Name of area: Potholes
Where: 10 miles northwest of Othello, WA
How do I get there from Walla Walla?:Take Hwy. 12 west to Hwy. 395 at Pasco. Turn right and head north on 395 until you reach Mesa. Turn left on Hwy. 17 and head north to Othello. Turn left on Hwy. 26, go two miles and turn right and head north on McManamon Rd. Follow this road north for about 5 miles where it merges with Sutton Rd. Stay northbound on Sutton Road when you come to the Deadman Lake junction. Continue north on Sutton Road for 5 more miles until you come to the Upper Goose Lake turnoff. Park at this gated turnoff and walk one half mile up the road until you see an obvious basalt cliff (the "Hall of Frustration") a quarter mile north of the road. Cross a gully and hike 10 minutes on a trail to reach the cliff.
How long of a drive is it? 2 hours
What's there?: Fairly compact basalt cliffs 25 to 40 ft. high. The area is a maze of short cliffs, blind canyons and small lakes. The Tri-Cities mountaineering club teaches basic climbing techniques here and is supposedly rather territorial about the area. Word is that they will enforce a strict traditional ethic. All of the climbing is therefore traditional and/or top-rope.
Land Ownership: Columbia Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Washington State Dept. of Wildlife
Pros: Uncrowded, scenic, fairly solid rock. Can be climbable on sunny windless winter days. Great mountain biking.
Cons:Short. Fairly long drive for minimal rock. No guidebook. 30 min. more driving puts you at Frenchman Coulee.
Comments: Nice area to visit if you feel like a weekend of exploring, including a little climbing and mountain biking. Supposedly the fishing is pretty good in the many small lakes. Check it out on your way back from Frenchman Coulee sometime.