Have you ever seen one of those postcards that are completely gray, and on each of the four sides of the border is written “Summer in Seattle”, “Autumn in Seattle”, “Winter in Seattle” and “Spring in Seattle”? Well, that was the view from Rattlesnake Ledge on our hike today. Due to the low cloud ceiling however, there was no view of Rattlesnake Lake, where the hike began, but simply the cloudy gray skies that Seattle is so well known for. Nevertheless, it was exhilarating to be out on that rock! Our destination was East Peak, the same place us fast hikers hiked to last week, but Rattlesnake Ledge was to be the highlight of the trip.
Today’s hike started out steep, and stayed steep for most of the way. Starting elevation at the trailhead on the west side of Rattlesnake Lake is about 1000 feet. Rattlesnake Ledge, approximately 1.9 miles away is at 2040 feet, so vertical gain to that point was 1040 feet. Judging by the number of dogs, people wearing flip-flops, and parents hauling toddlers up the trail as we came back down, the climb is a popular one. We continued on another 2.5 miles to East Peak, which is at 3500 feet, and then some of us continued on toward Grand Prospect on the same part of the trail we were on last week. Due to time constraints, we couldn’t hike all the way to Grand Prospect, but we did enjoy what we were able to hike, and returned to East Peak to join the rest of the group for lunch. Altogether, us faster hikers covered 11.5 miles and a cumulative elevation gain of 2700 feet.*
*I’ve found that distances and elevation gains vary by who you ask! You can check five websites, and ask five hikers, and get ten different answers. The figures I use are those given to us by our hike leaders after each hike is completed.
Last week at East Peak I was able to get great photo’s of Mt. Rainier. This week, in photo’s taken at the exact same location, it appears that Mt. Rainier has disappeared, so I drew it in for you!
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- Misty trail
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- On Rattlesnake Ledge
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- Map of the trail
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- View of Mt. Rainier?
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- Leaving East Peak, heading back
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- Looking back up to the ledge on the way down
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- Big dead tree
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- Rattlesnake Lake
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- Rattlesnake Ledge after the clouds cleared
Today I used my new Camelbak pack (thank you Cheryl!), with the hydration bladder, for the first time. This pack has a drinking tube running from the bottom of the bladder to one of the shoulder straps, where it is clipped for easy access while hiking. It sure beats having to carry or retrieve a plastic bottle! The pack is also designed to keep your back cool by allowing air to flow between pack and back. It has lots of storage space and was very comfortable. Time will tell, but on this one hike at least, it’s proven to be a great pack.
The fundraising total continues to climb thanks to all of you wonderful people! The total now stands at $2135 with about a month and a half left to go. I know several of you have said you’d donate, so I’m counting on you to push us over the top! Again, on behalf of all who will benefit from your generous donations, THANK YOU!!!
Special note – I’ve recently made a new friend in Brandi who lives in New Mexico and was diagnosed in April with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She is a very courageous young lady who maintains a website about her experience with lymphoma and the treatment she is undergoing, It’s quite an eye-opener and very moving. I encourage you to visit her website http://mylymphomastory.com and leave her a message of hope and encouragement.
Next week’s hike is to Wallace Falls!
