SUMMARY. Great hiking day, lovely weather, fine Gorge views. Trekking poles sufficient for traction.
TRACTION. There was one not terribly long icy/snowy slippery stretch, between the reconnection of the "difficult" and "more difficult" trails and the Puppy viewpoint. I found trekking poles adequate there. Over a longer extent, it would have been worth microspikes, and I did see someone spike up (surely to spike down shortly after). There is some muddy trail past the Puppy, but no problema with poles. There were a number of snow stretches, but they generally came with a nice walkable border path of soil.
WEATHER. Mountain Weather Forecast had predicted summit temps in the 30s; winds 20-25 mph; morning clouds and afternoon light showers. Turned out, weather was perfect, and clear apart from some clouds around the volcanos in the view. The Puppy was very windy, but not at all the trail terminus, where people lunch and lounge looking west down the Gorge. Felt over 40 degrees there around 11:30.
TRAILS. On Dog Mountain Trail, I took the "more difficult" option going up and the "difficult" option going down. (I'd recommend the reverse order, but it doesn't much matter.) Both trails were in great shape, and I don't see either being rated difficult, IF snow/ice conditions aren't a problem. The "difficult" option has some views. The other option doesn't, but as forest walks go, it's lovely: quiet, open, great tread. I was not fast, spent 45 minutes on top, and still finished in 4 1/2 hours. I went past the lunch terminus following boot snow prints on a nontrail to within ten feet of the branchy mess of no-view "summit"; as advertised, this gives no view, just a little low quality walk in the woods.
AMENITIES. There isn't a toilet building on the parking lot; it is a short ways up Dog Mountain Trail.
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