To celebrate the end of school, one of my best friends from grad school Joe came up to visit me for the day (I visited him last fall in Redmond), and I very impulsively said "we should hike Dog Mountain!' (we were planning on going on a hike, but hadn't decided what one.) Dog Mountain is definitely on the harder end of hikes in the area, but I knew that Joe (who runs marathons) could do it, so the only variable in the equation was if I could. (I knew I could. Of course!)
We headed out pretty early and had to get our day pass at local little store, which naturally has a mounted animal head. Totally normal.
^ I need to check this place out!
The hike is no joke, from the start. Switchback, switchback, switchback, switchback. But it's gorgeous from the start.
There is a really nice bench spot about one mile up. (The downside is you can see how far you still have to go.)
^Eventually the signs look like this.
From this point it's .1 to the top. It's the longest .1 EVER.
It was EXTREMELY windy and cold at the very top... it seemed like everyone we went by were VERY SERIOUS hikers, with poles, fancy clothes, backpacks, etc. (We were/are not.)
The flowers were amazing, and I kept telling Joe that I felt like we should be in The Sound of Music or that Heidi should be around the corner or something.
The top was somewhat anticlimactic- we aren't really sure if there is a sign or something you're supposed to go to, all I am saying is that after hiking 3,000 feet in 3.5 miles I thought there would be a sign or something to celebrate that you made it. But nothing.
Still, an awesome hike and a great start to the summer!!
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