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Paul M Member
Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 371 | TRs | Pics
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Paul M
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Mon Jul 08, 2013 10:12 pm
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Mike C and I summited 8 P2K peaks this past weekend in the northeast corner of the state, starting with Huckleberry and ending with Rogers Benchmark. We left early Friday morning and made the long drive over to Colville and proceeded to reach the summit ridge of Huckleberry by 10 am. From there we went to Addy Mountain, then finally drove over to Calispell Peak where we car camped along Tacoma creek. Saturday morning we drove the horrible summit road to the top then headed north to Ione. From there we did Snyder Hill, followed by Molybdenite, and finally North Baldly. We finished a long Saturday by driving back to Colville and part way up Old Dominion to where the road is washed out (ca 4700ft). Early Sunday morning we walked the 3.2 miles of remaining road to the summit of Old Dominion, then went to Rogers Benchmark before heading back to the west side of the state.
For those P2K aspirants out there my advice is to do these remote NE peaks sooner rather than later as they all involve long logging road approaches (10 - 15 miles one way), some of which are among the worst I have driven on. These roads are getting worse each year meaning the peaks could get longer with more elevation gain at any time. We were pleasantly surprised how green it is over there and how nice the views were on some of the peaks into Canada and Idaho. Additional details regarding current access and conditions as well as a few pictures follow.
Huckleberry Mountain - 5825 ft (P3865). http://www.summitpost.org/huckleberry-mountain/729904. Great newer logging road leads you to about 800 ft and 0.25 directly below the summit ridge. Park here and ascend up though a very recently thinned forest (like days fresh cut). Nice views. After tagging all three summit areas we drove south on a progressively worse road to the summit of Stensgar Mountain. Don't bother with it. The lookout was removed several years ago, and replaced by a number of shinny new comm towers. It is not worth the time and tire abuse to visit. 1.0 mile RT with 800 ft of gain.
No Huck BM Mike descending thinned slopes from Huckleberry's summit Stensgar summit comm towers (the old lookout has been removed)
Addy Mountain - 4885 ft (P2525). We first tried to approach this from the south as some others had, but the road turns horrible after 5 or 6 miles. We stopped at a mud hole filled with small trees trunks where other poor souls apparently had tried to extract themselves. No thanks! So we ended up driving around to the northwest and approached the peak from Colville and followed a very long series of logging roads to a berm some 0.5 mile and 600 ft below the peak. Moderate brush schwacking ensued to a treed no-view summit. I hear-by rename this mountain Monkey A## Peak. 2.0 miles RT with 600 ft of gain.
Addy Mountain from south
Calispell Peak - 6855 ft. (P3220). http://www.summitpost.org/calispell-peak/729782. 4 miles north of Cusick turn onto Tacoma Cr Rd (past the US Air Force Survival Training Center). Peak #14, pages 40-41. 50 Hikes for Eastern WA’s Highest Mountains, Johnson, 2003. The 10 mile summit road has a reputation of being one of the worst. The good news is that the first 7 miles is currently being graded and graveled. The bad news is that the road work then heads right and to a gate where a new tower access road has been pushed up only to meet back up with the old summit road a few hundred feet below the top. The old public summit road is a punishingly steep rocky track. 4X4 needed. We drove it to just below the summit. Good views in all directions, including that of the 49 Degrees North Ski Area just to the south.
Paul on the summit of Calispell Peak Calispell BM
Snyder Hill - 5440+ ft (P2480). http://www.summitpost.org/snyder-hill/647685. From Sullivan Lake Road (Ione) take a good logging road to end 0.5 miles and 600 ft below the top. Head up the forested slope to the ridge, past the lookout remnants & through the woods to the BM with all the reference trees around. No views. 1.0 mile RT with 400 ft of gain.
Snyder Hill BM Mike at Snyder Hill summit area
Molybdenite - 6784 ft (P2344). http://www.summitpost.org/molybdenite-mountain/154031. Peak #16, Pages 44-45, Johnson, 2003. Located just south of Snyder Hill. Follow Sullivan Lake road & 2 FS roads to the trailhead. Follow old gated road then scratch trails up to and along the North Ridge. Nice views into Idaho to Priest Lake. 6.0 miles RT with 1700 ft of gain.
Xerophyllum tenax (Beargrass) on Molybdenite Mountain Mike on Molybdenite summit Molybdenite BM Osborne Firefinder platform on Molybdenite summit Old telegraph insulator for Molybdenite lookout
North Baldly - 6173 ft (P2173). Cross to the east side of the Pend Oreille river at Usk/Cusick. Drive to Pyramid Pass on Mill Creek Road 10 miles then turn N just W of pass. The summit road leads north ~4 miles to top. High clearance advised. Peak # 48, pg 112-113, Johnson, 2003. As Eric N said in his PB report “Do yourself a favor and park at the saddle at 5800'”. We encountered active road work going on this weekend up to 2 miles below the summit as the upper Nola and Sylvis Creek drainages are about to be logged. It is unknown what this will do to the access for this peak. Great views and beautiful high alpine meadows. This was our favorite Peak of this trip. 1.0 mile RT with 300 ft of gain.
New road work on North Baldy summit road North Baldy summit with old lookout foundation in foreground Mike on North Baldy summit North Baldy summit vista looking south
Old Dominion - 5773 ft (P2373). http://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=194487. A logging road maze surrounds this peak. The one you want is the Purdy Loop Road off HW 20, just east of Colville. Turn right on Old Dominion Road and follow it about 12 miles until you come to a spot at 4700 ft where half of the road way has fallen away. Below this the entire slide area widens to several hundred feet and falls for hundreds of feet down the mountain side. It is doubtful this wash out will ever be repaired. Not a lot of room to turn around here either. From this point it is a pleasant road walk to the summit with good views in all directions. 6.4 miles RT with 1200 ft of gain.
Road washout on Old Dominion Old Dominion BM Old Dominion's sunrise shadow over Colville Interesting structure on top of Old Dominion
Rogers Benchmark - 5775 ft (P3015). http://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=77548. Recent thinning of the forest has taken place along the logging road approach but the roads are now in very good shape and car drivable to the trail head. Pleasant trail to the ridge and along to the summit of this old lookout site. Good views. 5.0 miles RT with 1200 ft of gain.
Ridge trail on Rogers Benchmark Mike on the summit of Rogers BM
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Redwic Unlisted Free Agent
Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 3292 | TRs | Pics Location: Going to the Prom(inence) |
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Redwic
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Mon Jul 08, 2013 10:29 pm
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Great trip, Paul & Mike!
I really appreciated the various updates you provided during the trip... although one of your last updates is going to cause me to visit that region again much sooner than I planned.
Seven of those eight P2Ks were former fire lookout sites. The only one which was not is Huckleberry Mountain, probably because nearby Stensgar Mountain had one. I have already visited five of those summits; Huckleberry Mountain and Rogers BM were my favorites, and Old Dominion and Calispell Peak were my least favorites. Too bad you missed seeing the old concrete foundation from the former fire lookout on Snyder Hill (but not at the summit), as that is about the most exciting thing about that peak... I show a photo of it on the SP page.
I still have no idea what that rock structure is at the top of Old Dominion... that peak used to have an actual tower. It sounds like that washout has only worsened, kind of like the Hoh River Trail washout or Pyramid Mountain washout.
I am excited to visit North Baldy... the scenery looks prettier than I would have guessed. What a weird summit cairn!
60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.
60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.
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Redwic Unlisted Free Agent
Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 3292 | TRs | Pics Location: Going to the Prom(inence) |
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Redwic
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Mon Jul 08, 2013 10:37 pm
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Paul M wrote: | Huckleberry Mountain[/b] - 58258 ft |
LOL... Yowsers! I had no idea something so high-elevation was in our area!
60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.
60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.
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Paul M Member
Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 371 | TRs | Pics
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Paul M
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Mon Jul 08, 2013 11:19 pm
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nice catch fixed. 5825 ft!
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PeakJunkie Member
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 22 | TRs | Pics
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