Asotin County High Point Trip Report

Date: July 2001
Author: Barney Metz

Left at the Conoco station (the only gas Station in town) in Asotin and drove south on Washington 129 for 19.1 miles to Campbell's road also listed as Asotin County 201. Turn right on 201. Set your odometer to zero and each fork will be the "mile marker".

Go to 1.8, there will be a fork in the road. Go left. This is W. Mountain Road. This entire time try to stay on W. Mountain Road. From the fork go to 2.2, to another fork, go right. Proceed to 3.1 to a fork, go left. Go to 4.9 and to another fork, go right and there will be a sign indicating the Umatilla National Forest. Proceed to 14.3 and there will be another fork in which you want to go left towards Pomeroy, WA. There will be a sign indicating such. Proceed to 14.9 and you will go past the Wenatchee Guard Station. Proceed to 18.0 and you will encounter another fork and a picnic area. Go left at this fork. Proceed to 21.2 and another fork. Go left towards Mt Misery. Proceed to 21.3 and another fork go left towards Mt. Misery Campground (FS 4030). Proceed to 22.5. You should drive past the Campground and down to a place to park for the Asotin County HP.

We looked for the big x on the ground and we even looked for the dotted line for demarcation between Asotin and Garfield Counties, but alas we could not find it. We walked Ray's Ridge well into Garfield County and then back down stomping everything that possibly could have been a higher point. If you use the topo map and try to use the road as a reference point, I would feel very comfortable to say that at some point we stepped on the highest point of Asotin County.

I think that the 6170 spot elevation can be removed from the list. The 6180 spot just across the border is definitely higher than the 6170. I am in complete agreement with John Roper on this observation. Bob Packard also noted that 6180 was predominantly higher than the 6170 spot elevation. You can literally drive this within 100 feet in a car, and drive all the way with a four-wheel drive macho machine as John Roper pointed out. The vistas to the South are gorgeous and spectacular and to the north you see forest.

We left Ray's Ridge and headed for Diamond Peak, the Garfield County Highpoint. I would thoroughly recommend doing these both at the same time; they are too close together in proximity for the effort that is required to get out there.