Trip Report
Day Hike and Scramble - Mount Baldy and Domerie Peak
The flowers are stunning right now, and the ridges between Para Point and Mount Baldy are snow, bug and blow down free.
Danielle Graham
- Mon, Jun 2, 2025
- Mount Baldy
- Day Hiking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The road (Forest Road 4818 to 4818-101) to the trailhead for Easton Ridge and the Kachess Ridge Trail is in great shape this year. No facilities at the parking lot which can fit about 10 cars. There are more pull outs for cars further down the road.
I've been to Mt. Baldy twice before--once in winter and once in late summer. This was my favorite trip yet, as the wildflowers were blooming and the views north to The Enchantments and south to Rainer were stunning.
This time I added on a short scramble of Domerie Mountain, which lies about a half mile south east of Mt Baldy, and continues the ridge walk from Domerie Divide via Baldy. My total distance for the day was 10 miles and a little over 4,000 feet of elevation gain.
The trail from Baldy to Domerie Mountain is faint in most places and hard to follow once you have Domerie Mountain in sight. I scrambled up the northeast ridge of Domerie.
Faint Trail to Domerie Mountain
Rocky slope to cross
Push your way through the huckleberries
This is where the trail petered out, but I could see my destination ahead.
Domerie Peak, NW slope
Cle Elum Lake and a turkey vulture from the Domerie summit.
Looking back to Mount Baldy from Domerie Peak
The flowers were abundant. Here are a few of my favorites from the day, courtesy of the rocky soils:
Snow-dwarf primrose
Cutleaf daisy
Cushion buckwheat with phlox in the background
Western hawkweed (furry leaves) with lupine (most likely dwarf) and phlox.
Thompson's paintbrush.
In addition to the Turkey Vulture, I also saw a Townsend's Solitaire on the Domerie summit, and throughout the day I heard Hermit Thrush, Chipping Sparrows, Olive-sided Flycatchers, and Townsend's Warblers.
I wish I had brought trekking poles with me. The trail down from Domerie Divide to Para Point is steep and sandy and can feel like ball bearings under one's shoes. I ended up on my butt twice on the descent!
