We hiked the Columbia Mountain Loop and Peak trails on a warm, partly sunny Wednesday. There was only one other car in the large parking area when we arrived, and one (a different car) when we left. We saw nobody on the trail all day.
The trail begins on the Kettle Crest trail and the trailhead is very close to Highway 20. A prominent signpost on the north side of the highway marks the short road to the trailhead and the Sherman Pass summit.
The Kettle Crest trail has been cleared of all obstacles and is in great shape. The tread is soft underfoot and is wide enough that we were not brushing against the vegetation as we hiked along. In tick country, that is always a plus. We did encounter cattle on and near the trail, especially around the cattle trough, and we had to step over lots of fresh dung. The spring beside the trail is dry, but a plastic garbage can with a lid has been placed beside the outlet pipe, and that may contain water for backpackers. We did not check.
A few muddy, cattle trails intersected the main trail but we had no trouble recognizing the main trail. All of the true intersections are marked by large, labelled signposts, so it is easy to find your way around the loop and up the summit spur. Once you leave the Kettle Crest trail to do the loop and go up to the summit, the trail becomes a little narrower and rockier, but it was always easy to follow and without obstacles.
Although many of the meadows and forest floor areas were still green, most of the flowers have faded. A few asters and yarrows were still colorful, and we saw one small patch of orange paintbrushes. The larches are also still green. This is the shoulder season between summer flowers and fall colors.
We stopped for lunch on the summit, and enjoyed the views to the south, west and north. We could see smoke in far distance to the northwest and west, but our skies were clear. The summit cabin is very clean and is clearly well maintained. It would be a pleasant place to spend the night.
This was our first hike in the Kettle Range and I think it was an excellent introduction. The trail is clear and in excellent condition, the grade is gentle, the forest provides lots of shade, and there are lovely views along the loop as well as at the summit.
We appreciate the hard work that volunteers have put in to maintain the trail and the summit cabin.
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