[Grey Heckel]

I remember a guy back in the 60's brought over about 25 or so and released them at North Bend. I have a cabin at Plain near Leavenworth and the year of the Sugarloaf Mtn fire, a lot were found in the Wenatchee R. area below Plain; I've heard reports of them near Whitepine Creek on Hiway 2.

[Schroder]

Here's a little clearer copy of that UW map

It looks like they're around Lake Wenatchee and way up the Stehekin. I had one inside my tent at Eightmile campground

[BeyondLost]

I find it interesting that Mazama and up Lost River Road would fall in the "peripheral zone" on this map. Yet that area truly crawls with rattlesnakes. I no longer run the Monument Creek (Lost River) trail after the end of May as there are just too many rattlers on the trail to feel safe running. It's not a matter of if a local dog will get bit but how many. The old timers used to refer to Mazama as nothing but rocks and rattlesnakes. All that said it's not all that dangerous. You just need to use common sense and caution.

[Cody s]

I did the lost river trail in may and I was fully aware that is rattlesnake country !!! I walked slow with a big stick. beyondlost, I liked your place

[BeyondLost]

Thanks, Cody. We love it here. Peg and I hiked the Lost River trail this AM to the wilderness boundary and wandered around by the river there for an hour or so. It was cool on the way out but warmed up on the way back. Just past where you leave the woods 2 miles from the TH I almost walked up onto a big rattler sunning on the trail. It rattled loudly and scooted off the trail quickly and under a large rock slab as I rapidly backed up. Always gets your pulse up a bit. I always think they are just as startled and scared as we are.

[Cody s]

[cartman]

[pasayten]

This is not so much about how far west, but about how high... On the Scramble Point trail off of Monument Creek in a rocky section... well up the trail at 4500ft... Jeesh, was not expecting them that high... Highest I have seen one in the North Cascades yet... He/she was fat... maybe ate a chipmunk/mouse a few days before... Never coiled... just rattled and was pretty docile and did not mind being moved...

The snake was right on the trail at 4500ft... I moved him off with a hiking pole... :-)

Rattlesnake on trail at 4500ft...

[BeyondLost]

[pasayten]

Must be a nice warm den nearby to winter in... The chipmunks were upset and squaking in the area... They must have seen him slithering around... What have you named him? He really was quite well behaved...

[Redwic]

I have seen them a few miles east of Monroe. But of course it was at the Reptile Zoo & Serpentarium.

[texasbb]

As long as we've left west and headed up...4800 ft in the Wenaha-Tucannon:

'Course, it's blazing hot all the way to the top out there, so probably not so unusual.

[BeyondLost]

Oiur new pet. Well, until the biologist picks it up tomorrow. They put a microchip under the skin and monitor them at their new home. Far away from us. Live captured this one today on our property. When all stretched out close to four feet long. In his coiled state here he is about as fat as my forearm. If case anyone still thinks Pacific NW rattlesnakes are little.

Typical Pacific Rattlesnake

Close up

[MLHSN]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to worry about the small rattlers just as much? Something about them being to young to control how much venom is injected? I see them quite often around Wenatchee in the foothills. I had to jump over them twice trail running last year. Both times they were laid out perpendicular across the trail sunning themselves. There are quite a few of them on Icicle Ridge also. There are LOTS of them on the North shore of Lake Chelan. However, I've never seen them on the south side of lake chelan.

[BeyondLost]

No that is a myth. What is different about young rattlers is that they still are producing neurotoxin which helps them to kill their specific prey. They produce relatively small amounts so not terribly dangerous. As adults rattlers stop producing neurotoxin and produce only hemolytic toxin. The exception is the MojaveGreen rattlesnake which continues to produce neurotoxin which makes it especially dangerous.