Trip Date: April 17, 2024
2024 GRAND COULEE ADVENTURE VACATION
East Barker Knob Day Hike & Scramble
Banks Lake
Barker Gap
East Barker Knob (2055 ft)
Trip Report Summary
Region: Columbia Plateau (Washington)
Sub-Region: Upper Grand Coulee
Area: Banks Lake Wildlife Area
Starting & Ending Point: Barker Canyon boat launch at end of Barker Canyon Road (Elev. 1600 feet)
Way Points: Barker Gap & West Barker Knob shoulder & Barker Knob ravine & East Barker Knob summit; return via shallow pond & Barker Gap (trail hike & off-trail hike & rock scramble)
Summit: East Barker Knob (off-trail hike & rock scramble via West Face—West Slope; descent via Northwest Slope)
Approximate Stats: 4.6 miles traveled; 800 feet gained & lost; 2.2 hours up; 1.7 hours down.
Full Trip Report
From our campsite at Steamboat Rock State Park in Upper Grand Coulee, Fay and Eileen and I drove around the northern end of Banks Lake and down Barker Canyon Road to a boat launch on the lake’s western shore. It was slightly amusing that, after one hour and many miles of driving, we were now only 3½ miles from our campsite! Anyway, today’s objective was East Barker Knob, one of several large granite knobs projecting into Banks Lake closely north of Steamboat Rock. These knobs could be seen ahead as we hiked along an abandoned road that parallels the lakeshore. Fay had climbed two of the knobs several years ago, but Eileen and I had never even been in the vicinity.
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After 1½ level miles, our road veered to the left and went over Barker Gap, a 1700-foot grassy saddle that separates the basaltic rampart of Barker Butte from the granitic Barker Knobs. At the top of the gap, we left the road and began traversing over the northern shoulder of West Barker Knob. This involved a combination of easy cross-country hiking and enjoyable scrambling.
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From our high point on the northern shoulder, East Barker Knob was clearly visible across a broad ravine that splits the two knobs. We descended a brushy slot gully to reach the ravine invert.
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A left-slanting talus ramp could be seen cutting up through the large granite wall in front of us. We headed up this ramp, hoping that it would continue around the corner. This turned out to be a good gamble, although there were some dense patches of scraggly trees along the way.
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The slanting ramp led us up to a high northwestern shoulder adorned with gently sloping grassy benches, granite outcrops, and hidden ponds. This last 300 feet of our ascent was pure joy!
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We stepped onto the summit in early afternoon (2.2 hours + 750 feet from boat launch) and took in the views of Banks Lake from this unique perspective.
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To the northeast, Banks Lake extended up toward Grand Coulee Dam. To the southeast was Point 2098, which John Roper dubbed “Mt. Aegium,” presumably as a reference to this area’s resemblance to the Aegean Sea and its numerous islands. To the southwest, our car shimmered in sunlight at the Barker Canyon boat launch.
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To expedite our descent, we initially headed down the northern side of the knob and then angled down the northwestern side. This proved to be very efficient, and we were soon skirting the end of a shallow lowland pond. From there, we simply followed the abandoned road over Barker Gap and back to our starting point (1.7 hours + 500 feet from summit) to end a fun outing in a totally new area for Eileen and me.
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Route Map & Profile
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Photo Gallery
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