Excelsior Pass and Peak

Excelsior Pass, Peak and the High Divide are North Cascades hiking royalty. Once above the tree line the views are spectacular in all directions with Shuksan and Baker taking top billing but are by no means alone in providing a feast for the eyes. The route up via Damfino Lakes requires a bit more driving than the approach from the trailhead on the Mt. Baker Highway but Excelsior Pass is gained with 1.5 miles less walking and 2450 feet less climbing. The trail passes the pleasant but unspectacular Damfino Lakes on the way to the pass but it also passes through some good berry picking for those so inclined to pause for a snack. Once we reach Excelsior Pass the plan is to ramble east along the High Divide for a couple of miles, more or less, until we stop for lunch. On our way back we can bag Excelsior Peak which is reached by a short but somewhat steep side trail. Fingers crossed for a clear day for great views.

Note: The WTA hike description linked below only describes the trail to Excelsior Pass so the distance and elevation gain shown do not match the hike we’ll be taking.

-Distance: 9.0 miles.
-Elevation Gain: 1900 feet going in, 550 coming out including the peak.
-Pass required: Northwest Forest Pass or Senior Pass.
-WTA link: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/excelsior-peak-via-damfino-lakes-trail
-Trailhead privy: Yep

Meet at the Damfino Lakes trailhead at the end of Forest Service Road NF-31 at 9:15 AM, ready to hike at 9:30 AM.