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White Mountains, Arizona

Inside Outside Magazine

Corner Pocket: White Mountains, Arizona

Dec 0'5 - Jan '06 - Text & Photos by Bruce Grubbs

Backcountry nordic skiing paradise

The south-facing, 2,000-foot Mogollon Rim marks the abrupt southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. Activity from ancient volcanoes has buried the eastern Rim, creating the White Mountains, Arizona's second highest mountains - a gentle range of high, rolling plateaus and hills cut by river canyons. The eastern half of the mountains are in the Apache National Forest and are a popular summer recreation area, laced with roads and featuring numerous lakes and campgrounds.

In the winter, the roads are closed and the Whites revert to pure wilderness. Alpine meadows, averaging 9,000 feet, are fringed by boreal forests, and the country usually lies under snow from December through April. Because of the low avalanche hazard and long periods of stable weather the Whites are a backcountry Nordic skiers paradise. The main access highways are state route 260 from Springerville west to the reservation boundary, and US 191 from Springerville south past Hannagan Meadow.

A good place to start is the Apache Railroad Trail. Leaving State Highway 260 at a trailhead just east of the reservation boundary, the trail follows a former scenic railroad grade 20 miles to Big Lake. You can ski as much of the trail as you like, and it's easy to branch off cross-country across the open terrain.

At about the halfway point, the Apache Railroad Trail passes Sheep Crossing, the summer trailhead for Mount Baldy. This makes it a good approach route for a multiday tour to the summit of Baldy. From Sheep Crossing the ski route follows the meadows along West Fork of the Little Colorado River to its headwaters, and then ascends the upper, forested slopes to the bald summit ridge. Baldy Peak itself is off limits, lying inside the reservation (summer hikers have been arrested by tribal rangers), but the actual high point on the Mount Baldy summit ridge is within the national forest and wilderness. After enjoying the panoramic summit view, be prepared to rip some great turns back down to the meadows at the foot of the mountain.