A nice 1.5 mile, 1300 feet elevation gain hike to a pleasant rocky ledge, overlooking Rattlesnake Lake, North Bend, and looking North at Mt Si. Baker was also visible. A nice day for a short easy hike. It was quite windy on the ridge, but warm in the woods. No snow yet to be seen except at much higher elevations.

Took another mid-week hike because I've learnt that one cannot predict weather with a barometer as well as with a calendar. The trail was dry and there were no windfalls. A lot of people were playing in Rattlesnake Lake. Typical of mid-week, the weather was clear and warm. Chipmunks were scavenging for food at the summit.

Some of the Beoalps class of '96 Green team reunited to hike up to Rattle Snake Ledge for the view and some much needed exercise for myself. This heavily used trail was in excellent shape and not too steep after all. Our numbers were augmented by Evin Stiener who used his age (6 months) as an excuse to hitch a ride on dad's back. He slept almost the whole way, waking just long enough at the top to grab a quick view. During lunch we saw a Chinook army helicopter fly by from the North. Later in the day I read in the Sunday Times that Wade Holden had finally convinced the reserves to use thier heavy-lift capability to pull some hard-to-get-at car-bodies from the Middle Fork Snoqualmie area. Good job Wade and the Friends of the Trail! One quick warning - all the portable toilets around Rattle Snake lake are real full up so go before you leave home.

Getting there: Drive to Rattlesnake Lake and start heading up towrds Rattlesnake Ledge. The Trail: I started the day by taking a couple of friends up ""Mailbox Peak"" (hi to Gabe and Susy!). The weather was great but the winds at the top were ""arctic like"", with gusts up to at least 50 miles per hour. After the Mailbox trek I decide to do a little ""Rattlesnake Appetizer"" to finish off the afternoon. I started up the ledge around 3:30 and made it to the east Rattlesnake summit (~3,500 ft. w/ 2,600 ft. of gain). I made it just in time for a spectacular sunset, there was snow on the route from just past the old log landing to the summit. I was surprised that no one else had summited this fine day (there were still lots of cars at the trailhead at 3:30 when I arrived). This is the highest point in the ""Issaquah Alps"" with, perhaps the best views of the Puget Sound Basin and the Snoqualmie River Valley anywhere in the state! The snow was hard (nice!) and icy on top and still a bit breezy (you'll know you are on top if you get to a little red building surrounded by a bunch of towers). The descent back to the lake was in the dark and the whole trip took a little less than three hours! Well take care and see ya on the trail. Everyone's favorite Siamese, Pilar!