| Bitten by the rabid winds of Dog Trip Report |
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| Bitten by the rabid winds of Dog   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Location: Washington, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 45.71710°N / 121.7011°W Date Climbed/Hiked: Dec 11, 2005 | Page By: tazz Created/Edited: Jan 7, 2006 / Object ID: 170756 Hits: 689 Loading... Page Score: 87.01% - 3 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
As I drive east down the gorge my truck is being shoved and pushed by some very violent winds. I think to myself, “hmmm maybe I should change plans.” I know that Dog mountain gets some pretty heavy winds. I really have my heart set on Dog for the day. I have hiked this mountain several times but never in the winter. So I decide I am going for it.
I arrive at the parking lot at 7:45 am. This hike is one of the most popular in the Gorge during the summer. It is also used as a conditioner for scramblers, climbers, and the Mazama’s. There are a ton of people on the trail in the summer. I have always wanted to get up there in the winter. I am glad I did. It will be my favorite time to climb this one from now on.
It starts out at 150' and switchbacks up. Then there is a fork in the trail about a mile in. Go to the right and it is less difficult but longer with views. Take the left fork and it is more difficult (not hard at all) with no views. The sun was coming out and playing with the windswept clouds so I picked the easy way. I am glad I did cause the clouds where so cool to watch. The winds in the gorge were sweeping and pushing the clouds so fast that I would look and then look again and they would be so different. Some of the fastest moving clouds I have seen. It was really cool to watch. Snow patches started around 950' and solid snow at 1500'.
The trail was packed down and icy. I did not bring my snowshoes for that reason I knew it would be packed down so I just brought my crampons. I didn’t need to put them on though cause the snow on the sides was soft enough for a bite but frozen enough to stay on top till I reached around 2000'.
I arrived at the old lookout spot and the wind was crazy. I found shelter to take a couple of shots of Dog and cool down. The temp at this point was 22 degrees. I had been trying to keep my body heat and sweating down so when I get to the top in that wind I would not get cold. I continued on and met up with the guy who showed up right after I left the trail head. He took the more difficult trail. He went ahead of me. We reached the open traverse and I stopped to bundled up. The wind was biting and stinging every inch of exposed skin. I was like, “this isn’t that bad at least I can still hike in it.” The wind was blowing around 45+ mph at this point.
As I reached the spot on the trail that one would turn up the ridge the wind knocked me down to the ground.
I stood again and was able to stagger a bit and then was knocked down again. I stayed down on my hands and knees for a little bit (laughing my ass off) hoping it would slow a bit. Not a chance the wind had to have been blowing at 45-50 with gusts of 60++. It was nuts! I could not stay on the trail and kept getting blown off ( keep in mind I am not a weak, petite little girl I am tall and strong ; )))) ). I pretty much crawled to a sheltered spot behind a tree that had snow and ice concreted to it at 2800'.
Whew! I was laughing so hard I had tears that where freezing to my face. It was funny and fun.
There was no way I was even going to bother with the last few 100 feet to the summit. The spot I was at was just fine for me today LOL. I have been on the top of this many times no need to crawl to the top.
Summit fever did not attack me that day. I sat and watched the clouds blow around me and the summit.
The guy that I met down lower also decided not to go the rest of the way. I am telling you all it was crazy. His snow shoes that he had attached to the back of his pack where ripped out and sent flying down the slope hehehe.
I hung out and took pictures of the awesome rhyme ice on my now favorite tree on Dog.
The temp was 20 degrees. I would have hated to see the wind chill. My fingers would instantly freeze when out of there little mittens =).
I headed back down after hanging out for about 45minutes. I crawled down to the end of the ridge and was finally able to stand at this point. I met a few people on the way down and it was the wind that was the topic of conversation. I will go back when the forecast for the winds is better. It was a great hike and I never used my crampons but I did slip and fall a couple of times on the way down (Just because I was going too fast and not paying attention). Just cause I was too lazy to put them on and there was really no need (overkill! it is just a trail gee... hehe). I was back at the truck a little after 11 and had time to go check out some of the falls that have been freezing up in the gorge.
I have never laughed so much on a solo hike as much as this one. For a little mountain it can pack a punch when it wants to. = )))) Too much fun!
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