Klickitat County Highpoint Identity

Date: October 20, 2010
Author: Adam Helman

For several years the Klickitat County highpoint was mistakenly identified as one of four points.

Indeed, from Greg Slayden's October 2009 report we find the following excerpt, employing unofficial names that only county highpointers had adopted.

There are four main areas to visit at Indian Rock (lat-longs in WGS84 decimal degrees):

1. "The Benchmark" (45.98897° N, 120.82336° W) marked with elevation 5823.

2. "The Outcrop" (45.98933° N, 20.82148° W) located 500 feet east-northeast of the Benchmark.

3. "The Pinnacle" (45.99392° N, 120.82329° W) marked with elevation 5819.

4. "Little Indian" (46.00393° N, 120.84133° W) marked with elevation 5822, located about a mile northwest of the Pinnacle.

[end of excerpt]

"The Benchmark" and "The Outcrop" were considered the main contenders. As such, Greg and Edward Earl hose-leveled these two objects, learning that "The Outcrop" is six feet higher.

However Bob Bolton suspected that "The Pinnacle" is significantly higher than either; and, in concert with Dean Molen, Don Nelsen and Ardith Bowman returned with makeshift poles and sight level, in October 2009. They concluded "The Pinnacle" is far-and-away highest in elevation of these four original contenders - and as elaborately described in this report from October 2009 as well.

The reader is now referred to this excerpt:

Note on Nomenclature - Adam Helman

The appelation "Indian Rock" is used here to designate a 5,823 foot benchmark at the southern edge of a forested plateau containing three of four Klickitat County highpoint contenders. This usage has become standard practice in the county highpointing community (henceforth, "cohpcomm").

However the USGS 24,000:1 topographic chart designates as "Indian Rock" what the cohpcomm, and this report specifically, both refer to as "The Pinnacle" some 5/8 mile to the north.

This confusing state of affairs resulted because the cohpcomm was unaware that "The Pinnacle" has an official name, specifically, "Indian Rock".

[end of excerpt]

Finally, in October 2010 Ken Russell performed an accurate survey, concluding that what we have denoted "The Pinnacle" has an elevation of 5845.67 ± 0.5 feet.

Since those two surveys the cohpcomm has replaced the unofficial "The Pinnacle" with the USGS name "Indian Rock" for the true highpoint of Klickitat County. Previously posted reports, prior to and including Bob Bolton's 2009 report, and referring to "Indian Rock" are NOT describing the true highpoint. Furthermore, these reports, when describing "The Pinnacle" ARE referencing the true highpoint - one denoted "Indian Rock" from October 2010 onwards. This "nomenclatural shift" is demonstrated in Ken Russell's 2010 report.

Henceforth "Indian Rock" at WGS84 (45.99392° N, 120.82329° W)
shall be the considered the unique highpoint of Klickitat County -
no other points need be visited.