"Southeast from Ainsworth State Park is a historical and prominent feature of the Columbia Gorge, St. Peter's Dome (1525'), a decomposing monolith of volcanic rock..."

"By leaving the park on Nesmith Point trail, you'll end up with a splendid view of St. Peter's Dome, a majestic basalt monolith rising 2,000 feet above the mighty Columbia River."

"It was first climbed in 1940 when a party of six reached its summit."

A Road to the Top of St. Peter's Dome!?!

Carl A. Neuburger, A Climbers Guide to the Columbia Gorge

...It is almost unbelievable to imagine anyone building a road to the top of it... Yet back in 1916, and later in 1918, just such a plan was proposed and a committee established to survey the route and initiate the construction.

The plan called for an ascending circumferential tunnel to be blasted out of the interior of the Dome with windows through the outer wall. The road was to end on the prominent ledge near the top from where a trail was to be built the rest of the way to the top. Here there was to be a comfort station and drinking facilities. The cost of building the trail, tunnel and water system was estimated at $25,000. To our everlasting gratitude, the plan was never carried out.

Names

May 5, 2020

I am still sorting out old and current names for peaks and features in this area.

Yeon Mountain

Lyn Topinka, Columbia River Images: Yeon Mountain, Katanai Rock, St. Peters Dome, and Rock of Ages, Oregon

Yeon Mountain was named for John Baptiste Yeon who came to Oregon in 1885. John Baptiste Yeon was a "rags to riches" story, beginning his Oregon career as a logger, and ending it as a prominent Portland citizen. He was among those who promoted the Historic Columbia River Highway. The John B. Yeon State Park, east of Yeon Mountain, was also named to honor him.

Originally rounded Yeon Mountain was called "St. Peters Dome", with the tall basalt feature to the west being called "Cathedral Rock". Today's the name "St. Peters Dome" has been applied to this tall basalt feature.

Katanai Rock

Lyn Topinka, Columbia River Images: Yeon Mountain, Katanai Rock, St. Peters Dome, and Rock of Ages, Oregon

In 1915 a joint committee from the Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Geographic Board, and the Mazamas, at the request of the United Highway Commission, suggested new names and renaming of places along the newly completed Columbia River Highway. This list was submitted to the United States Geographic Board for the final approval. "Katant Rock" was suggested for today's "Katanai Rock".

"... The committee recommends that the high mountain between Tumalt Creek and St. Peter's Dome be called Yeon Mountain, for the very obvious reason that Mr. Yeon has given so much time and money in the construction of the highway and should have his name attached to some prominent feature. The spire directly across Leveens Creek from St. Peter's Dome has been named Katant Rock, from an Indian word meaning "Place of rocks. ..." ... ["Morning Oregonian", April 1, 1915]

Please CLICK HERE for more information on KATANAI ROCK

Leveens Creek

"'Leveens Creek' today is an un-named creek (according to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names) which drains the 'gully' between St. Peter's Dome on the west and Yeon Mountain on the east. It is approximately 1.5 miles in length."

St. Peter's Dome

"In early days, this was called Cathedral Rock and the name Saint Peters Dome described the higher summit to the south now called Yeon Mountain."

Rock of Ages & Cathedral Rock

"Originally rounded Yeon Mountain was called 'St. Peters Dome', with the tall basalt feature [St. Peter's Dome] to the west being called 'Cathedral Rock'. ... To the west of Yeon Mountain and St. Peters Dome is another basalt feature called 'Rock of Ages'."

Please CLICK HERE for more information on CATHEDRAL ROCK

To the Base...

Above, St. Peter's Dome on the right, Katanai Rock on the left.

"...the approach is off the charts hard. Hard enough that it took me 6 hours the first time carrying in the first load. I got off track several times and had only enough time after hacking my way through the sapling forest to get to the river crossing and then braving the groves of poison oak."

"Though it’s never been fun, the approach to the backside saddle has worsened as a young forest sprouted over the landslide area above Dodson in ’06-‘07."

Tim Olson, Gorge Classic Climbs: Historical Summits and Adventures

To approach... start up the creek drainage located right at I-84 freeway exit #35. This creek drainage was the scene of a November 2001 landslide that buried the side road and part of the exit ramp in mud, thus making access to the St. Peter's/Mystery Pillars area easily available for several years until the young Alder saplings quickly regrew in the drainage.

At a point where the landslide has cut a very deep ravine... angle up left ... to access scree slopes that lead up to the dome.

Little St. Pete's

The video, by John Sutherland, above offers an interesting view from the base at the saddle. Not much of St. Peter's Dome, but a nice shot of Little St. Pete's!

"This 70' tall pinnacle composed of cobblestone-like loose rock yields a commanding view of the Dome and the surrounding area..."

Climbing

"I found the experience scary and generally life-threatening for all involved."

"This basalt monolith in the Columbia Gorge near Dodson was a conspicuous challenge to the mountain-climbing fraternity for many years. In 1940, it was first climbed by Joe Leuthold and five others, including a woman, Ida Darr."

SUMMITPOST.ORG: St. Peter's Dome

SUMMITPOST.ORG has a fascinating account of climbing this thing in 2008, with some amazing photos...

...the Dome is known to have been climbed by only 20 different parties prior to our ascent. (Ref. Mazama Annual 2007; other parties may have reached the summit but chose not to leave any record). The first ascent was done by Everett Darr et al in 1940 (Ref.Mazama Annual 1940) and the bulk of the subsequent ascents occurred during the early 50s to early 70s with no recorded ascents in the 1980s. The 90s saw a resurgence in Dome’s popularity with Wayne’s (Wallace) first solo ascent (!!) of the Dome – #20 and the last known ascent prior to ours.

...

The first attempt on the Northeast Face Route ended in the deaths of both climbers (A6-ed). An unhealthy kill ratio considering there were only 2 more parties up it ever. The 2007 Mazama Annual (article by Don Baars & Jeff Thomas) provides the most comprehensive account of the climbing history on The Dome (FA summary above is based on that article), including Don’s TR from the second ascent in 1947.

...

Soon all three of us were on the summit flipping through the pages of the summit register. The partial register starts with a 1962 ascent and ends with Wayne’s 1994 solo ascent.

...

...now that it's done I'd say it was worth it....in reality though I think we've stuck our necks out on this chosspile (20 parties on top versus 2 deaths is sobering stat's). Total nightmare of a climb - no redeeming values other than bagging a historical summit & what is likely one of the worst summits in Oregon. I'm happy we don't ever have to go back.

http://www.summitpost.org/st-peters-dome/401215

Links

CHOSSCLIMBERS.COM: St. Peter's Dome

More amazing photos (in spite of what the author thinks...). This is the same climb described above, with more details and photos...

http://chossclimbers.com/testing/us/oregon/columbia-gorge/st-peters-dome/

100 Days 100 Miles 100 Climbs: St. Peter's Dome

100 Days 100 Miles 100 Climbs: Day 1 - St. Peter's Dome

http://blog.oregonlive.com/climbing/2011/10/100_days_100_miles_100_climbs_1.html

100 Days 100 Miles 100 Climbs: Day 2 and 3 - St. Peter's Dome

http://blog.oregonlive.com/climbing/2011/10/100_days_100_miles_100_climbs_2.html

100 Days 100 Miles 100 Climbs: Day 8 - 10 St. Peter's Dome

http://blog.oregonlive.com/climbing/2011/10/100_days_100_miles_100_climbs_6.html

100 Days 100 Miles 100 Climbs: Video from summit Day 10 - St. Peter's Dome

http://blog.oregonlive.com/climbing/2011/10/100_days_100_miles_100_climbs_7.html

[TR] Oregon - Columbia River Gorge - St. Peter's Dome 10/24/2011

Nice photos from the 100 Days... Climb.

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1048014

Columbia River Images: Yeon Mountain, Katanai Rock, St. Peters Dome, and Rock of Ages, Oregon

Includes ... Yeon Mountain ... Katanai Rock ... St. Peters Dome ... Rock of Ages ... "Katant Rock" ... "Leaven's Creek" ... "Leavens Slough" ... "Cathedral Rock" ... "Cathedral Point" ...

http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/yeon_mountain.html

SUMMITPOST.ORG: St. Peter's Dome

http://www.summitpost.org/st-peters-dome/401215

CLICK HERE to continue exploring the highway