Elevation: 3,213ft
Mt. Davis lies at the top of the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania, and is capped with a number of monument plaques and a tall observation tower.

Early on Saturday morning, we loaded the car in Baltimore and started the drive to Mt. Davis. Directions were fairly straightforward and we wound through the foothills of the Appalachians wondering if we were in the right place until we began seeing business signs like "High Point TV & Appliance." As we neared the high point, the road grew more and more icy.

A fairly large parking lot near the summit was empty on the day we visited and we parked near the obvious trail gate. It was then that I realized I had left my down Marmot winter coat at home and was working with long johns and a fleece for the day. My brother and I then put on what winter clothes we had and made the short walk to the high point marker. Walking a short 20 yards, we found the information placards, as well as a tall, seven-story lookout tower.

At the base of the lookout tower, we found (for unknown reasons) two trinkity Colorado shot glasses, one of which was shattered to pieces. After looking through the placards and scoping out the area for any other interesting tidbits about Mt. Davis, we decided to climb the seven flights of progressively narrow and windy stairs of the lookout tower for a 360 degree view from above.

With the temperatures in the upper 20s/lower 30s, and the wind reaching 40 mph gusts, the top of the tower was not as exciting as I had hoped it to be. There was a 3D topographical map at the top, but with the overcast weather blocking long views and the wind ripping through my T-shirt and fleece, a decision was made that it wasn’t worth admiring Pennsylvania from this vantage point for an extended period of time.

Having made the decision to bag three state high points in one day, we jumped back into the borrowed SUV and headed south, back through the snow and ice. The vehicle did just fine even with minimal tread left on the tires. We drove back down the mountainside, onto a clear highway, and ventured on towards Maryland’s high point, Hoye Crest.

Gear used on this trip:
62" Blue-tooth cell phone tripod