[braincloud]

After hearing about Mt. Davis and its rumoured 88 switchbacks, I had to check it out for myself. I’d driven by the trailhead for years but never stopped. K and I headed out of Seattle Friday evening to camp at my “secret spot” past Salmon La Sac, got up early (for me) and hit the trail about 9 am after a tasty breakfast of eggs in pancakes.

trailhead

The sun grinned merrily upon our heads as we struck out, soon crossing the Cle Elum river. The trail took off through the trees and soon we were greeted with our first switchback (1). The trail is nice and (2) in great condition. Once (3) climbing the ridge, the footpath is pretty clear and easy (4) to follow.

(5) K coming up one of the switchbacks

Soon (6) I felt (7) like a (8) tennis ball (9), traversing (10) back and forth (11) up the ridge. No wonder there are so many switchbacks – they’re short! Even the deer thought a few of the switchbacks were pointless and let their disdain be seen with their corner cutting.

Oh deer.

The trees began to thin out and started affording views. I charged them accordingly. (26)

$9.99 or 2 for $15

What’s this I spy? I believe it’s a Zebra Swallowtail screaming “Look at me!” (35)

I’m a beautiful buh-ta-fly!

Here he is flirting with the gal. K became all twitterpated and I had to lay the charm on thick to pry her away from her new friend.

”He’s so fly!”

More views appeared as we climbed higher and higher. (40)

South toward Lake Cle Elum

I glanced east and saw an old friend. Memories of 35 degrees and snow in August flooded my head.

Hawkins Peak

The clouds were large and poofy and made for some great pics. They also made a sprinkle or two. I glared at the sky and berated it until the cloud ran off, yelling back at me, “I’m telling my dad!” Psssh, yeah right. (48) Done showing my superiority over the little cloud, I turned to find another guy flirting with K.

Showing his dance moves

I told him to scram and he stood up and sent a few choice words my direction before shoving off. (64)

the angry inch

Further up the trail I stopped to grab a couple pics of the rain on the local flora.

Raindrops on kittens and whiskers on…no wait

I got a bit ahead of K when I heard her yell. I pulled a U-ey and ran back to offer my services as the local Knight in Shining Armor. Alas, she was no damsel in distress. She’d just caught a glimpse of a mountain goat sprinting across the hill above her. He was obviously showing off to try and win her affections. Horny bastard. We gained the ridge and finally hit some snow.

Some snow

We also could see west toward Snoqualmie thru the burn.

Someone had built a rock recliner in the middle of the trail. K and I sat had wondered what it was there for. Was it an emergency shelter? A wilderness sculpture? A practical joke to puzzle hikers as they wandered by?

Rock on

It did have a nice view.

Cloud play

We continued up the switchbacks (84) and through the burn.

Matchsticks(85)

Burn, baby burn (86)

Disco inferno (87)

Trail of tears

Soon we came across a larger section of snow and I temporarily misplaced the trail. K wanted to stop and ask for directions, but I thought driving around for 20 extra minutes was a better idea.

Trail does not go up. It goes right. Thanks Mr. Gas-station Attendant.

Snowbusiness

Blazing a path across the snow, sidehilling, postholing, and wishing my gaiters were one size smaller, we cut across the draw and played hide and seek with the trail.

Back across the draw

Trail found. More switchbacks. (88)

Beautiful(89)

Our path (90)…waaaaaaaait a second. I thought there were only 88 switchbacks on this trip. What gives? My counting skills are unparalleled and I’m infallible. Someone must have come through and built more switchbacks before we started. I got to 98 before the snow became a solid field and I decided to take a more direct approach to the top.

Straight up, now tell me…

K working her way up the mountain

We gained the ridge

Inventory: Ridge Qty: 1

And headed right toward the old lookout site.

The old lookout site

Lunch was served and pictures were taken.

K and her granola bar

PBR and Stuart

Cabin, down by the river!

K decided to take a little nap while I sat and watched the clouds roll by.

K’s cocoon

Just then, a cloud caught my eye. It seemed vaguely familiar and I didn’t like the looks of it. It was headed our way with a mission.

Hrm

I awoke K and we packed up hastily to begin the trek back down, but not before snapping a pic of this somewhat unnecessary sign.

Why are you here?

That cloud began rumbling in the distance and it hit me (no, not the lightning), that cloud was the father of the little cloud I shooed off earlier that morning. Uh oh. It was moving fast and I felt a sense of urgency well up inside. I did NOT want to be up on that ridge when Dad caught up with us. He kept voicing his displeasure as we raced down into the draw. As we made our way back up the other side, we had a hair-raising experience. Literally. Dad shot a bolt close enough that my hair stood on end from the electricity in the air. The following clap of thunder was inspiring. I was inspired to utter certain oaths. I was inspired to nearly wet myself. I was inspired to make my peace with the Almighty.

Coming in fast

The thunder was sounding constantly now and flashes lit up the darkening sky.

Ominous

The storm reached the burned out ridgeline just as we did, and each clap of thunder had me wincing with the thought that it could have just been preceded by a life-altering strike.

This is not going to be good.

We raced down the trail when the rain came. Rain is an understatement. It was more like Papa Cloud opened his cargo bay and unleashed an unending supply of agua onto us and quickly dampening our spirits. K and I marveled at the sheer volume of water that was being thrown down when I foolishly thought to myself, “How can this get any worse?” Hoo boy, that was stupid. The rain turned to hail. So much hail you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of you. It was a wall of white, and it hurt. Pea-sized chunks of ice bounced off my skull through my hood and clattered onto the ground, turning the trail into a sheet of ball-bearings.

K dodging the golf balls

Between the softballs and the rain, the trail soon became a raging torrent. Packing a kayak up would have been a sound investment today and made the trip down quick. Dodging volleyballs does make for an exciting hike. I kept stepping to the sides of the river working to keep my boots dry when it dawned on me that they were already full of water. I said to hell with it and just sloshed through, the water carrying each step. K swam by me and told me to keep up.

What was once a trail was now a path for every drop of moisture that fell from the sky.

It rained or hailed or rained and hailed on us the entire way back to the Jeep. 2 hours of slogging through the storm laughing at the absurdity of it all, we finally got back to the trailhead. The Jeep was no shelter. It only has a half-top and I opened the door to find it full of water. Should have pulled those drain plugs! We got ourselves and the Jeep (mostly) dried out and hit the road. Braincloud’s handy hiking tip #26: Don’t piss off little clouds for they just might have a bigger, angrier dad lurking nearby.

[Redwic]

[Foist]

Awesome trip report! Isn't David Peak the greatest and most exciting Spring hike? I had a very similar day up there in May a couple years ago, complete with the race to beat the storm (although I actually beat it, the skies opened as I drove back down the Cle Elum valley). The good thing about all those switchbacks is the nice grading makes it easy to RUN down the trail. I want to go back and experience the burned out area.

[Slide Alder Slayer]

Some people have all the fun, excellent trip report!

[wamtngal]

Your TR made me laugh, great write-up! Davis was a fun one last Thanksgiving Day, although we didn't have nearly as much excitement around us as you guys did.

[the Zachster]

What an exciting trip and very entertaining trip report, thanks! I have acquaintances that say they're not afraid of lightning, just the thunder... After a similar experience I have the UTMOST respect for lightning, thunder and big (or little) black clouds. Your pictures of the incoming storm made me shiver!

[rdyhiker]

Now I'm doubly bummed I had to stay in and work on Saturday. Davis was on my agenda; I'd of loved to have met you out there. Glad you got out of dodge while daddio was hitting you with (just!) hail and hadn't yet unleashed the thunderbolts.

[Backpacker Joe]

Hot chicks with worms, really cool!

[MtnManic]

Ah, yes, the infamous "Punmeister" and I hunkered down under the smallest tree we could find between "real summit" and ridge top when caught in a storm 4th of July some years back. I thought we were in a bowling alley for the gods. Sun was coming out by the time we reached TH.

[EastKing]

Thunderstorms were a reoccuring theme this weekend. I know about that as you will see in another's upcoming TR. Great TR and pics. I look to try that peak in the near future.