Finding myself with a rare weekday off, I worked through a handful of possible peaks. After being pushed to look at lower elevation summits by remaining spring snow, I noticed a named, unactivated, two pointer in Tillamook State Forest – Pinochle Peak. After a few hours of study, a possible path was identified. It was clear that approaching from the south off of Highway 6 would be sketchy, but with limited time, it was the chosen path.
The road into Pinochle runs through the Diamond Mill OHV area, an area well known for the severity of the roads and trails. Within five miles of leaving highway 6, I hit my first obstacle, an active logging zone. Despite being closed, I was flagged through by a somewhat skeptical looking machine operator.
Within a mile of the logging operation, I hit the first of the road washouts. It was negotiable, but it was becoming clear that some clearance was desirable. A second washout appeared, and then a third. Each one was carefully negotiated, but all of them combined to raise the doubt level. The road continued to get steeper and narrower. Pinochle sits in one of the most remote areas of Tillamook State Forest so none of this was unexpected. A tree across the road was overcome and then followed quickly by a delightful sighting of a surprisingly robust black bear.
At a tight switchback, I was forced to get out of the vehicle and examine the situation. The road continued up at a severe angle and was “paved” with oversize rock. To continue on would be more of a rock crawl than a drive. I sipped my coffee and pondered what the sherpas back home would say if they were here. Considering that I was still miles from the base of the climb, I decided to pull the plug. Getting back out would be adventure enough.
The route in from the south is possible, but you should definitely have a high clearance, four wheel drive vehicle. Locking differentials are recommended. Expect to get a few Arizona pinstripes as well. The approach from the northwest via Tin Shed Road looks like a better possibility for success.