Wallula Gap Overlook — Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016

Central Washington > Tri-Cities

A great place to Wander. Tip#1: If you’re using Google Maps to find this place, simply put in “Yellepit”, and it will get you there. On the sunny Saturday that I visited, sleepy tumbleweeds lined Ayers Road, the gravel stretch that ultimately leads to the trail head. Admittedly, it was alarming to come over a hill to see an armed man standing in the road facing me, but he, his rifle, and the other men, were there for some shooting fun. Not too far past them, was the end of the road – or rather, a closed, barbed wire gate. There’s only space for about 2 parked cars to the right of the road, by the fence. I was the third, so just parked as far on the side as I could. Tip #2: Climb (carefully) OVER the barbed wire fence. Just to the left of the opening, is a good place to do this. Do not (as I did), try to open the gate. It’s easy to open – it nearly literally flies open -- the barbed wire and wooden planks eager to return to their at-ease positions, and is notably much less easy to close/reassemble. I felt very, very, “city” when this happened, and I struggled for a few minutes to amend the situation. Tip #3: See Tip #2 for the following 2 barbed-wire fences you’ll encounter. I crossed paths with very few people along the way, and none seemed to have a true plan of action -- at least, not one that they were able to follow. A couple gentlemen I encountered had been out, wandering the cow trails, and told me to just carve my own path, be wary of the drop-offs. Tip #4: Be comfortable with unclear directions, unmarked pathways, and changes-in-plan. Or perhaps, don’t do this hike. I ended up on cow-trails myself, learning a bit about their dexterity along the narrow stretches. I was impressed! In any case, I missed whatever direction would have led me to the Mound Pond Overlook, which had been my goal, but still discovered worthy vistas and a very peaceful area to spend the afternoon. At one point, I was startled to happen upon two cars, on a bluff, that appeared to have fallen from a cliff above – perhaps in the 70s/80s(?). It’s not really something you expect to encounter when wandering cow trails high above the Columbia. It was a gorgeous afternoon – and once I got far enough away from the makeshift gun range, it was also peaceful. This is a great hiking area if you are: 1. Comfortable with general wandering 2. Not afraid of armed people shooting nearby 3. Directionally sound enough to find your way back to your car, once you’ve been wandering around 4. Love and appreciate gorgeous views of the Columbia River 5. Comfortable with wandering cows