Rattlesnake Mountain

We had intended to do a hike up towards Snoqaulmie Pass, but ran into a blizzard on I-90, so headed back down to North Bend and decided to hike the Rattlesnake Mtn. trail from the Snoqualmie Point Trailhead. There were quite a few cars in the parking lot and some parked just outside the Discovery Pass fee area. So we thought we'd see tons of other hikers on the trail, but didn't run into to many along the way. The temp was 40 degrees as we started the hike. Stopped at Stan's Overlook for a snack break where the view was pretty cloudy. We contineud on up the trail through large conifer trees as the trail does a few switchbacks before getting to the small bridge across Owen Creek. Up near Sally's Swale we stopped for lunch where we had sandwiches, hot soup and cocoa on this chilly day. Some hikers passed by heading back down as we were eatting, and some wished they had brought hot food and drinks like us.

After lunch we decided to head back as more clouds were blowing in and it was getting colder. We met a few more hikers coming up, some with their dogs. All the dogs were well behaved. Back where the trail crosses the logging and powerline roads, the sun was out and shinning down in the Snoqualmie Valley and over by Mt. Si. Mailbox Peak looks pretty cloud covered. When we got down to the parking lot, the temp had dropped from 40 to 37 degrees.

Stats for our hike: 3.7 miles round trip with 1,510' gain. The trail is in good shape with no blown down trees. The trail from Stan's Overlook to Sally's Swale is a nice area to hike. No big crowds on this trail like Mt. Si or Rattlesnake Ledge. Check it out if you have not done this one.