Hi Tweets:
Colockum Pass is located NE of Ellensburg. This graded road reaches 5400 ft
elev and has sharp rocks and deep ruts and is narrow in spots. A city car
can make it to places on the top, but you will need to take a high clearance
vehicle w/ good tires if you are going across the top and down the other
side. There are good birds and good views, but it's a long day crossing
this pass from Ellensburg to the Wenatchee area. It's mostly birding by ear
on the Ellensburg side. The best views of the birds are on the top and down
the east side.
To reach Colockum Pass, take I-90 to exit 115 east of Ellensburg at
Kittitas. Use the DeLorme Atlas pg 51 & 67. Jog around and through
Kittitas, and bear right to No 81 Rd. Go north out of Kittitas on No 81 Rd
to Brickmill Rd (Erickson Rd). Go east to Colockum Rd and then north on
Colockum.
At the top of the pass the road turns to sharp rocks and bumps along beneath
some power lines for many miles. At one point there is a Y. At the Y go
left through the gate. Don't follow the other road under the power lines.
If you are on the correct road you will eventually come to an historical
sign about the stagecoach route, and see signs about game reserves. The
road will continue down through riparian areas and comes out on the Columbia
River south of Rock Island Dam. The snow is gone now. Remember, it's not
just a birding trip. It's an adventure!
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gayle Benton" <gbenton at rockisland.com>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: Colockum Pass (LONG)


> Hi Tweets,
> Am heading out tomorrow for the east side and like to hit as many spots as
I
> can. Would someone give me the general area of Colockum Road? Am heading
> down to our 2nd Annual Meeting of the Seattle Butterfly Group in Dayton
but
> I always try to see some new country on these trips and new Washington
> birds. Thankyou in advance.
> Gayle Benton
> Orcas Island, WA
> gbenton at rockisland.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Birdking88 at aol.com>
> To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Cc: <linusq at worldnet.att.net>; <boesche at tx3.com>
> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 7:53 PM
> Subject: Colockum Pass (LONG)
>
>
> > Hello Tweets,
> > Had a full day of birding yesterday in eastern Washington with Fred
> Boesche
> > and Carol Schulz. We spent most of the day driving Colockum Road, where
> we're
> > leading a field trip, to get a feel for what's there this time of year.
> > Colockum Road is an old stagecoach wagon road, and the pass is at
5400ft.
> > This road goes through diverse habitat (from sagebrush, to Ponderosa
> Pines,
> > to Western Larch and Engelman Spruce, to large Cottonwoods and Quaking
> > Aspens), and I think this area is just as good or even better than the
> Wenas
> > area.
>
>