Did the loop starting from Augspurger Trail to Dog Mountain then down to Puppy Lookout. Trail is in great condition with a few muddy areas towards the top. The forest service was working the trail today clearing blowdowns. Flowers were just starting to bloom... 2 weeks from now it should be in full swing. Great views of Mount St. Helens! ^_^

Too early for flowers but this was a good hike to kick off the season and get warmed up. The trail is in good condition with no hazards.

I left on the Dog Mountain trailhead and took the Way of the Samurai (2.2mi) then the right path at Puppy Point (Lookout). The trail was dry and clear. At the clearing the flowers were mostly gone but the view was still beautiful. The right trail at the top was quite overgrown, but it's clear this doesn't get a lot of traffic. The only problem for some might be the poison oak below 1,000ft. Above that I didn't see any. I took the Augspurger trail down and while it was dry, the downhill side of the trail was loose in a few spots so watch your step and try to stay more on the uphill side. Overall a good hike and a beautiful day for it!

Wildflowers last hurrah. In the shade or on the bald top where it is cooler, the wildflowers are in final bloom. Balsam Root is withering with the heat and the lupine and Indian paintbrush are still in bloom. Arrived at 9:30 from Seattle and the trailhead already had 35 cars (lots of Portland folks). First third on hot south slope made me think this should be called "Poison Oak Mountain." No worries despite brushing against the stuff. First two thirds is forested and you reach the bald top. It was 81 degrees, so the first two thirds were steep and sweaty. The top third opens out and (this being the Gorge) is windy and cool. Bring a windbreaker or light fleece to enjoy the top with a picnic. You will share the spot with a fair number of people and dogs if a weekend. Watch for the gifts the dogs leave the mountain if you intend to stretch out and nap or picnic on the grassy top.

Go soon and go early. This was my second time up Dog Mountain in two weeks, and the balsamroot is past its prime. The hillsides were still vibrant yellow, but on closer inspection the balsamroot blossoms are starting to dry up. However there was the typical assortment of wildflowers adding color variety, and these are still in full blossom. My hiking buddy and I went on a sunny weekend day, and there was a carnival in the parking lot and a party at the top. The parking lot was pretty much full by 9:30 am, and cars were parked quite a distance up and down SR14 by the time we left. A swarm of people greeted us at the top, all buzzing with excitement after having made the rigorous climb. Go early to get a parking spot, and be prepared for a joyous experience shared with lots of people. This is no place for quiet reflection. At the first junction on the way up, be sure to go to the right and up the scenic trail. We went to the left up the old trail, a mistake because the arduous climb was entirely in the woods with nothing much to see other than trees. The newer scenic trail offers views of the gorge and two weeks ago had an amazing assortment of forest wild flowers. Our return trip was on the more knee-friendly Augspurger Mountain trail which offers photo-worthy views of the gorge before dropping into the forest. There was slippery, gooey mud in the heavily forested areas and a profusion of poison oak in the more open areas. The poison oak crowded the trail in places, so be sure you know what it looks like and be prepared to dodge it.