Like some of the other reports on this hike, I also can see that the scenery would be spectacular, but it didn't happen today. A pleasant hike all the same and took the side hike to Blue lake. The trail could be rocky and full of roots, and steep, but no snow and there were pleasant meadows to hike thru. Started out at 9:00am and was back at the car by 12:30pm.

Wasn't sure exactly what trail I was going to do today. Only knew I was meeting a friend camping up near Mt Baker and we were going to go off to hike. Ended up at Dock Butte and Blue Lake. Neither hikes are that long on their own but in combination make for a good day. Dock Butte has a good little climb to it. It can be gnarly, rooty, and rocky in places. But it also has a good stretch of meadow walking to it as well. A few snow patches remain in the meadows but are not encroaching on the trail and the melted snow puddles are the only water source. And don't forget to look behind you and see what is looming. The final climb up to the Butte is narrow and rocky so watch your step. The final few feet are a bit of a scramble, too. The views are stupendous, all the way around on this wonderfully clear day. There were a few lingering wild flowers, but the mountain views were the stars of the show, with Mt Baker taking center stage. On the way down took the turn off to Blue lake for a quick cool down. Bugs weren't a problem for the rest of the hike but they were a little bothersome at the lake. Fairly easy hike in to the lake. This is not a hugely populated trail so made for quiet walking and hiking for the most part. All in all another awesome day on the trails in western washington. What a wonderful world we live in. Just one question. I know it is bear hunting season, but are hunters supposed to be hunting bears on hiking trails? Met one with a rifle that made a snide comment about the bear bells I had on my dogs. Not very comforting when you think about it.

The road less traveled: In spite of the sign where FS road 12 intersects Baker Lake Road which says the road is closed, FS road 1230, which has been having some maintenance work scheduled to be completed by August 15 (according to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest web site) was wide open, perhaps because this was a Friday. My friends and I got to the totally empty parking lot and trailhead about 10:00 a.m. in the fog. We were happy to see a privy of relatively recent vintage sitting at one edge. Since Dock Butte was the main destination for the day, we hiked that trail first. The first part of the trail is rough, with giant steps up and many rocks on the path. As we gained altitude the way opened up and the trail was better with only occasional rocky, narrow places. The misty light fog remained, leaving us to only imagine what the peaks and valleys out there might look like. There were many different kinds of flowers blooming and plants of all different shades of green along the way, from heather to tall conifers ghostly in the mist. It was very peaceful and quiet. We started to see random patches of snow here and there, none of which was on the trail except a step or two. Where the trail diverges we chose the long switchback route because the snow was mostly gone and it looked easier. The trail is quite narrow along there, but quite open to stunning views if it had been clear. We still harbored a hope that the thin fog would burn off in a timely manner and we would be rewarded for our efforts. We even saw our shadows once. At last we reached the last ascent and clambered up, no mean feat for women at our time of life. The top of the world and lost in cloud. We descended by the other, more direct route. As we continued down the trail, the mists gradually started clearing. Mt. Baker teased with tantalizing glimpses, but never got close to revealing her full beauty. We were delighted to find a few blueberries. As it got warmer, there were a few bugs, but not much of a bother. I chose this trail for the “knock your wool socks off” views promised in the guide book. Sadly, my wool socks stayed firmly in place. If you crave solitude, this is your hike. We also took the short side trip to Blue Lake, having been enchanted with the peek-a-boo views of it from above. This trail was in good condition, although there was what almost seemed to be a logging operation near a bridge, and a climb over a sawdust covered pile of snow. The only other people we saw were leaving the Blue Lake trail as we approached it, and another party arriving at the parking lot as we left.

Blue Lake: this is a lovely, short, snow free trail to a picturesque snow free lake; perfect destination for taking non-hiker friends to. It's about 1-1/2 miles round trip if you only go to the lake. Dock Butte: after visiting Blue Lake we retraced our steps to the signed junction and headed up towards Dock Butte, gaining an additional 1200’ in the mile and a half to the peak. The trail is mostly snow free with just a few patches of snow which were easy to skirt or cross (trekking poles were handy). The last couple switchbacks had some tread slumping and were narrow enough to cause some in our group concern. Near the very end there is a bit of a scramble. The views from the top and along the last half of the trail were reward enough even for those in our group not accustomed to hiking in these mountains. There were few flowers, some biting flies, and a few ripe huckleberries along the trail. Both trails also had water running down the middle frequently and a couple of muddy spots, nothing too serious though. There is ongoing road work on FS RD 12 and FS RD 1230 so be sure to check with the ranger station about road closures/delays before heading to this area.

Approaching the trailhead about 7:30 AM, I encountered a contractor excavating the road to install culverts. He had me park about one half mile from the trailhead. It was foggy and cloudy on the drive to the hike, but Mt. Baker was clear when seen from the trailhead road (first photo). I hiked up the Dock Butte trail and was able to see partial views of Baker and Shuksan (second photo), but by the time I reached the summit of Dock Butte the fog was dense in every direction. I took a photo of the survey marker because that was all I could see! Hiking back down from the Butte, I took the trail to Blue Lake; which is quite pretty with cascading waterfalls. There were no other hikers on either trail. I saw at least a dozen Ptarmigans. There are no fall colors, no berries, and no bugs. It was 40 degrees F. on the trail this morning with ice on the trail above 5,000'. I skirted a couple of icepacks, but the trail is clear. My hike was 6.5 miles RT with almost 2,000' of elevation gain. Subtract a mile if you start at the trailhead. The contractor said he would be finished with the project by the weekend. I'll return on a clear day to see the views at the top.