Dog Mountain (3/26/11)

Brad and I helped out friend James' BCEP class again today with a hike up Dog Mountain east of Stevenson, Wash. I almost bailed after hearing forecasts of constant rain, but I'm really glad I decided to stick it out.

I think we all had visions of cold, pouring rain the entire 5.8 miles. Thankfully, it was drippy but nothing too horrible as we did some get-to-know-you activities and then hiked up the switchbacks and the old, "more difficult" trail (clockwise). Because the forest canopy is thick, the trail was fairly dry and in good shape. Just a few muddy or slippery spots.
As we neared the clearing at the top, it started snowing lightly. We emerged from the trees, and the tiny flakes turned into huge flakes! There was already lots of snow on the ground and trees, and it just kept piling up as the storm dumped on us. Luckily, there was little wind, which is very unusual for the top of Dog Mountain.
We all hung out in the shelter of the trees at the summit as we ate lunch and passed around group treats (a special thanks to Nathan for the amazing brownies and Barb for the fresh fruit - yum!!). We missed the great view at the top, but the snow was beautiful!When complaints of cold started, we posed for a quick group shot and then headed down the mountain, returning on the "difficult" trail (still clockwise). We assumed that the fat flakes would turn into heavy rain as we lost elevation, but it actually dried up as we descended. Just like last week, we really lucked out with the weather!

We met a few more students and assistants this week and had a great time! I'm really enjoying hiking with these guys and look forward to more outings this season :)