July 2005 Colockum Pass trip

July 7, 2005

This trip started on the Colockum Pass Rd then headed east on Road 14 (Carabou Rd), which becomes Perkins Rd, which comes to a tee with Little Brushy Rd going east and Beacon Rd going south. I took Little Brushy Rd. It eventually comes out at the Columbia River at West Bar. West Bar is across the river from Crescent Bar.

After camping at West Bar, the next day I headed west via Road 14 now called Tekison Creek Rd. Tekison Creek Rd becomes Brewton Gulch Rd, then it becomes Tarpiscan Rd. Tarpiscan Rd is closed due to a wash out so I followed Brewton Rd (Road 11) west back to Colockum Pass Rd (aka Road 10). I headed south and back to Carabou Rd then Perkins Rd the took Beacon Rd (Road 18) south. Beacon Rd becomes Quilomene Ridge Rd (Road 19) and comes out at the Columbia River. Brushy Creek and Quilomene Creek both merge and dump into the river at this little inlet.

It's a very nice, quiet place, the location of a homestead, though all that is left is some walnut trees. There is a sand dune within a short 10 minute hike, and a large sandbar also only a few minutes hike from this main area.

After camping there the next day I headed back out on the same roads. About 10 miles back where the road changes from Beacon Rd to Quilomene Rd is a turn-off onto Beacon Ridge Rd (Road 18). I followed that south, then took Road 20 east. I was now in the area not covered by the Green Dot map. This road winds around a lot and eventually I came out at the Columbia River at another little inlet. This one had no decent water access, had what appeared to be the remnants of an old homestead. I then headed north of there to Scammon Landing. The road has Green Dot signposts, but ends at a private fence/gate at Scammon Landing, with No Trespassing signs. There is no indication anywhere that the road ended at a private location. So I turned around and headed back out.

After I got back to the previous inlet I headed south and west evenually finding Whiskey Dick Mountain and a really bad road heading west. Again, these roads are not on the Green Dot map, and on the USGS Topo maps there are no road numbers. I eventually came down off Whiskey Dick on some road that before I knew it, led me to the old Vantage-Ellensburg Highway. What a drag. I wasn't ready for pavement yet. But it was getting towards dinner time so, what the heck, I went on down to the Wannapum State Park and camped out there. Gave me a chance to straighten up the gear in the back of the truck - it took quite a beating on those roads.