Davis Peak by Goat Mountain stands at the junction of Waptus River and Cle Elum River. The Forest Service built the old lookout facility in 1934 that lasted 34 years. Despite the steep incline and the bone dry ridge, the views atop are gratifying.
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Davis Peak in Salmon La Sac/Alpine Lakes Wilderness. For Davis Peak in North Cascades National Park, check out this post.
Davis Peak at a Glance
Access: Davis Peak Trailhead
Round Trip: 11 miles
Elevation Range: 2600′-6426′
Gear: microspikes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Davis Peak Trail
The black lab and I returned to Davis Peak after visiting southwest peak seven years ago. This time, we brought along the yellow pup. I decided to leave the snow gear because the snow line looked high.
We easily bypassed many down trees in the lower forest. Then it was free of snow until we went past the old burn. The steep terrain later flattened a bit, and we had a full view of Cle Elum River Valley.
See more trip photos here.
Into the West Basin
We walked through patchy snow on Point 5988’s southeast ridgeline. Along the way, I stepped through thinning snow a few times, but not a big deal. Meanwhile, I kept an eye on the cornices higher up.
West basin wasn’t visible until we reached the south ridge; there was continuous snow. Then I spotted days-old boot tracks likely from the party of the more recent trip report.
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The Final Stretch
We followed the tracks below the cliffs into the basin. Then we went up to the base of Davis Peak’s southwest slopes, where snowshoes would’ve been helpful. But it wasn’t worth the effort to haul them up for this bit.
From the minor ridge, it was only a quick, straight walk-up through the trees to the old fire lookout. I thought we would have postholed like crazy. But glad it that was never the case.
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Davis Peak Summit Views
Views on the old lookout included Teanaway mountains on the east. The sight of Stuart Range, Harding Mountain, Goat Mountain, and The Cradle was incredible. So was the expansive Cle Elum River Valley to the south.
Views to the north and northwest were spotty because of the high ridgelines. Despite low-hanging clouds over the Hyas Lake area, I saw Mount Daniel and the nearby high points. So many peaks, so little time
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Outro
It was pretty windy on top, so we took cover by the old lookout’s remnants. There was plenty of room to double the space as a campsite! We spent over an hour on top before slowly making our exit.
But that’s when the wind decided to die down, of course.
See more trip photos here.