We got to the Dog mountain trail head by about eight fifteen and there were already plenty of cars and people. We started up through the forest, and the trail was steep and dusty. We had shorts on, so we were careful to avoid the abundant poison oak and poison ivy. When we got to the first fork in the trail, we took the right. This took us through more forest for a while, and then the forest opened up for our first views of flowers all around and the Columbia River below. We paused for a while, and continued on up toward the top. After going through a bit more forest, we were rewarded with spectacular views of the whole mountainside covered with flowers. The balsam root stole the show, but there were plenty of other flowers as well, such as Indian paintbrush, lupine, larkspur and phlox. As predicted, once we got to the top and the site of the old lookout, it was very crowded, so we walked around on a side trail until we found a little solitude for lunch. We lingered and enjoyed watching other people coming up the trail, soaking up the views, and swatting the bugs. Fortunately, there was a good breeze most of the time, strong enough to blow the bugs away. We came back down, well satisfied that this time we got this hike in when the flowers were at their peak. It was well worth the effort. More pictures at the link below.

We arrived at the parking lot about 0815 this morning, with approximately 10-15 vehicles in the lot ahead of us. We hiked up Dog Mountain this morning, taking the less difficult route to Puppy Point, then up to the former location of the lookout. Because it was cold and blustery, the bugs were not bad, but we did find a tick and several fleas on the dog. The balsam root, Indian paintbrush, lupine, yellow monkey flowers, and others were in bloom. We proceeded to hike down Augsberger Mountain trail and pick up the trail to Augsberger Mountain. The trail initially appears a bit overgrown but further in has been cleared of blowdowns relatively recently. There are Solomon's seal, etc in bloom on the forest floor. We made it to the peak of Augsberger Mountain, and only ran into one other person at the top of Augsberger Mountain. The trail was faint between the top and where it starts to drop down to view the flowers, mountains, the gorge, etc. We stopped shy of dropping down to the view point, as it had already been a long day.

Wild flowers are bursting with yellow and other colors.

This is one of those hikes that has an extreme "WOW" factor! We drove down from Seattle and arrived at 8AM. The main parking lot was already full, so we went back down the street to park in the overflow lot. We got the second to last spot. Get here early-at least on a weekend! There were cars parked by no parking signs that already had tickets. This hike goes up, up and up-pretty much the entire time. It was hot, and the bugs were crazy! We had lots of bites from who knows what kind of bugs! Now I'm done with the negative stuff. This hike is a dream! I was with some of my favorite people in the world, and we had an amazing day. When we got to the fork (trail going to the left from the fork is more difficult), we went left. That part of the trail is in the woods, but it gains some good elevation. It ends up at the main trail, and then you keep going until you reach paradise! Wow, wow, wow...flowers everywhere! I've never seen any other hike like this one with the amount of flowers. The views were spectacular. We went to the very end and sat for a while to eat and enjoy the views. You can see Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood, and Mount Adams (if you continue up into the woods from where the crowds are sitting). It was hard to leave such a great place, but we had to eventually go home! The hike down was a bit more challenging due to the crowds still coming up. Not much room to pass. We took the trail going left down so did a loop to do this hike. We clocked 7.4 miles with the way we went. Go soon, and I highly suggest going on a weekday if you can swing it!

The upper third of the mountain is sparkling with Big, Bright yellow wildflowers with some red Indian Paintbrush and purple Lupine mixed in. I am reminded of the Bible verse that says King Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as finely as one of these...truly a sight to behold. The bugs, including ticks, were enjoying the day too. Surprisingly, there weren't many mosquitoes. The day was hot and extra water and snacks would have been a good plan! Started at 2pm and back down by 6:45pm.