Dog Mountain Flower Status - 5/19

[Trailmom]

My son and I hiked Dog Mountain on Friday. The balsamroot is in full bloom from the lower viewpoint to just past the upper lookout site. The very top meadows are still a couple of weeks away from full balsamroot bloom. The phlox is looking very good. There are some great patches of it along the Augspurger Mtn trail. Lupine just starting to bloom near the trailhead. There are a couple of really nice patches of paintbrush lower on the Augspurger trail too. Poison oak is thick on the lower portions of both trails.

At the lower viewpoint

It was a sunny, but windy day. Met quite a few people on the way up, but I'm sure nothing like the crowds that are sure to be up there this weekend. No mud on either trail. Our recent bout of warm, dry weather seems to have dried everything up. A small amount of blow down on the Augsburger trail, but nothing that you can't step over.

Balsamroot bunch at lower viewpoint.

Not much more to say, so here's a bunch of photos for you to enjoy.

Approaching the upper lookout site.

Lots of nice phlox along the trail.

The upper meadows near the viewpoint are perfect right now.

The bloom peters out as you climb the last pitch to the summit.

A few people on the summit.

View from Augspurger trail on the way down.

If you were thinking of checking out the flowers on Dog Mtn, the next two weeks would be a great time to do so!

[romann]

Everything's so much earlier this year!

Thank you for update - great pictures too

[greglief]

Thank you very much for the report and the photos!

Greg
OregonWildflowers.org

[raftingdog]

Dog Mt...always infested with summit lizards...in every position of recline.....only hike with this feature every time of year do not beleive any pictures of bulsom root bloom...its photoshop

[CuriousGorgeGuide]

Thanks also!

[Peder]

I love this photo!

[Trailmom]

Thanks Peder for your kind comment! It's one of my favorite photos too. Thanks everyone else for looking and commenting.

[funhog]

Thanks for the update and the lovely hanging meadow photo. This will be my eleventh year to do this hike as a rite of spring. That summit shot does get to me, though. Every year, the top gets balder and balder. The folks stomp on the flowers, sit in them and compact the earth so nothing will grow. Grrrr....

[BigBear]

Hiked at Dog Mtn on Friday, May 25th. The balsamroot are at their peak at Puppy Lookout and lower. It'll be a 10-114 days before the summit reaches its peak. The penny rock cress is at its end and the buttercup are beginning, then it will be Act IV (the balsamroot). (Act I are the purple-colored Columbia kittentails).

In the lower rock gardens, the thread-leaf phaceila are at their prime, but not a sign of the herlad-of-summer (pink-petaled clarkia with that dab of red on each petal).

I feel so happy I am not part of the crowd today. There were two rows of cars on Friday, I can only imagine the multitudes today. Uggghhh...