Hiked Dog Mt and flowers are at their peak. I was nervous about the shuttle system, since it didn't seem clear to me. I tried to get a permit from recreation.gov, but they were gone in seconds. The site says you need a permit per person, which is not correct. You need one per car. It is technically just a parking permit. If you didn't obtain a permit on line you can take the shuttle from Stevenson. It is easy, free, parking for your car and very frequent. 

Started hiking at 8am. The forecast called for wind and partly cloudy conditions. The sky looked pretty cloudy when we started but by the time we were exiting the forest - we took the steeper, “more difficult” trail - and entered the beginning of the meadows, we were in a cloud! It was windy, wet, and visibility was limited.

I post this mainly as a reminder to always pack extra layers (warmth and water protection) and make sure you have the 10 essentials (goggle WTA 10 Essentials - they have a great article). Weather in the mountains changes quickly!

PS you only need a parking permit, and NOT a permit for each individual hiker.

Flowers are close to end of their peak at the top slopes, past prime on lower slopes.

Lucked into a small "thunderstorm" that came out of nowhere as ascended up that as it cleared up, provided some nice contrast with blue sky as rain kept on going in the distance.  Breathing in fresh, rain soaked air while basking in the glow of tons of wildflowers was a great way to start the weekend.

We arrived just before 8am this morning to find the lot about half full. By the time it took us to finish a cup of coffee in the car, the trailhead was at full capacity and dozens of people were circling the lot hoping for a spot to open up. We took the Augspurger trail up which ended up being a great decision since it was shaded the entire way and nicely graded. We hardly saw anyone until we topped out near the summit, but once at the top where the flowers are prolific there were 20 or so people scattered across the hillside sitting among the patches of flowers. It was sad to see so much wear and tear on the vegetation here due to human impact. Also an absurd amount of toilet paper in various locations, mostly behind and around bigger trees. Please, come prepared to pack out all trash and human waste. No one wants to see your gross toilet paper piles!
On to the flowers... The yellow Balsamroot is pretty much toasted everywhere except for at the very top, but there are still lots of other flower types to enjoy. Maybe another week until the wildflower show is complete over, so get it while you can!

Trail in good condition. Peak wildflower bloom.