Sentinel Mountain by Wahatis Peak in Saddle Mountains / 哨兵山

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Sentinel Mountain by Wahatis Peak is one of the several high points in the Saddle Mountains. The range begins in Kittitas Valley, extends east through the Columbia River, and ends south of Othello.

Sentinel Mountain high point
Sentinel Mountain high point

See more trip photos here.

Sentinel Mountain at a Glance

Access: Road R Southwest
Round Trip: 4 miles
Elevation Range: 2160′-2405′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes

Another Rainy Weekend

It was another weekend full of heavy rain. The precipitation rate was equally high throughout the western state. So naturally, we went east in search of the sun.

In contrast to the misty weather on the previous trip, we had nothing but a blue sky today. In other news, only 20 more posts to add to keep the blog up-to-date.

Sentinel Mountain high point
Sentinel Mountain high point

See more trip photos here.

Driving to Sentinel Mountain

It drizzled when we left the house with only slush and ice on the road. But despite the snowy forecast over Snoqualmie Pass, it ended up cloudy. Later it turned full-on sunny as we drove past the wind turbines.

I had wanted to try a new way from near the dunes south of Beverly. But I forgot to research the western approach before the trip. So once again, we took the same route via Mattawa. It’s a seven-mile, gravel drive from the main road.

Serious sightseers
Serious sightseers

See more trip photos here.

Sentinel Mountain Ridgetop

We left the pavement after going through Mattawa. Soon, we were at the fork after crossing the irrigation duct. Without the sign, it’s tempting to take the defined path on the right. But as I found out during the first trip, it led to a farmhouse.

The terrain steepened after we drove past the RVs. Later, I took a wrong turn and went farther west. But the road later joined just below the ridge. Whew! A gorgeous day like today meant dirt bikes inundating the area.

Sentinel Mountain radio towers
Sentinel Mountain radio towers

See more trip photos here.

Road Walk to the High Point

So far, we’ve been able to drive up to the ridge without issues. But this time, it was muddy from the snow. Later, we walked east to the radio towers and sometimes crossed the grassy north slopes to avoid the wind.

We reached the towers before several bikers showed up. Then we chatted a while as the pups got their first photo op with them. Later, we walked down the east as I envied people living in the lone house above the cliffs. What a life!

Rural life
Rural life

See more trip photos here.

Back to the West Side

Sadly, we couldn’t walk far before reaching the gate with “no trespassing” signs. So we went south for a bit to one of the many dirt roads. Later, we made our way back up to the radio towers.

Soon, more bikers showed up. Then I chatted with a few briefly before dropping onto the north slopes to dodge the wind. We took our usual break there as I savored the dramatic landscape. Afterward, we walked past the car to the other side.

More radio towers
More radio towers

See more trip photos here.

Sentinel Mountain West View Plus Outro

This side of the ridge had a different view of the area closer to the Columbia River. We were also closer to the rest of the Saddle Mountains on the west. I looked down the ridge and saw several dirt roads coming up that way.

The day slowly ended, and the number of dirt bikers had dwindled. But a few of them were still out enjoying the ride. Before long, it was only 45 minutes before sunset.

West-northwest panoramic view
West-northwest panoramic view

See more trip photos here.

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