Support for Steptoe Butte

This weekend, I had my first opportunity to travel to Steptoe Butte for some sightseeing. I have lived in Whitman County since 2008, but I had never made the trip.

The sightseeing did not disappoint, and I could see why this is a popular spot for travelers, photographers, sightseers and others. It is incredible there! I am already looking forward to my next trip. The reason I went to Steptoe Butte with my friends is because it is currently one of my only recreational options for getting outside. I have a fractured ankle, and I am unable to hike, run, bike, walk or do much of anything else I usually enjoy doing. Steptoe Butte offered the perfect opportunity for someone in my present condition to enjoy the outdoors without overexerting themselves because of the road leading up to the butte.

Though not disappointed in the experience or the sights, I was heavily disappointed in one thing: the road leading to the butte. It is covered in potholes!

I cannot recall a time when I have seen a road in much worse a condition. The driver of our vehicle was driving very slowly, and he was constantly on the watch for more potholes. He made every effort to avoid them, for which I was very thankful, because every bump on the road was painful to my ankle. I can only imagine the damage those potholes might be able to do to some vehicles, especially if there was a less-than-attentive driver.

The Board of County Commissioners agreed Monday to send a letter to the state parks department requesting for the department to put the Steptoe Butte road on its priority funding list. The road currently is not in the top 100, though it should be. The commissioners agreed to do this after Commissioner Art Swannack observed the road condition for himself on Monday. He stated that it was in much worse a condition than he thought.

Senator Mark Schoesler called Steptoe Butte “one of the great treasures in the Palouse.” I cannot help but agree with him. Steptoe Butte provides for our county and tourists to the Palouse a recreational opportunity for all ages and all ability levels. People can drive up there, or they can choose to walk, run, bike or hike to the top. Hang gliders have even found use with Steptoe Butte. The opportunities there are abundant, and the attention the area needs should be of interest to those on the Palouse. Steptoe Butte’s condition deserves just as much attention as a state park on the west side of our state.

Our local leaders have made their position known. Now residents can, too.

Kara McMurray, Reporter