Hike 5: Rattlesnake Mountain

Last weekend we tried something new by taking both cars with us to Rattlesnake Lake, off of I-90 at exit 32. This is a very familiar trailhead for most Seattlelites. Then we took one car and drove west to exit 27, where the trailhead for Snoqualmie Point lies. There we started our hike east on Rattlesnake Mountain Trail. The total distance was 10.9 miles and it took us about 4 hours (including stops along the way for food, water and pictures). The hike was a nice alternative to hiking out and back or up and down, like our other hikes were. Going in one direction required us to keep going to reach the end instead of turning around at a pre-determined time/distance.

When we first started hiking, it was warm and sunny. We didn't think we'd necessarily need our jackets.

This is the view from Stan's Overlook.


I thought these moss-covered branches were unique in how they arched across the trail.


As we went higher, more and more snow was visible and the temperature dropped.



The fresh snow was quite beautiful. We think it fell last Thursday night when we got a bunch of rain in Seattle.


The highest point was at 3,500 feet, so there was some fresh snow for a few miles. Hiking in the snow is a bit like hiking in the sand. It takes a lot of balance and it uses smaller leg muscles than those that are used on hiking dirt trails. I'm also glad that I brought a knit hat and gloves along because it was chilly at Grand Prospect Overlook.

After East Peak, we continued east and eventually started to run into people who were going a bit past Rattlesnake Ledge to see what was beyond. We learned there is a second ledge that is much more peaceful than the original ledge. We could see and hear dozens of people coming and going...a better view from a distance.



Here's a video of us at the second ledge overlooking the first ledge, Rattlesnake Lake, the mountains to the east and more. For those afraid of heights, you may not want to watch...