Northwest Slopes

Does a 100’ Class 3 summit pinnacle justify 2 miles of mostly level lakeshore hiking followed by about 3.5 miles (and very steep at that-- about 3300’ over that distance) of first forest bushwhacking and then hiking through alpine meadows?  

First, consider the solitude; there’s just about no chance you will see someone else off the trail out here even though the trail you use on the approach is part of one of the most heavily used backcountry corridors in the Wind River Range.

And then consider the views.  Seemingly so close yet really at least two days’ travel away because of canyons, streams, ridges, and passes is Gannett Peak, highpoint of the range and of all of Wyoming.  Far to the northwest but easily visible on a clear day is the Cathedral Group of the Tetons, which includes the Grand Teton, Wyoming’s most famous peak (Mount Moran, another famous American landmark, is visible as well).  From the Tetons, let your eyes drift east and north across the sprawling Mount Leidy Highlands to several peaks of the Absaroka Range’s Togwotee Pass area: Angle Mountain, Breccia Peak, Mount Sublette, Sublette Peak, and the Pinnacle Buttes (SP has pages for all of these).  

In the more immediate vicinity are spectacular crags and cliffs of the northern Winds.  Among them is Squaretop Mountain, practically right in your face and also a famous Wyoming landmark.  And more than 3000’ directly below you, the Green River, which rises in the mountains out here and doesn’t end until its confluence with the Colorado River deep inside Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, winds through meadows and empties into the upper of the two Green River Lakes, which is stunningly colored by silt from the Mammoth Glacier and other smaller bodies of ice.  The stream retains that color as it leaves the lake and flows into the lower and more often-photographed of the lakes, where the milky stream waters are quickly absorbed by the deep blue waters of that lake.  From the summit, it is easy to see the striking contrast between the two lakes.

The solitude and all the views are the highly rewarding payoff for getting to the summit of White Rock Mountain.  It is one of those mountains not for climbers but for those who seek to merge their spirits with the wonders of the mountainous world.

And the route described here is probably the most direct way to get there.

These directions are copied from the Bridger-Teton National Forest site: "To reach the trailhead from Pinedale, drive 7 miles west on US Highway 191, turn right (north) on Wyoming Highway 352 and drive north to the National Forest boundary where the pavement ends (about 30 miles). Continue north on Forest Road 600, staying on the right side of the river. After 17 miles the road terminates at the campground and trailhead."

Notes: It is really more like 45 miles total (not a big difference), and the pavement actually ends at about 25 miles.  In spots, the road is rough beyond that, but it is still passable to most low-clearance vehicles.