They said it couldn't be done. They said hauling our Jayco to the summit of Darland Mountain, west of Yakima, Washington was completely crazy. But Darland is the second-highest spot you can drive to in this state, and from that vantage you can see the entire Cascade Mountains chain from Mt. Hood in Oregon all the way up to Mt. Baker in the north part of Washington, a north-south distance of about 300 miles. From the summit you can see Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Goat Rocks Wilderness, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Baker.
All at the same time...
Well...we proved the naysayers wrong and actually made it. Darland sits at 6,900 feet and the last two miles are unbelievably rough jeep trail. Our average speed over that last two-mile section was ONE mile an hour. But after we made it there, the night sky and the daytime views made it all worth it.
As an added bonus, our batwing was able to pick up most of the TV stations out of Yakima. Would I recommend this trip to anyone else? Well...let's just say this one is NOT for the faint of heart. YouTube video below.
DISCLAIMER: If you decide to try this one, your best bet is to camp at Clover Flats three miles from the summit, and then head on a day trip to the summit from there. You will need a Discover Pass. You will definitely need Serious War Against Flying Insects.
https://youtu.be/O0HirH1EpSE
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1998 Jayco Eagle Lite M210, 30th Anniversary Edition, 17 feet, restored with mods.
2003 Infiniti QX4. 90% Boondocker in the Pacific NW.
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