Dog Mountain - January 17, 2015

Dog Mountain (7 miles, 2800' elevation gain) is the most popular challenging hike in the Columbia Gorge. There are more difficult routes on both sides of the river, and some that draw larger crowds, but arguably none that bring more people to such steep and challenging terrain. And it's easy to see why. During peak wildflower season in the spring, the upper reaches are blanketed in an alpine canola field of yellow balsamroots.

For the solitude alone, January is my favorite time of year to hit the Dog. On a clear day when the trail is caught in the icy maw of winter, there is a beauty that rivals the floral display of spring. Unfortunately we decided to hike in the middle of a deluge.

Our group of six met at the trail east of Stevenson on the Washington side of the river around 9:30 a.m. The first ominous sign was the dearth of cars in the parking lot. On a nice day, finding a spot can be similar to parking at Ikea on a Sunday. We were able to pull up next to the only other three cars in the lot.

The weather remained calm on the early switchbacks as the trail rocketed up from near sea level to 700 feet and the first junction. We rested, adjusted layers, and continued up the "less difficult" of the two routes. By the time we reached the viewpoint with the bench, it was apparent we wouldn't be seeing much for the rest of the day. As the rain ratcheted up its intensity, we followed the trail back into the woods before reaching the next junction. 

The final mile to the top was wet. We emerged again from the forest and slogged in the rain across the treeless upper reaches of the Dog. Wind Mountain was visible at times to the west, and we could see the lower part of the Oregon side of the river to the south, but little else. At the summit, rather than bask in victory, we spent perhaps 180 seconds before rapidly descending in search of a sheltered place to eat. We chose to take the route toward the Augspurger loop, adding length to the hike, but offering a more gradual descent back to the trailhead.

At this point the wind picked up a bit on the exposed western flank of mountain and icy pellets whipped us in the face. And the rain started falling even harder. Once back in the woods, we found a semi-sheltered area to refuel. But we were soon chased away by more rain after a snack and ceremonial toast of Fireball.

It took awhile to dry out and warm up back at the car. The shivering continued even at the Cascade Locks Ale House. I've been on many rainy hikes in the Gorge, but perhaps none as intense as this one. It was still a great day with a fun group, but it was also a memorable one because of the rain.

Click here for photos of the hike.