Frani and I had an excellent hike up Dog Mountain. It’s 2800 feet up in 3 miles, but the expansive views and fields of wildflowers up top are worth the effort! There are views east and west along the Columbia River, Wind Mountain, and the tip of Mt. Hood from the summit of Dog Mtn. Acres of balsamroot are blooming, along with Fritillaria, larkspur, paintbrush, phlox, trilliums, Calypso orchids, and dozens of other flowers all along the trail. And, of course, the ever-present poison oak!!! We saw a lot of people in shorts, but I’d advise long pants and long-sleeve shirt for this particular trail. This is a great trail any time of year (except for when there’s a lot of snow), but it’s especially beautiful when the balsamroot is in full bloom (and it also means the parking lot and trail are a lot more crowded this time of year.)
