Type of Hike
Day hike
Dog Mountain's stunning floral show is late this year. On May 25, 2009, the upper meadows were a solid yellow carpet of blooming balsamroot. On May 24, 2011, the balsamroot buds were just beginning to open, held back by the cold spring weather. The lupine had not even put up buds yet!
From the trailhead on SR 14, 54 miles east of Vancouver (arrive early as this large parking lot fills up even on weekdays), we headed up the Augspurger Trail for 2.9 miles to the "Augie-Doggie" connector trail. This route is the least steep approach to the summit, wrapping around Dog Mountain on the west side. It traverses forest and scree slopes with many wildflower species in the understory.
From the connector junction, it is about a mile across a ridge through forest and meadows to the Dog Mountain Trail. This trail segment held snowbanks until recently, so it is slick, soggy, muddy mess of bootprints. This trail also crosses the first meadows and gives the first big views down the Columbia Gorge and across at Mount Defiance in Oregon -- a taste of things to come.
At the junction with the Dog Mountain Trail, we turned left for the short climb to the summit meadow, elevation 2,945 feet. This is the traditional lunch spot unless the wind is too strong to linger. On our hike, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing about 10 mph so we bundled up and stayed on the summit for lunch.
On our return hike, we descended via the "scenic trail" (aka the new trail) for 3.4 miles back to the trailhead. This route is steeper -- and my knees felt it by the time I reached the car -- but it does have some scenic viewpoints.
We did not see any rattlesnakes, but another hiker returning to the trailhead shortly after us said he had encountered a rattlesnake on the Augsperger Trail as he descended on that route. The other hazard on this hike is the poison oak: it grows profusely along all trails on the lower slopes. Have some Tecnu in your pack or car to clean your skin after the hike.
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