When you think of Whitman County—if you think about it at all—chances are your mind conjures up images of rolling farmland dotted with the occasional farmhouse, one-horse towns anchored by enormous grain elevators, or John Mraz. And you’d be pretty much spot-on. But there’s also a 300-acre microclimate nestled in the shadow of a massive island of Precambrian quartzite that’s definitely worth a look-see.
The photo above is taken from the 3,641-foot summit of Kamiak Butte. (That’s right, I bagged a peak yesterday. No big deal. What’d you do?) It’s accessed via a short spur off of the main 3.5-mile Pine Ridge Trail, much of which is in the cool shade of towering yellow pine, Douglas fir, and tamarack before traversing a long, exposed ridge. Spectacular views abound, not to mention 130 species of bird, 170 plant, and 30 mammal.
Best of all? It’s less than 90 minutes from Spokane. Check it out.
