Forest service roads 12 and 1230 in good condition. Trailhead had no outhouse, but a new vault toilet was being constructed. Both trails had no snow, and both in good condition. No water on the Dock Butte trail. On the Dock Butte trail, when approaching the final section, you can see a trail going straight up to the top. Soon after you come to a Y junction: go left if you want the straight up climbers trail that you saw earlier; but I advise going right along the switchbacked trail that is easier.

Dock Butte (5,200')is located south of Mt. Baker with FS Road #12 being the approach to the trailhead from the Baker Lake Road. The road and trail are in very good condition although some hard snow (2 to 3 inches deep) covers much of the last 100 yards to the top. Some of the hard snow can be avoided by going up the NE ridge for the last 50 yards. Fabulous 360 degree views with Mt. Baker being the star attraction of course. (see pictures below) All the little tarns and puddles were iced over but the top was very pleasant with no wind. I estimated about 4 miles round trip with 1,200' of elevation gain.

Nice, well maintained forest roads lead up to the trailhead. Started the hike in the late morning as the clouds started rolling in over the top of Mt. Baker. Lots of pesky bugs, some parts of trail muddy from recent snow melt. Beautiful views of the north cascades through the trees. A few melting snow patches along the trail. We stopped when we encountered lots of steep snow 3/4 of the way up (beginning on the steep ascent to the ridgeline portion).

Waking up at Baker Lake at 6AM, there looked like little hope for a clear day, but I decided to head up to dock butte since it looked short on the map, so at least I wouldn't waste too much effort. It turned out to be one of the best hikes I've done this year. The trail is relatively flat for maybe 1/2 mile, then begins climbing up to the ridge and along it toward the lookout site. There are amazing views along the whole trail, but the top is definitely something else. The weather thankfully cleared by the time I got high enough to see anything. Views of pretty much everything wait at the top; Mt Baker is literally right in front of you, with the Twin Sisters and Mt Shuksan to either side. The trail is in fine condition, besides being thouroughly soaked from the downpour the day before. The last few hundred feet are tough, unlike the rest of the trail which is a bit steep, but easy to manage. Definitely bring bug spray, the mosquitos were relentless, even at the top at a chilly, windy 8 AM. The trail toward Blue Lake was tempting, but I just didn't have time. Doing both would make a very easy day trip. It took me just under 1 hour up, 45 minutes down.

This is a nice short hike with lots of elevation gain to get the old cardio pumping. The trail is in good condition considering the winter we had. Lots of snow up high but it is passable and you can follow tracks of previous hikers. Almost no bugs and no other hikers on Dock Butte. Plenty of outstanding views. Took about 2 hrs. up and 1 hr. down plus an hour of lunch and photography.