Amazing hike, it was very worth it for the view and the beauty of the sunflowers! The hike is all up hill except for a few breather spots towards the middle, the bugs pretty much follow you the whole time. The hike is about 7.8miles long round trip. But all in all it was a great hike!

Dog Mountain was beautiful today; rainy, flowers in full bloom, and not too many people on the trail. It was fairly windy and chilly at the top, but well worth it.

The wildflowers are still in bloom, but on their way out. I would give them another two weeks, so if you can, try to make it up there soon!

After this leg burner of a hike, we stopped for a beer at Double Mountain (Brut IPA is great!) and grabbed some tacos at Lake Taco (spicy, but great food and offer vegan options!) 

We secured our permits about three weeks early via this site: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/273800

Walk-up permits are available, but are limited and are first-come, first-served, so I recommend using the recreation.gov site. We live about two and a half hours away, so we got started around 10am and it was perfect. The parking lot was only about half full at the time we started. 

We took our dog, and she was leashed the entire time. We came across five unleashed dogs, though the trail does state that dogs are required to be leashed at all time; please remember this if you bring your pup! 

Did my annual solo hike up the Dog Mountain Trail and down the Augspurger Trail.

The weather was fine ... some low clouds on the river but, after having reached the top - around 10:30 am - the clouds dissipated quickly.

There were some bugs but they were not too bad. I do recommend having some deet handy though.

Unfortunately I'd forgotten to put my hiking poles in the back of my Outback so coming down, even on the less steep Augspurger Trail, began to take its toll on my 76 year old legs.

Overall a lovely day and the hike was very nice indeed.  I only wished that there had been more red and blue flowers mixed in with the yellow Balsamroot but you can't always have everything!

Is it really worth it to drive 4 hours and bust your butt hiking up Dog Mountain? YES, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT YES.

PARKING
I arrived at noon on Wednesday to find the parking lot full but thankfully early hikers were starting to return to their cars and it didn't take long before a spot became available. Time your arrival to take advantage of this and go on a weekday to avoid the throngs of people. Don't forget your parking permits or bring $5 cash (no coins) for the paid parking at the trail head.

GEAR
There is an abundance of poison oak along the trail so wear pants to minimize your exposure. Some parts of the trail are quite steep and I did meet other hikers who fell. While plenty of people can do this hike without trekking poles, you may wish you had them when you start coming down the steep parts. If it's rained recently, those steep sections of the trail can be very slick and further increase your chance of an injury. I recommend packing your poles if you have them.

PACE YOURSELF
The struggle is real. Everyone who tells you it is a hard hike is correct; you will feel the burn in your bum and your lungs soon after hitting the trail. It's not just you. So take your time and learn to rest, not to give up. You will make it to the top and you will have zero regrets when you do. 

AT THE TOP
Bring a jacket because the weather can change quickly. It was sunny when I started, rained on the way up, was sunny when I arrived at the meadow and then rained again when I left. The wind was also blowing and several people said they felt cold. Think of it this way: if you bring a jacket, you can enjoy the view a little longer.

Arrived at the trail head at 5:40 am. I was the third car in the parking lot.
Began the hike at 5:53 am. Reached the first lookout at 6:50 am. Reached the second lookout at 7:58 am. Was back at the parking lot by 9:11 am.
The last mile of the hike was a killer! The wind was relentless at the second lookout.
The parking lot was not full when I left. I was surprised by the turnout.
The wildflowers were beautiful! Totally worth waking up at 2 am and the 3 hr drive.