I thought this would be my last hike in Oregon this year, then I realized I was in Washington! Ha ha! I decided to try Dog Mountain in winter. Last time I was there, it was August and very hot. There are advantages to hiking in winter for sure.
Pros: Low angled light, increased visibility (no leaves on trees), brisk temperatures, solitude.
Cons: Views may be obscured by clouds/fog, wind, wet
But overall, winter hiking rocks!
I managed to do this hike in 4 hours including stops for photos and lunch. It is a 6.8 mile loop which gains 2800 ft in a little over 3 miles. Steep. The forest is pretty, flowers cover the meadows in spring and views are typically stunning. Today the combo of forest, sun and fog were the main attraction. I enjoyed the low light and how it lit up the forest. Very cool.
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| The trail begins in an oak forest |
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| soon switches over to Douglas Fir and Oregon grape |
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| Dog Mtn is in the cloud |
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| took about a million of these sunbeam shots |
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| the viewpoint is socked in |
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| the remains of the balsamroot everyone comes to see in the spring |
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| hikers leaving the summit |
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| a peak of the river |
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| Wind Mountain |
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| a train on the Oregon side |
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