Klickitat County Highpoint Trip Report
Indian Rock
Date: October 3, 2010
Author: Ken Russell
Ken Jones and I returned to Indian Rock for a resolution of where the highest point is
on this broad, wooded summit. We took an optical 30x tripod mounted surveyor’s level
and a 25 foot rod marked in 100th’s of a foot. As this is a rather expensive level,
it was transported in its manufacturer’s heavy plastic case with form fitting foam padding.
I also placed it inside another box with a blanket for additional padding on the rough access road.
Our goal was to make a level run between the known elevation at the 5823 BM and the
top of the Pinnacle to determine the latter's elevation. We started by carrying the equipment
to the outcrop and setting up the level on its summit.
Ken J. acted as rodman and I functioned as surveror.
Ken J. took the rod to the 5823 BM and although the BM could not be seen,
the rod could and a reading of exactly 8.00 was recorded.
We measured the height of the level above the top of the Outcrop at 1.7 feet.
Assuming the BM was actually 5823.00’, this gave the outcrop an elevation of 5829.30’.
Leaving the level at this first set point, Ken J. then moved down the east side of the
outcrop with the rod, so that I could sight him and proceed with the next leg of the level run.
This procedure was repeated again and again in a process of transferring the elevation
up to the instrument, then down to the base of the rod, at the next “turn point”,
then back up to the instrument at its next set, etc....
As soon as we got down the outcrop's east slope, we used the 4x4 road for our line
to make the work as easy as possible.
After 10 or 12 sets, our GPS told us that we needed to start looking west for the Pinnacle.
We found it rather quickly and also found the survey marker northeast of it,
with the large rock cairn. We took a “side” shot to the marker and got a result of 5805.50’.
Several more sets brought us to the northwest side of the Pinnacle.
I climbed up and set the level on the top; and after I shot the rod on the last turn point,
Ken J. climbed up to join me. He held the rod on the highest point to give us our final reading.
Our calculated elevation for the Pinnacle was 5845.67 feet.
With the terrain and complexity of the level run, I realistically would not expect accuracy
to the 100th to have been achieved, but I’m confident that barring any blunders,
our attention to detail should have produced an accuracy within ± 0.50 feet.
This level run did take 18 sets in difficult terrain and vegetation.
Ken J. ran through and checked all of my math for the entire level run.
Normally, it is best to “close” a level “loop” by continuing the run back
to a known point such as 5823 BM, but we did not have the time to do that.
While on the Pinnacle, I scanned the horizon with the level. In the direction of 5823 BM,
I was sighting over all treetops except in the vicinity of the BM and in that area
I could see daylight through the trees all the way across. I turned to Point 5822
and found the same result. I was seeing daylight through the treetops all across the hill top.
There was a tree in the way of a clear shot, but Ken J. climbed up the rocks
just north of Pinnacle and I sighted toward him. We estimated the rocks to be about 5 feet lower.
The ground fell away to the north precluding a higher point.
Due to the fact that we were sighting over the treetops in most directions,
we saw no possible locations for higher outcroppings to be hidden in the trees.
Our conclusion is that the Pinnacle is approximately 16 feet higher than the outcrop;
23 feet higher than the 5823 BM; an undetermined amount higher than Point 5822;
and that there are no higher points in the area. We concur with Bob B. and Don N.
that the Pinnacle is the highest point in Klickitat County and owner of the Indian Rock prominence.
We had a wonderful view from Bob’s Pinnacle with Rainier, Adams, Hood, and Jefferson all showing dramatically.