Dock Butte — Friday, Aug. 19, 2016

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

I hoped to encounter few people on the trail and I wasn't disappointed. Bugs were pretty annoying (I got bitten by a horsefly or deerfly in the parking lot) and they were very bad at the very top so I didn't linger there very long. I encountered LOTS of butterflies (fritillaries), western toads and a number of spruce grouse. You do have opportunities for amazing views from about 1.5 miles and beyond. Bring poles because the final ascent (even on the rampling trail) is a trail with lots of loose rocks and not much room. It was very hazy looking south today so couldn't see any significant peaks to the south. Only other thing I would say is that both my phone and Fitbit logged this trail at almost 6 mi. roundtrip. Anybody else experience that?