From yesterday (March 22, 2009): This was my second WA CoHP (Mount Rainier was my first, back in 2007). It was a drive-up; the directions written by Barney Metz were perfect. However, I (plus my wife & one friend) might be amongst the last to take that western approach. The ranch-hands at the ranch site 3.4 miles in said that was "their" private road and threatened to have any trespassers arrested that use that road. We were fine. Future travelers might not be. It is possible that future permission might be granted by the ranch, but the ranch-hands made it sound like that was unlikely. A different Rattlesnake Hills summit approach, if any, is recommended to be found and used.
I also did Mt. Rainier as my first county highpoint so it is nice to get that one done and out of the way. Congrat's. I know that Benton county is a pain now but Eric Noel did it last fall and said the folks he encountered were nice and helpful. I believe there is a BLM right of way and a road to the towers. I did Benton from the south but that route is totally off limits now and heavily posted. You can hike in from the highway but it is a bit of a grunt. I originally had my route posted on cohp.org but removed it when they changed the road situation from the south. However, you've got it and I congratulate you.
You might find this TR by Eric of interest:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cohp/message/18273
I'm assuming that you were at the dairy ranch on the SW side of the peak? We tried that route in October and they declined to give us permission based on the roads being wet (true) and the potential for tearing up the roads into mud. However, they said that we could come back another time and use the property.
So instead we found an approach from directly W at the saddle along the highway. This is public WDFW land and while there were a couple of gates, it appears to be public land. That seems to be the best way to do the peak currently and I did post a TR for such to the COHP group but it is not online (yet). I'll see if I can update our page here too.
I have just contributed "Quiemuth Peak" to SummitPost, and added it to the "Mountains/Rocks" section of this SP page. So if you want to also put the link in your chart, now, you can.
Redwic - Mar 23, 2009 12:53 pm - Voted 10/10
Benton County/ Rattlesnake HillsFrom yesterday (March 22, 2009): This was my second WA CoHP (Mount Rainier was my first, back in 2007). It was a drive-up; the directions written by Barney Metz were perfect. However, I (plus my wife & one friend) might be amongst the last to take that western approach. The ranch-hands at the ranch site 3.4 miles in said that was "their" private road and threatened to have any trespassers arrested that use that road. We were fine. Future travelers might not be. It is possible that future permission might be granted by the ranch, but the ranch-hands made it sound like that was unlikely. A different Rattlesnake Hills summit approach, if any, is recommended to be found and used.
Dean - Mar 23, 2009 1:10 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Benton County/ Rattlesnake HillsI also did Mt. Rainier as my first county highpoint so it is nice to get that one done and out of the way. Congrat's. I know that Benton county is a pain now but Eric Noel did it last fall and said the folks he encountered were nice and helpful. I believe there is a BLM right of way and a road to the towers. I did Benton from the south but that route is totally off limits now and heavily posted. You can hike in from the highway but it is a bit of a grunt. I originally had my route posted on cohp.org but removed it when they changed the road situation from the south. However, you've got it and I congratulate you.
You might find this TR by Eric of interest:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cohp/message/18273
Redwic - Mar 24, 2009 1:35 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Benton County/ Rattlesnake HillsIt might just be who we encountered that particular day. Someone might want to confirm the "BLM right of way" theory.
ericnoel - Apr 20, 2009 3:59 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Benton County/ Rattlesnake HillsI'm assuming that you were at the dairy ranch on the SW side of the peak? We tried that route in October and they declined to give us permission based on the roads being wet (true) and the potential for tearing up the roads into mud. However, they said that we could come back another time and use the property.
So instead we found an approach from directly W at the saddle along the highway. This is public WDFW land and while there were a couple of gates, it appears to be public land. That seems to be the best way to do the peak currently and I did post a TR for such to the COHP group but it is not online (yet). I'll see if I can update our page here too.
Redwic - Apr 16, 2009 2:06 am - Voted 10/10
Quiemuth Peak (Thurston County HP)I have just contributed "Quiemuth Peak" to SummitPost, and added it to the "Mountains/Rocks" section of this SP page. So if you want to also put the link in your chart, now, you can.
Dean - Apr 16, 2009 9:36 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Quiemuth Peak (Thurston County HP)Power here just came back on and now its time to go to work. 7 inches of snow in Lehi, amazing. I'll check the pics later.
Redwic - Apr 25, 2009 2:11 pm - Voted 10/10
Gold Mountain (Kitsap CoHP)I have now added a SummitPost page for Gold Mountain, for educational purposes only.