beautiful day, snowy trail... we made it to the top but there were a few difficult moments due to snow and ice

The road to the trail head is in great condition, and a pretty drive unto itself.

The section to Blue Lake, as previously mentioned, has some pretty goopy (muddy) areas...boots and gaiters helped with that quite a bit. As of today, the last little section of Dock Butte has frozen snow/ice over the trail which was easy to maneuver on. I did use microspikes on the way down, due to the fact I was also tethered to an 80 lb dog, who, while good, sometimes goes left when I go right. Mt. Baker and Shuksan played peek-a-boo in the clouds, still good fall foliage color, and the little tarns were iced over in some cool patterns. 

The kids and I headed up to Concrete today to hike the Dock Butte trail. We arrived at the trailhead at 11:00am on a Sunday - only one other car in the lot. Put on our gear and headed off for the days adventure. Trail is in good shape with no trash or dog poop to be seen. That said, this trail is muddy for the first 1.5 miles. At that point, the mud makes the switch to well packed snow. We went up with poles (no traction devices) and did fine until we reached the last .2 miles of the trail. There is a rock ledge you have to shimmy up to get on the other side of the mountain and finish the remaining .2 miles. My 11 year old made it halfway before hitting the brakes. She did not feel comfortable getting up the ledge - and we have a rule that we do not continue on if someone is not feeling up to the challenge. So, we hit a u turn and headed back down as it started to snow. Grabbed lunch as soon as we got into the edge of the forest and out of the wind. On the way back down, we decided to take the side trail to Blue Lake. The girls enjoyed a snack while we listened to a rock slide echoing off the mountain sides. Made it back to the trailhead at 3:45pm. Saw a total of 8 other hikers all day. There were 5 cars in the parking lot upon our return. Good hike, but the weather will really dictate what you are able to see (no surprise this time of year). Overall, trail was a challenge for the kids (and dad) due to the mud/snow throughout. 

I decided to enjoy a sunny day on a familiar hike with my dogs. The road up had a lot of big potholes mostly before the turnoff for Park Butte. There was only one other car in the Dock Butte/Blue Lake parking lot when I got there with my two dogs around 11. We had to scramble around many very muddy areas on the trail. We didn't make it all the way to the top...stopped in a meadowy area to rest and have some snacks. Sadly, my older dog struggled on the way up on some of the steeper areas. Definitely steeper than I remember it, and best not for old dogs. We turned around after our rest, and my older dog was dragging one of her back legs. I met up with a couple who were hiking up and they very generously offered to turn around and help us back down to the parking lot as my older dog was having a hard time walking. A million thanks to these angels!

I would recommend this trail to people who enjoy solitude as we only passed two other people on our way down. It doesn't have the same majestic views as Park Butte, but still has some pretty nice views of Baker from the top. 

It's a very beautiful forest with an amazing diversity of mushrooms and mosses.  We got some teases of the panoramic views that must reward you if/when you reach the top. But we stopped short of the top because it actually felt like it might start to snow, and the clouds were thickening. 

This trail has lots of roots, rocks, short steep stretches, and muddy sections.  Not bad, just not well-maintained.  The main problem is the lack of a signpost at the junction, 1/4 mile up, where you choose whether to go left to Blue Lake or right to Dock Butte.  The sign is missing.  There is a posthole and a skimpy, rotted post with a pink string tied horizontally around it at about 3' high.  That's it.  Look for the pink string and make your choice.  Why anyone would remove a directional sign, I have no idea!