Hike 9: Rattlesnake Ledge
Rattlesnake Ledge was the second of two hikes that we were thwarted on back on February 22nd. As it was March 8th now, it was time to get this one done! With me, as always, is my wife Brook.
Brook and I making “snake hands” in front of the Rattlesnake trail sign
Rattlesnake Lake got its name from explorer Arthur Denny, when a road surveyor was scared by a packet of seed pods rattling, thinking it was a rattlesnake. There are no actual poisonous snakes in the area. My hat goes off to Mr. Denny’s expert trolling skills.
Shore of Rattlesnake Lake
Another interesting fact about this lake, is that there was actually a town called Moncton on the shore, that was flooded out in 1915 when the lake grew to its present size. In late summer, in dry years, you can actually see the tops of the ruins of Moncton peeking up above the water.
Rattlesnake Ledge from the shore; that’s where we’re going!
This hike was a busy one…lots of people on the trail. It is generally a fairly well-trafficked path in normal times, but combine the isolation protocol due to the Coronavirus outbreak with one of the wettest winters in Puget Sound history, and I think everyone was feeling the need to go outside.
It is easy to see why this hike is so popular. The trail is well maintained, and the views are tremendous. The hike starts off at the Rattlesnake Lake trailhead, and takes a gently meandering path upward.
A small stream coming down from the mountain
About a couple of miles in, the meandering path changes to a set of switchbacks worthy of the Chirico trail. It is worth it though…the views are amazing, and we really lucked out with weather.
Once you get to the top of the switchbacks, there is a very short scramble up to the ledge itself. At the top of the ledge, there is a surprisingly deep crevasse that you have to jump over to get to the far ledge.
Crevasse at the top of the ledge
I am normally afraid of heights, but realized that if I’m going to do Mt. Rainier someday, I will need to get used to this sort of thing. To the laughter and delight of nearby small children, I leapt over the crevasse with a rather high-pitched noise emanating from my lips.
Patrick on Rattlesnake Ledge
Brookie with Mt. Si in the background
It was worth it. Standing atop the ledge, I am able to see the parking lot where we started, the lake, Mt. Si, and the Cascade range.
Cool rainstorm in the distance
Looking over the ledge at the lake, and the Cascades in the distance
I loved this hike, and I would definitely do it again.