Nine members of the Alberni Valley Nature Club went to Dog Mountain last weekend to see how the fire that ravaged Dog Mountain in 2015 is recovering. Unlike lots of hikers our hike was a very leisurely one up an old logging road and stopping to identify or photograph plants or insects, to identify birds we came across, and just to enjoy the view of  the Two Rivers Arm of Sproat Lake.

Dog Mount isn’t really a mountain, just a large hill about 320m high. The weather, which had been very cool and rainy, was good. Clouds and the odd light drizzle were around. But the sun was out too, forcing us to shed outer layers of clothing. We hiked to the top end of the road marveling at how spotty the fire had been and how so many of the Douglas fir were spared due to their thick protective bark. We have more excursions planned later this summer. Check out our summer schedule on the events page.