You can’t go wrong on Dog Mountain (2,948 feet) in the Columbia Gorge on a cool, hazy Saturday in August. And if you can only find one friend to go with you? No problem.
Difficult vs. More Difficult (spoiler alert: it’s all difficult)
Click here for more photos from the hike.
We left Portland early and hit the trail by 9 am. After going up the initial switchbacks, we opted for the “more difficult” path. This challenging option shaves off some mileage by going straight up the Dog.
Haze above the treeline.
The haze persisted above the treeline, blocking our view except for the trail and some balsamroot remnants left over from the spring floral show. Even Wind Mountain near the Columbia remained invisible. But then everything changed on the summit. As we started our descent, Mother Nature lifted the blanket and the river and mountains came into view.
The haze starts to lift! Wind Mountain is on the right.
We hurried back to the trailhead and were back on the road close to noon. On the way home, we stopped in Stevenson and discovered The Cabin Drive-Thru’s frozen custard.
Conditions look even better by the river.