hey utah bad asses - what's the condition of the white rim road these days? seems like every time i'm down there, it's getting better and better.

can anyone tell me about how long from 191 to the parking for washer woman? 4x4 necessary?

thanks in advance (trip planning!!!)

anyone else think that second pitch is the real crux? (suds)

S

Steve,

I've driven the white rim and biked in the area but I haven't climbed Washer woman. If you come from 191 (pass wall street) it is about 30 miles to the parking area for washer woman. The junction with shafer road is roughly half way. There are some parts on the first section that are pretty rough and you would most likely need a have high clearance four wheel drive. From the shafer road the white rim road is usually pretty good and is well looked after. The problem is when it rains it can get really beaten up.

I'll be down there early March and can update you then if you like.

Cheers

John

I drove a pretty low clearance '90 Honda Accord down/up Shafer once and survived. High sided the frame once, but managed to recover in short order. However, not something I look forward to repeating.

I would tack on an hour and a half minimum from 191. It's not the distance rather that much of it has to be driven at a snails pace regardless of vehicle type.

Hey Steve
Everything changed in October. We got hit by the 100 year flood and it washed out all the roads in Canyonlands. The last I heard was that they had the WHite Rim "Passable", but it was very rough. The washes got really messed up. TO get an update you simply go to the information cener in Moab and ask them... they stay up on it all.
As per time, if the roads are in good enough shape that you dont have to rock crawl over someunbelievable pile, it takes about 2.5 hours from town.
Sam

I was there in November. We drove in from Potash road and drove out via the Shafer Trail. The drive was very feasable in a stock, 4WD Tacoma. On the way in there was one difficult section on Potash just before meeting up with the White Rim where we had to put it in 4WD, and then there was a section where we had to put it in 4WD Low right before reaching Washer Woman. The switchbacks on the way out were quite rough -- many sections of 4WD Low and we were glad to have high clearance. A Subaru or similar vehicle would not have made it up or down the Shafer Trail. I'm not sure if a Soob could make it the Potash way.

Regarding Washer Woman, I think the last pitch is the technical crux, the lower sections were just a bit burly. The route is a pile though; seriously overhyped. The best part is the rappel (which, incidentally, is also a pile)... but I think I'm in the minority for thinking so...

Nonsense! Never underestimate the abilities of a subaru!

thanks everyone - definately not the info i thought i would find.

oh well - makes for an earlier start, i guess...

but i'm curious, mr. JJ admin, are there any desert towers you do like?

i've been WW a few times, and to me, it is one of the best. now - monster tower, yes, definate choss. but WW seems to have as good of rock as any tower i've been on. if you don't get a boner from WW, then i doubt any desert tower will hold appeal.

hey JJ - sorry to offend. - i'm just surprised to hear a negative comment about suds. i love that route so much. it's like you're dogging my kid in school or something...get it - no personal attack here.

you look like quite an accomplished climber, with many summits under your belt.

but since you ask, i haven't been there for few years, and the washout roads was new info to me. so thanks again for the info.

S

You liked the Penguins, but you didn't like Vision Quest?

Must have topped out with the wrong partner or something.

in case anyone is interested, as of 2/18/07, the access to the white rim/washer woman side from 313 is closed. switchbacks must be too nasty. the access from potash/schafer is open however, and as stated above, the road is not in the best shape, and does currently require high clearance.

and yeah, it is still awsome.