[beaudaddy]

I posted a report on this mountain a couple weeks ago. This is however a New trip. I submitted a trip report on summitpost, but I thought I would also share my adventure here. I have also noticed that there is not alot to be found for the particular mountain on this site. Just some of my thoughts I'm always caught with amazement on how the mountains can be so surprisingly unpredictable. Generally speaking, the experience is never the same. This one attribute can prove to be good, but sometimes this can be a bad thing. Nevertheless, this is what keeps me coming back. This sweet mystery in knowing that I might experience something new, something fresh, something that will change me and something that I will never forget. But is it really the mountains that are surprisingly different or maybe it’s the journey that’s always keeping me at the epics edge?

The Goodness Being Squeezed Out Of The Sun... 9.22.10

I’m convinced that the Journey is the destination. I’m still trying to figure out what this all looks like. Knowing what little I know, I’m always willing to try the same thing more than once. For in knowing that the destination (i.e. Mountain) might be the same, the journey to reach the top has a high chance in being fresh and new. With all this said, my journey truly is my destination. I just haven’t arrived yet, for this untamed and thrilling ride is far from being over.

A Striking Sub Peak Of Sorts... 9.22.10

Planning The Adventure I sent a text message to my buddy Gimpilator the morning of September 22nd, 2010. I asked if he was game to get off work early that day and climb a mountain. Here in Washington State we have experienced a lot of worthless weather this summer. The weather this day was supposed to be pleasant, but it was mid week and I was at work. I got this last second itch to be in the mountains. This happens a lot!!! Gimpilator responded that he could get off early and we started to make plans. We went back and forth over a couple peaks we had in mind. We began to determine drive times, ascent times, forecasted weather, good trails to come out after dark, etc… We narrowed it down to two peaks we both hadn’t done before. The third peak considered was a mountain that Gimpilator wanted to really do, but I did it the week before. That was White Chuck Mountain. At first, I didn’t want to repeat this mountain for awhile considering how many other great peaks are in our area that I haven’t done yet. As we headed north on I-5 we got word that the road was closed to peak option #1. This gave us option #2, which really wasn’t anything special. I knew that Gimp wanted the 3rd option pretty bad. However, he is the kind of guy that’s not going to push something that he wants, but rather something the whole team wants. In knowing all this, I looked over at him and said, “Let’s go climb White Chuck Mountain buddy!” The reason he wanted it so bad was the fact that it stuck out as such a beautiful, prominent peak. It’s a peak that he has viewed for numerous years from other close by summits. I’m the kind of guy that gets pretty stoked when I know that my climbing partner is excited and content. Gimpilator was for sure thrilled!!! Starting Out So we kept driving until we got into Darrington, WA. We took a left at the main light and headed north out of town. We then took a right on the Sauk Prairie Road. Then we took another right at about 1.5 miles on Dan Creek FSR #24. This put us on a series of logging roads for many miles. I love this drive because it breaks out into high alpine views while you are still driving. Soon we got to the trailhead just below 5,000’. This is pretty high in elevation for a drivable trailhead around these parts. We started hiking around 3:30pm.

Starting Out Through Dense Evergreens

Gimpilator had been here once before, but turned around in the gully due to very wet, slippery conditions.

Here I'm heading up the trail. The north sub peak of White Chuck is visible here... Photo By Gimp

Another big reason I wanted to do this peak again, was the fact that it was a whiteout last time I was on the summit. I said that I would come back on a day that had views. This day was beautiful and clear, but things started to change.

Colorful Ridge

Going Up We made quick time and we were soon to the talus slopes before the gully. This took us about 45 minutes from the trailhead.

Blueberry Meadows

Colors Amongst The Rocks

Gimpilator enjoying the fall colors

As we started to near in on White Chuck, the clouds dropped down and covered the upper portions of the summit. I joked and said that this mountain always holds in clouds and that I was probably going to get another whiteout condition on the summit. We continued up the gully and traversed to the right on slippery boulders. The faint trail switchbacks back and forth on steep heather and steep, loose rock for awhile here.

Coming out of the gully you get a great view of the sub peak... Photo By Gimp

Blueberry Leaves up Close

Steep heather slopes with the White Chuck River 5,000' below... Photo By Gimp

The views out to the west were pretty good. The clouds were staying high enough to give great views of all the peaks to the northwest spanning to southwest.

Panorama Looking West

Still, the summit was engulfed with dense clouds. We got to a saddle between the main summit block and the sub peak. From here you can go to the left along a ridge and view the glacier. When I was up last time I didn’t get to see this. It was very exciting to see something new.

Looking down at the Glacier... Photo By Gimp

Whitechuck Glacier

Whitechuck Glacier

The summit was still socked in with clouds at this point. We headed back and traversed right more on a series of exposed ledges. The major crux is a section of down sloping rock with loose gravel on top. A slip on this section would be fatal. You would have a short down sloping slide, then a very long fall off the cliff band. We went slowly here, making sure every step counted. Good handholds were hard to find.

Loose Rock Exposure... Photo By Gimp

The Crux

Down Sloping Rocks... Photo By Gimp

Most of White Chuck is a scramble and it averages with class 2 – class 3 throughout the ascent. You can really feel the exposure for most of the climb and it never really lets off. Once you past the crux, you follow some narrow and loose ledges. This goes for awhile until you get to a notch. We down climbed the notch with some exposure on both sides to a narrow flat saddle. If you have a large pack, it can get hung up on this spot. It’s pretty tight, as we hugged the solid rock dropping down to the notch. If this spot is icy or wet, I would not personally attempt unless I had a rope.

Climbing the Notch

Coming out of the notch

Once out of the notch it was only a hundred feet ascent to the summit. Of course it was cloudy and there were not any views. We had a couple peek-a-boo views of Thornton Lake far below. This added a bit of excitement to see something else I didn’t see the week before.

Thornton Lake Far, Far Below

Summit Stoked!!! Photo By Gimp

Thornton Lake Zoomed In

Coming Down The temperature dropped, so we put on some warm clothes. This was our call to head home. We signed the summit register and started to head down. It was just a bit after 5:30pm. I had fun because I was in good company, but a little bummed that I didn’t get any views. On the drive in earlier, it was so clear and sunny. I wasn’t disappointed, because I knew mountains can be this way.

Pano Looking Northwest to Southwest

Crumbling Ledges Going Down... Photo By Gimp

Mt Baker in the clouds

This is about the moment when the mountain’s awestruck wonders decided to show up.

The evening sunset showing off its impressive rays cutting through the valley below Whitechuck Mountain.

Three Fingers and Whitehorse Oasis

Gimpilator enjoys the sunset from high up on Whitechuck Mountain.

As we headed down, the sky began to clear toward the west. The clouds started to lift just enough to see the evening sun along with all the awesome layers of peaks. The western skyline began to burst with brilliant colors. The evening sun loomed over Three Fingers and Whitehorse Mountain in a fashion I have never seen before.

Epic Moment

Awesome Rays Of Light

Three Fingers and Whitehorse Highlighted

The sun was in perfect relationship with a team clouds to form the most striking sun beams I have ever seen. Gimpilator and I were completely blown away. It was such a heavenly sight that we didn’t want to descend down, but we knew that time was working against us. Those perfect, magical moments fade so quickly. Too quickly.

Three Fingers Mountain

Colors over Three Fingers and Whitehorse

Whitehorse Mountain

White Chuck Mountain is not a peak you should descend in the dark. There are many areas that your footing placement is very important. We continued down at a slow pace because of the amazing views and also the steep, loose exposure. Every couple feet we would stop and say, “Dang look at that… wow… that’s crazy!!!”

Gimpilator stepped right into one of the impressive sun beams on Whitechuck Mountain

Looking into the sunset

Good Freakin Night!!! Photo By Gimp

The mountains constantly put a smile on my face. It’s amazing how they are always different every time. You never know what you will get. This time it was remarkable, next time it might be a blizzard, but every time it’s always good with my soul. We made it out fine and without injuries. The last bit of trail through the trees was enjoyed with our headlamps. This will be a trip I will always remember. It blows me away how much fun you can have in just a couple hours in the mountains. We got back to the truck around 7:30pm and headed home. Not a bad day after work... If you want Statistics and Directions for this mountain visit http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/154985/white-chuck-mountain.html

[Go Jo]

+ I especially like the perspective on 'The Crux'

[Dayhike Mike]

Tom and I were up there on Saturday and I noticed your second visit with Gimpilator. Sorry to hear you didn't have better views to the east on your second visit either. Glacier looks like it's right in your lap.

[Jim Dockery]

Good shots, I esp. like the God Rays in the first sunset pano

[Tag Man]

Wow, great shots! Talk about being at the right place at the right time. Thanks for sharing!

[Magellan]

Great pictures BD! Nothing quite like God throwing a few rays your way. That stuff looks way harder than when I did it. I might have to go back just to see if I was crazy.

[Tom]

Edit: Sorry, my bad. I misread something to read there was some class 4. Sounds like you took the same route we did. I sure was glad to get past some of the exposed loose stuff near the top. Sounds like that's what you're referring to as the crux. Great pics BTW.

[beaudaddy]

Thanks for the comments everyone. Dayhike Mike- now I feel like I need to go up there again to check out the views to the East. . Maybe tomorrow afternoon or something. rbuzby- my camera is a Sony cyber-shot. I wish I had a nice camera to really draw in a better/closer idea of the experience. I edit my photos through Microsoft Office Picture Manager. I think it's pretty standard on most computers. No real "software", unless that program is something special. Lol Tom- Not sure how many routes there are, but the one we took is called the Northwest Ridge Route. It looked like the standard route from the faint dusting of foot traffic. Not sure where I mentioned it was class 4. If you had a solid fall in the crux it would be a miracle to survive. Everyone seems to agree this route is class 3 in spots. For us, the down sloping rock was more unprotected than the notch. The notch would be sketchy if it was wet or icy. I think I mentioned that already. If you have some pictures that show an easier, less exposed route I would love to see them.

[GaliWalker]

Your photos of the sunbeams are fantastic! I've been lucky only twice to witness such sunbeams (once at Cutthroat Pass in the North Cascades and once in West Virginia last year), but was unable to capture them as well as you did.

[Tom]

There are some key cairns to guide you along the way. If your route took you to where you can see the glacier you may have been off route. If you diverted to that viewpoint then you were probably on route. You might have seen a cairn with engineer tape. That's a critical junction to remember on the way down. If you miss it you'll hit that viewpoint that looks down on the glacier. I'll see if any of my pics show the route. I do have a GPS track but my GPS was flaking out so not reliable. Edit, here's a few pics I took on the way down. I'll add a few labels. Also, here's my GPS track. It's clearly off (shifted right) on the way down. The route pretty much avoids hitting the ridge top (despite what my GPS track might show).

2 labels

Looking Back to the Summit

5 labels

Mike Heading Down (Crux?)

5 labels

Mike taking in the views. Bootpath down is visible.

4 labels

Looking back to route

View larger size in new window

[fatoldman]

I did this peak solo way back around 1980. A day similar to yours. I almost turned back several times on those wet sloping ledges. The notch block stopped me for a while getting past it. I made it to the top but going back down was not fun. The glacier was much bigger 30 years ago, good to see it is still there.

[beaudaddy]

For anyone reading this report please don't get confused. There is a visible bootpath for most of the way up the west side. The very last steep heather gully will bring you to a junction. At this junction you will see a cairn wrapped in pink ribbon. If you go to the left there is a great view point of the Glacier. This direction won't take you to the summit unless you are rock climbing. From the marked junction take a right. From here it is a visible bootpath. If you keep looking ahead you will see strategically placed cairns. The crux for us was a section of solid downsloping slabs with loose gravel on top. At this section there is no other routes. Headwall above to your left and cliff to your right below. Not long after this is a 20' notch. I did not see any other ways around, but to downclimb the notch. I don't know about anyone else, but I wouldn't want to fall here. You can see my picture of Gimpilator that if you lost both hands here, you would most likely fall unless you have great balance or super skills. We didn't run across any class 4, but if you were off route I'm sure it's there somewhere. Maybe the pictures make it look more gnarly than what it is??!! IDK

[pimaCanyon]

Stunning photos. What a gift to have been up there for that.

[puzzlr]

I like the dizziness I get when looking at "The Crux" in large size. How nice to be out to get light like that, and you made the best of it. I've just upgraded my camera gear a notch recently because a couple times in the last year I happened to be in the right spot, right time and felt like my old gear was inadequate to the task.

[Magellan]

Nice add-ons Tom. I'm so jealous I couldn't go that day. My two days there have been less than stellar. Each man has his comfort level. Beau and Adam thought the gravely down sloping ledges were cruxy. I believed if I slipped, all I had to do was spread eagle flat and I would stop. It is true you are at the top of some big cliffs. What bothered me is the first move down into the notch. You have to reach around that bulge and really hug it. I did not feel like I was leaning in so it made me nervous. The first move is not directly above the notch, and a fall would be bad.