Getting There
I took Hwy 84 to Cascade Locks, then crossed the river. I suppose it's a little quicker than going all the way to Hood River and taking Hwy 14 back to Cook.
There were a lot of cars but it wasn't at capacity. I found a spot near the trailhead. I made sure there was nothing visible. I'm not sure if car break-ins is as bad as it was but I wasn't taking any chances.
The last time I hiked Dog Mountain was Nov 22, 2022. I was parked next to another Jeep that was broken into while the owner was on the trail. The fact that the parking lot is right on Hwy 14 gives a false sense of security. The difference between vehicles was that mine was empty and other Jeep had stuff in plain sight since they were on a road trip.
Frustrating. I remember bailing on a hike at Herman Creek because of how much glass there was on the ground in the small parking area. That was during the pandemic. It feels like happens a lot less but still important to take precautions.
The Hike
Length: 6.92 mi
Elev. gain: 2,828 ft
Moving time: 3:27:23
Avg pace: 29:57
Calories: 2,093
Total time: 3:54:55
My streak of not getting an early start is unbroken. Well, that's not entirely true: I got there earlier than for the previous couple of hikes but it was still in the afternoon when I set out on the trail.
I made good progress up the first switchback to the trail split where you have Difficult and More Difficult.
There wasn't any snow until above the trail split at the top. I was able to climb the steep section of trail with just my new Keen boots and new tread, however, when I got to slushy snow I got out the microspikes for some extra traction, esp. for the mud. A pair of hikers I'd passed went by. They were wearing trail runners and not particularly outfitted for colder, snowy conditions. I knew I would have the advantage higher up.
Yep, on the straightaway to Puppy Dog Viewpoint, they were stopped to catch their breath and I cruised by.
At Puppy Dog VP, there was a person taking photos so I didn't stop. The trail to the top had about 8 inches of snow but it was well packed, so I wasn't worried about postholing.
I passed a couple of hikers on their way down and I had the top to myself.
I ducked into "my" tree. I wanted to get out my mittens and gaiters, then ran over to the other clearing for a pitstop. I lingered for a little while before starting my descent. I passed a big group (about 6 people) on their way up.
A little ways down I stopped to wait for a hiker to finish taking photos. I got my camera out as well as it seemed like a perfect "Kodak" moment. It was momentary break in the clouds, revealing Wind Mountain and the Gorge.
When I got down into the forest again, it warmed up and I took off my microspikes and ate an orange.
The views at lower elevations just got better and better.
I reached the car and was happy to not have any vandalism. Excellent hike, decent mileage and elevation gain. And my foot wasn't too unhappy.
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There were so many good photos, although similar in composition, I wanted to include several. Enjoy!
