Well, Spring is finally here! And - as in most years - that meant a hike up to dog mountain.
We spent the prior evening visiting Inga & Jim in their new house in Tualatin. Turns out they are avid board gamers as well!
This is the first year where you need a hiking permit - several hikers got caught off guard, but Michaela had made sure we are well prepared! Dog mountain with its ~2800 ft of elevation over a 7.5 mile hike is not for the faint of heart, as the signage makes clear early on: you have two options...
We were a bit concerned about Pepper (he is not getting any younger), but we didn't need to worry: he did very well - particularly on the last couple of miles as Michaela & I lost a bit of steam.
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| The first viewpoint on the hike up - catching our breath. |
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| Michaela realizes just how much further up we have to go... |
As we made our way further up beyond the forest, we were greeted by many wild flowers already in full bloom.
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| The view from the top: on the left you can see the tip of Mt. Hood, on the far right is Mt. Helens. |
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| We made it! |
