Kettle Crest North — Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011

Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range

A short trail off a main highway, to a lookout site with great views...and nobody there? We chose to hike Columbia mountian, a hike right off Sherman Pass (hwy 20). Although used by horsemen and mountain bikers, all the times we've hiked the crest we've been the only ones on the trail. For Columbia mountain (#25) take the Kettle Crest trail north from the picnic/campground at the top of Sherman Pass. After hiking a ways on the crest trail. you will come to an intersection and a trail sign for Columbia mountain loop & Columbia Peak. There is some old fencing and the remnants of a spring for stock. Take that. You will see what looks like a established trail forking off to the left. That is a game trail, stick to the main trail on your right. Continue on this until you come to another intersection with a trail sign for Columbia loop to the right and Columbia peak to the left. Unless you want to go all the way around before going to the lookout, take the left trail switchbacking sharply to the left. When you come to a signpost with no sign, take a sharp right and go up to the lookout site. There is ruins of an old cabin, and a new lookout cabin being refurbished. The view are great of nearby Sherman Peak and the surounding area, with distant vies of the North Cascades. We saw deer tracks, lots of deer tracks, everywhere. Wear bright orange in hunting season. Stay overnight in Rebublic and hike this area, it's a beautiful area although different from the Cascades. We've hiked this area in early summer too, and the wildflowers are great. Maps of this area are hard to find, we had a Xeroxed hand done map we picked up a few years ago when stopped in town.