Tillamook County High Point Trip Report

Rogers Peak (3,706 ft)

Date: March 22, 2003
Author: Bob Bolton

The weekend started with a cold front bringing lots of rain to our area - big surprise! :-). This morning it looked like there might be breaks between the showers, and although I expected new snow in the higher elevations of the Coast Range, I thought it might be worth a try. I used Ken Jones' report and drove the 4Runner to 2,500 feet where fresh snow accumulation was making it iffy to proceed, about 1/2 mile below the gate mentioned by Ken. I had seen this gate last fall, and it said the area was closed from August 15 until March 15, hence my decision to try it now.

I hiked up the road in ever-deepening snow. At the first fork past the gate I went to the right (north) up the ridge. The road follows the ridge for a ways, then bears right (northeast) to stay below a bump. Presently the road reaches a wide and open saddle. Here I switched back to the left up an old overgrown road that leads up that ridge, and followed it until it regains the original ridge followed from that first fork. The way stays near or atop this ridge as it curves around to the east below the summit, then beyond the summit to a saddle just to its east. Here was another road heading west to the summit. Just before arriving at the summit, the last remnants of fog finally cleared from the peak, and the brilliant sunshine was a welcome and beautiful surprise. The snow near the top was probably 8 inches deep. I went to all the highest areas above the road, finding one boulder that looks like the highest point. The return hike was uneventful. On the drive down the road I encountered an elk cow and yearling which bounded up the slope out of site.

I couldn't help noticing the dyslexic longitude reading at the summit - the 4 and 5 are swapped, otherwise it would have been 123.45678! :-) I was hoping to plug those coordinates into topozone.com, but the web site wasn't found - sure hope it's a temporary problem!

GPS data -

Model: Garmin etrex Venture
Datum: NAD27 CONUS
Satellites: 9
Accuracy: 19 feet
Coordinates (45.66506° N, 123.54678° W)
Elevation: 3,696 ft and thereabouts
Sky: open between second growth timber