What to climb in the Blue Mountains?

[klenke]

I will be swinging through SE Washington this summer and want to climb something in the Washington Blue Mountains. I see 6,387-ft Oregon Butte is the highest on the Washington side, but what would offer the best views or beauty in the area? That is, what mountain would you recommend I climb? By "you", I mean that cyberclimber out there who's been living and waiting for this post your whole life.

 

Part of my trip will include a climb of 9,106-ft Rock Creek Butte, which is the highest peak in the Blue Mountains (on the Oregon side of the border).

[sobo]

For climing in this area of WA, look here

 

It's mostly about sport/rock routes, but maybe you'll find something of value for the type of climbing you're looking for. I assume by the high spots that you've listed, you're looking to "peak bag" for some vistas, no?

 

In the winters, friends of mine from the Tri-Cities head that way to ski the Skyline Trail to Oregon Butte. Views are good if the weather cooperates. It may be your best bet. HTH

 

...sobo

[mtn_mouse]

My cc.com life has been fullfilled now!!! I live in the blue mountains. The best thing about this area is the chance to hike without seeing anyone. There are no interesting peaks to climb, but they are nice conditioning hikes. The hike from Diamond peak to Oregon butte is nice, there are several springs all along this high ridge, and there is a fire lookout on the top that is manned each year. This is best done as an out and back, because it is time consuming to set up a shuttle. Stay out of the canyons once summer arrives, rattlesnakes abound, and enjoy the powerful lightning storms on the ridge tops. I go to the Wallowas mostly though, to hike and climb in one of the most beautiful mountain ranges anywhere. There are awsome ridge traverses that go on and on and on.

[nolanr]

on the Wallowas, spent several days backpacking and peak bagging down there a couple years ago, gotta get back some time.

[vegetablebelay]

Watch out for Bigfoot - lots of sightings in the Blue Mountains!

 

[sobo]

Other peaks in the Blues that may offer good views are Table Rock and Griffith Peak. info provided by my buds from the Tri-CIties that ski up there.

 

HTH

 

...sobo

[mtn_mouse]

A quick way in to the blues on the Wa side, is to go up the tucannon river, and hike the short trail up the Panjab to Dunlop springs, or drive further up to Godman springs, and hike the short trail to Oregon butte. There are no jagged peaks there, but they are forested and high above the monotonous wheat fields below. The views are out standing of the surrounding area, down into the canyons, south to the wallowas, and west to the cascades. On a clear morning, you can see Mt. Rainier from Oregon Butte. Summer is quiet there, the horses and hunters don't go in till fall. You will only find the odd hiker now and then, or a group of smokejumpers hiking out from an incident. This area is in the Wenaha-Tucannon wilderness, and is quite large. The blues are quite large in fact, and circle way into Oregon, beyond the Wallowas and the Elkhorns (Anthony lakes ski area) and down towards the Malhuer. Just an amazingly huge area of sparse populations, wilderness, forests and wildlife.

[micajones]

I've done that hike up Panjab creek to the top of whatever it is. Early am on a Sunday morning I came across a huge steamy pile of dung right on the trail. Looked like Shaq laid some cable there. I felt like someone/something was watching me the rest of the day. I don't think the Lakers were playin' Dayton that weekend.

[klenke]

Climbed Oregon Butte from the Teepee Trailhead yestreen in 65 minutes (what a slow poke!). If it weren't for the view of distant Willowa Mountains of the Eagle Cap Wilderness, I would have to rate the climb as

 

But because of said distant view, I'll only say it was

 

The trough for the spring below the summit was probably the most interesting part.

[nolanr]

Go to the Wallowas next time then....

[klenke]

I have already climbed in the Wallowa Mountains, thus my mild excitement in being able to see them from Oregon Butte. I could also just vaguely make out the Elkhorn Mountains in the haze to the SSW. Your right back at ya.

[nolanr]

Shouldn't that be, "I'll see your , and raise you a ?" Ever been in the Seven Devils on the ID side of Hell's Canyon? A bit further over yet, some good stuff there.

[klenke]

The couple occupying the Oregon Butte lookout also clued me into the Seven Devil Mountains east of the Snake River. They were very faint thru the haze. I have had a desire for a few years to climb He Devil and She Devil but I've found very little info on the area. That could be a good thing if I felt like being adventuresome. I'll swing through there one day soon. Got to go back to the Wind River Range sometime anyway. When I do, I will check out the Seven Devils. I have this thing about peaks over 9,000 feet in the Eastern Oregon area. I know that the Seven Devils are in Idaho, but they're close enough to Oregon to get my attention.

[Sabertooth]

Klenke, check out the book, Idaho, A Climbing Guide, by Tom Lopez. It has tons of info on the Seven Devil's Area.

 

Here is the online link.

 

http://www.idahoaclimbingguide.com/

[klenke]

Thanks, Martin. Look out for a new mountain soon to be put up (well, within a week or two) on SP.com: Gypsy Peak of NE Washington. I figure at least one peak in the state outside of the Cascades and Olympics deserves to be put on that site.

[nolanr]

Did He Devil and She Devil in a fairly leisurely day, plus one more (Mt. Baal I think) from a base camp at the next lake down from Sheep Lake. Fairly easy scrambling possibilities, some ridge traversing. There's an impressive face on He Devil facing Sheep Lake. I didn't go up that way, did a series of ledges and ramps mostly. It's much lower elevation, but Tower of Babel near the outlet of Sheep Lake also looked really cool.

[kurthicks]

I've done She Devil before too. take the climbers trail from the camp ground to Sheep Lake, which is about 4 miles if i remember correctly. it's kind of hard to find, but it starts from the far end of the campground (south) loop in the back of a campsite. it's the first campsite past the bathroom, if i rememeber correctly. it goes up a long series of switchbacks and follows a ridge directly towards the mountains. She Devil is an easy scramble from Sheep Lake, although I did encounter some snow when i was there in October. it's probably easiest to go from He devil and traverse over to She devil and the Tower of Babel from the looks of it...

 

nolanr: i think you're thinking of the devils tooth that is north of Sheep lake, near the outlet...

[nolanr]

Yeah, you might have me on that one. Devil's Tooth it is then. Getting up She Devil was easy, I made it a little sporting on the way down. At first I was heading straight for the saddle between She Devil and He Devil. Started to look steepish, so I started angling down the face towards Sheep Lake, kind of a maze of ramps, chimneys, benches, steps, etc., that had a bad habit of cliffing out and dead ending. Started to think I was going to have to backtrack all the way back up, but finally found the right combination to get on easier ground a little below the He Devil/She Devil saddle.

[klenke]

Thanks Wazzumountaineer and Nolanr. I've now got some useful beta for the Seven Devils Mountains.

[decrepit]

Yeah, my 14 year old son and I climbed the Tower of Babel, Baal, She-Devil and He-Devil, all before noon on July 4 last year. Don't take a rope. The She-He Devil traverse is the only part that requires thought, but it's all third class. Easy, but nice mountains. Go there.

[Sabertooth]

http://www.idahosummits.com/devils/devils.htm

 

That website has some really good photos of the Seven Devils area. Check it out.