Rattlesnake Mountain hike

Rattlesnake trail- my first hike after moving to Seattle, and I was waaaay tired. At the end of the 2 mile upwards trail, I was panting hard like the dogs. Yes, the trail is pet friendly, and dogs of all sizes were spotted on the trail. It was fun to see how some big dogs were over enthusiastic and pulling the human zealously up or down the path, while some were very small and were taking one step forward and two steps backward before the human just picked it up and went on their way without hindrance. 

 The whole trail is around 8 miles one way. We reached till the first landmark which was 2 mile up. The path was well defined zig zags cutting through the mountain, with very steep cliff dropping on one side and mountain on the other side, with enough space on the road for two way traffic. Even though I was out of breath, mostly because I was a novice that day, the trail would be classified as a moderately difficult one. Along the path,there were small benches cut out of stone and logs for hikers to rest awhile and take in some breathtaking views of the central cascades and the rattlesnake lake. It was fascinating to see how the lake gradually became smaller and smaller as we went up, and when we reached the ledge, the whole view had just opened up. 

We rested on the ledge for about half an hour. Others who had packed lunch were snacking too. We hiked light with only water bottles and energy bars on us. Because the trail is steep, I would recommend not to carry unnecessary weight as it would make the ascend more difficult. 

It felt nice to sit on the ledge with our feet dangling over the edge from where there was a 1000 ft straight drop, and gaze at the majestic mountain peaks around.

From the ledge, there was still more way to go on till the  Snoqualmine Point , but we returned from there. The way down was 99% downhill, which merited more caution than stamina. The Rattlesnake trail is at North Bend, about 1.5 hours from Seattle. If we had gone further up on the trail, we would have had better views of the MT. Si; now that's a difficult hike, I read somewhere. The Snoqualmine Casino is very near to the Rattlesnake, about a 10 mins drive, and can be an option to chill out after a wonderful day of hike and sun, before heading back to Seattle. 

It was enough experience for the first hike. I enjoyed the workout a lot and had resolved to go on more hikes in the future. The Rattlesnake trail is accessible and comfortable from the month of May till November. I fell in love with the mountains and the wilderness of the grand Pacific Northwest.

To reach there from Seattle: Take I-90 east and get off on Exit 32 (436th Avenue SE) just past the exits to North Bend. Take a right off of the exit, heading south on 436th Ave SE which turns into Cedar Falls Road. Travel about three miles and follow the signs posted for Rattlesnake Lake.

The Pictures:

• Rattlesnake Lake at the starting of the trail.
• Along the way.
• View of the lake from the trail.
• The Rattlesnake ledge, 2 miles up from the trailhead.

Hiking around Seattle (Wallace Falls SP)

Wallace Falls State Park is in the town of Gold Bar,WA. The hiking trail starts on a route along the Amtrak rail line. As we walked, we could clearly hear the electricty travelling through the wires above, a little scary if you give it a thought. The total hike is about 8 miles one way with 3 landmarks - the lower falls, the middle falls and the upper falls. As the "wise" names suggest, these points have been names according to the level of the Wallace Fall visible from there. We are not that atheletic and managed till the Lower Falls point. The hike was relatively easier than the Rattlesnake trail we had gone to before.

This terrain has a gradually increasing altitude, but are cut by flat terrains and up and down terrains. So, one has to climb up and down on both the ways. So the body gets a balanced rest and strain and the hike doesnt seem so stressful. Besides the waterfall is visible all along the way, and one can also break away from the actual trail and climb down to touch the water and rocks at some points along the way.

 When we reached the Lower Falls marker, we crouched our way through a very bushy narrow path to reach the fall's water. The falls is almost a rapid river at this point, gushing its way though the big rocks. The rocks had gathered a little moss on them, but we rested on them anyways. Inspite of warning signs at the beginning of the trail, we saw wet shirts and shoes indicating people have gone into the water.

The most fun part for everybody in the group,besides me, was wild berry picking and eating on the way back to our car. These berries were juicy red and sweet. Little children were also picking then from the trees, and they were in so much abundance on the sides of the road.
 It was one of the rare sunny days in the Seattle area. We did break a little sweat,albeit it was a wonderful calm hiking experience.