesa during the same trip.

From what I've read, you can walk a route south from the mining camp a couple of miles to just above the confluence. This would probably work best as an overnight, leaving a car at the White Crack site.

This is part of where I'm drawing the inspiration. The writer of that report says he couldn't find the miners' airstrip, but I can see it pretty easily in Google Earth.
 
This thread combined with my first time doing the Mineral switchbacks this week has me all sorts of interested in doing the White Rim. Is this the air strip you spotted, Dave?


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I walked down through the crack earlier this year on that old mining road, but only for about a mile. I could see various sections of old road track down below and it's on my list of places to explore off White Rim Road as well. I'm even more intrigued now. Views from the White Crack Camp and all points below are phenomenal.
 
Nick said:
Is this the air strip you spotted, Dave?
Click to expand...

Yep, that's it. I assume it's not very evident from the ground but you can easily see the strip from that satellite image.
 
Well that sounds like a great trip Dave. I am going to try this in the spring. If you don't make it down there let me know and if you DO then looking forward to details.
 
With any luck I'll be making a run at it the first week of December, weather permitting.
 
Probably do-able from the east (Schaefer Trail or Potash Road). Might be tough to do from the west (Mineral Bottom). Course if it snows all bets are off. Still, it will be slow going - you might want spare parts/tools/water etc. There is some hit-and-miss cell coverage at least part of the way out there (on Verizon) or most of the way to White Crack. I assume you have your permit already....
 
I still need to put in for the permit. We'll see how it goes. The calendar hasn't been updated since before the government shutdown.

I'm not sweating the drive to White Crack. I'd actually like to do the whole loop in the wagon but am stressing a bit over Murphy's and Hardscrabble. It has as much or more clearance than a lot of stock SUVs but obviously no low range. I'll have extra fuel/tire/tools regardless.
 
FWIW, I was out in iSky early January last year. Schafer was closed for no apparent reason. I guess there could have been snow/ice in the shady parts but there wasn't really any snow or ice around up top. Maybe they just close it for some of those colder months regardless, who knows.
 
I just drove and bike rode the whole thing a month ago in my Taco. Hardscrabble and Murphy's were harder than I had remembered (I've been around it a half dozen times). Most of the damage from our big monsoon season has been repaired. Schaefer and Mineral roads are in great shape. There are some huge ruts between Hardscrabble and Mineral and some huge dust traps (not sand - like talcum powder) in that area as well. The ruts would swallow your Subie and my Taco at the same time but we successfully spanned them with our trucks - and you could too. With the improvements you've made to your Subie it is a very capable machine. 4Low did come in handy three or four times between the start of Murphy's and Mineral. Have fun! Very interested in your White Crack experience.
 
Permit secured for two nights at White Crack. Now let's pray the weather cooperates.
 
One week out and nearly a foot of snow has fallen at the Island in the Sky visitor center. Pretty good bet Shafer will be closed. I'll probably have to come in via Potash. That's only if the snow melts quickly though.

I've had crap weather on every single trip I've taken this year, with only one exception. It figures snow would spoil plans for my final outing of 2013.
 
Dagnabbit! :thumbsdown:

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.
 
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