7/30/2024 Route: NE face from Corbett ridge Posted On: 7/31/2024, By: SnowAlien Info: Did the loop of Corbett, Whitehouse and Ridgway starting a bit below Wilson Creek TH (elevation 9200 ft, end of 2wd road). Loop is 6100 ft and 15 miles. Wanted to combine the 3 peaks, since Corbett with Son of Corbett alone is 4200 ft, 8 miles, and Ridgway with Whitehouse is 5800 ft and 13 miles. I really liked the 2013 Furthermore idea of going from the north, except the bushwhack at the end, so ended up continuing past the Reconnoiter peak to the 11k saddle and intersection with Dallas trail. Bushwhack is probably faster as it took me 6 hours to descend from Mt Ridgway vs Furthermore's couple of hours, but I'm not a bushwhacking expert. Finally, in order to cut down on vert, I wanted to explore the NE face of Whitehouse, as it's been 17 years since Steve Gladbach published his report on the east ridge, with no updates ever since. I thought going up it vs him going down and having new technology (CalTopo with slope shading) would make a difference. Spoiler alert: it wasn't as fun as it looked. I used Alex Henes GPX track (in red) from his excellent website (merelyafleshwound) to keep me somewhat on track (or show deviation from the standard route), which came handy in a couple spots. On CalTopo, I identified several class 3-4 potential route options to breach the formidable looking NE face of Whitehouse. After closer inspection, the deeply inset gullies were looser than I would have liked with some of them still holding snow-ice, so I took the hybrid route. I don't recommend it unless scrambling on loose class 4-5 is your forte, as the rock quality is variable (better bottom part, volcanic rock upper part), route finding is difficult and time consuming. The yellow line looked like the most viable option (I almost took it, but was drawn to the longer scrambling lines further north). There is no water sources on route, except for a few lingering dirty snow patches at the base of the Whitehouse NE face. The register is still in great shape (and now in a ziplock bag), but I accidentally broke the glass jar (my first!), so the next person up please bring a container for the register. Finally, it was fun (and memorable) climbing of the Whitehouse mountain with all the recent changes in the DC White house. Fun coincidence! |
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9/20/2021 Route: Via Weehawken Trail Posted On: 9/27/2021, By: supranihilest Info: Take the Weehawken trail all the way into the high basin below Potosi Peak/Teakettle Mountain. The Weehawken trail ends here. Head looker's right up and over two grassy ribs into another basin. At the top of the second rib a use trail will drop into the basin. Take it to the obvious saddle between Ridgway and Whitehouse. The ascent to the saddle is on good switchbacks in scree. From the saddle traverse across the slope towards Whitehouse. Pass the first towering cliff and head up an obvious dirt/scree/talus couloir. There's some Class 2+ in the couloir. When the couloir peters out turn left and head up steep talus and boulders to the huge summit plateau, then walk the 3/4 miles or so to the summit at the far end of the plateau. Return to the saddle with Ridgway and climb Ridgway or return to the Weehawken trail. |