Forum Index > Trip Reports > Rattlesnake Snoqualmie Point to East Peak 05/31/2008
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tigermn
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tigermn
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PostSun Jun 01, 2008 9:00 pm 
Ok so I've never done Rattlesnake from Snoqualmie Point. Based on reading was wondering exactly where/how to park. Well little did I know there is a nice 53 car parking lot complete with rest rooms at the trailhead.
Snoqualmie Point parking lot at start of hike ~ 09:00AM
Snoqualmie Point parking lot at start of hike ~ 09:00AM
A rather nice walk actually. You gain but not too steeply with some breaks where it levels out. The tread is also very good.
Lower section of Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Lower section of Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
A mixture of forests, crossing old logging roads, power lines and clearcuts to Stan's Overlook.
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail in clearcut area.
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail in clearcut area.
Old Logging road Rattlesnake Mountain Road.
Old Logging road Rattlesnake Mountain Road.
Partial View from logged area before powerline crossing Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Partial View from logged area before powerline crossing Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail past powerline crossing.
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail past powerline crossing.
Stan's overlook provides best views so far.
Hang a left for Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Hang a left for Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
View of Si/Tenerife from Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
View of Si/Tenerife from Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Views from Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Views from Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Views from Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Views from Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Views from Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Views from Stan's overlook Rattlesnake Mountain Trail.
Push on through more clearcuts, finally hitting the logging boundry.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail clearcut views from past Stan's overlook.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail clearcut views from past Stan's overlook.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail clearcut views from past Stan's overlook.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail clearcut views from past Stan's overlook.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail. Timber sale boundry. Entering the forest now.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail. Timber sale boundry. Entering the forest now.
The trail reenters the forest:
Rattlensnake Mountain trail shot in the woods.
Rattlensnake Mountain trail shot in the woods.
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail. That's one big Matzah ball!
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail. That's one big Matzah ball!
Finally 4.2 miles Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail mileage sign at Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail mileage sign at Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail more views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail more views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail more views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail more views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail more views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail more views from Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail Grand Prospect wide shot with benches.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail Grand Prospect wide shot with benches.
Snow increases past Grand prospect but still patchy until the next somewhat confusing junction.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail not far past Grand Prospect. Pretty much a snow walk now.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail not far past Grand Prospect. Pretty much a snow walk now.
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail at confusing point. Go through gate and take first road to left.
Rattlesnake Mountain Trail at confusing point. Go through gate and take first road to left.
Someone had carved an arrow in the snow form the other direction.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail arrow pointing the way at confusing point. Take hard right, don't go down road.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail arrow pointing the way at confusing point. Take hard right, don't go down road.
Take the hard left past the gate. If you venture past there is another old logging spur with nice views off to the south and west of previous clearcuts.
Rattlesnake Mountain road below main trail/road past Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain road below main trail/road past Grand Prospect.
Rattlesnake Mountain road off main trail looking west at clearcuts.
Rattlesnake Mountain road off main trail looking west at clearcuts.
Rattlesnake Mountain road off main trail looking south west at clearcuts.
Rattlesnake Mountain road off main trail looking south west at clearcuts.
Rattlesnake Mountain road off main trail looking south at clearcuts.
Rattlesnake Mountain road off main trail looking south at clearcuts.
After negotiating a few blowdowns you pass another tower on the left.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail tower past Grand Prospect on way to East tower.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail tower past Grand Prospect on way to East tower.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail tower past Grand Prospect on way to East tower.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail tower past Grand Prospect on way to East tower.
Then closer to East Peak a confusing junction. It points up the hill which dead ends at a small tower. The correct way on the return is from where you cam to just keep on the road you are on.
Rattlesnake Mountain small tower up false direction road.
Rattlesnake Mountain small tower up false direction road.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail misleading pointing sign. This sign points up towareds a minor summit with a small tower.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail misleading pointing sign. This sign points up towareds a minor summit with a small tower.
After a bit more climbing and snow you arrive at the East Peak.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail approaching East Peak tower.
Rattlesnake Mountain trail approaching East Peak tower.
Rattlesnake Mountain East Peak Tower.
Rattlesnake Mountain East Peak Tower.
Rattlesnake Mountain East Peak Tower area.
Rattlesnake Mountain East Peak Tower area.
Rattlesnake Mountain limited views from East Peak Tower area.
Rattlesnake Mountain limited views from East Peak Tower area.
Views aren't real good except from the small bench just below the summit.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
Views from bench area near East Towers.
After a short lunch stop with camp robber company I headed down.
Rattlesnake Mountain East Peak Tower area Camp Robbers feasting on my scraps.
Rattlesnake Mountain East Peak Tower area Camp Robbers feasting on my scraps.
Rattlesnake Mountain East Peak Tower area Camp Robbers feasting on my scraps.
Rattlesnake Mountain East Peak Tower area Camp Robbers feasting on my scraps.
Camp Robber at East Tower.
Camp Robber at East Tower.
Trip down uneventful except it started to rain a little about a mile or so from the car. Nothing major. A few parting shots from Stans.
Fuller Mountain from Stan's Overlook.
Fuller Mountain from Stan's Overlook.
Si/Tenerife from Stan's Overlook.
Si/Tenerife from Stan's Overlook.
Si haystack from Stan's Overlook.
Si haystack from Stan's Overlook.
Tenerife from Stan's Overlook.
Tenerife from Stan's Overlook.
Final shots from Stan's Overlook.
Final shots from Stan's Overlook.
Total distance according to signs is 12.2 miles round trip. It really didn't seem that long. With my exploratings probably ~ 13 miles. I'd consider going all the way to the ledges in the future. Probably wouldn't walk all the way down to lake only to turn around and return. That would be a 21 mile day, then again who knows. Once all the snow is gone it would all go faster. Wore microspikes (optional I'd say for sure) and poles (I'd say highly recommended). Surely no snowshoes required. In fact they would be more of an annoyance. Snow pretty consolidated/boot trodden. I never had a posthole problem and I'm not a featherweight.

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tigermn
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PostMon Jun 02, 2008 7:11 pm 
Oh yea I did get three (count em 3) mosquito bites when sitting at the East Peak summit which kinda surprised me. I didn't even really thing to use the bug stuff. I guess the mosquitoes have to wake up sometime too.

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DRSpalding
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DRSpalding
Probably riding MTB
PostMon Jun 02, 2008 8:20 pm 
Heh. When did those benches get put in??? And that sign? Hmmm. The snow was at least 4' higher than that earlier in May:
Grand Prospect on 2008.05.08 (I'm sitting on snow!)
Grand Prospect on 2008.05.08 (I'm sitting on snow!)
smile.gif I guess the permanent snow field on Rattlesnake Ridge is no more. Too bad; I was looking forward to having two glaciers within 20 miles of my house! (The other is the elusive Mt. Si glacier--do a search--you'll find TRs on it here somewhere!)

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PostMon Jun 02, 2008 9:09 pm 
Great effort! up.gif I really appreciate the route clarifications and snow update. I can't wait to do the entire ridge; looks like it's very do-able now. Remember, if you're ever looking for someone to split vehicles with between the lake and Snoqualmie Point for a long one-way trip, just let me know!

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iHeartTheChallenge
Marnie and Justin



Joined: 23 May 2008
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iHeartTheChallenge
Marnie and Justin
PostTue Jun 03, 2008 12:26 pm 
Great report! It looks like the route has cleaned up quite a bit since my wife and I did it in late March. We couldn't make it past Grand Prospect, as we didn't bring snowshoes. The sign and benches at Grand Prospect were under several feet of snow at that time, too. Maybe this will be our goal for this weekend's outing...Thanks! smile.gif

Cheers, -->Justin
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tigermn
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PostTue Jun 03, 2008 12:41 pm 
I have no doubt with decent boots (I even saw people just in running shoes on the east peak that came up from the lake), you could go as far as you want. Other than a few blowdowns that are fairly easily stepped on/over and just the fact that the snow is there, it isn't too bad. Even though the snow is maybe 3 feet deep in places, it is very consolidated and there is a pretty well traveled bootpath through the snow. I found even when I had to step off/around the main path I didn't' posthole. Of course as more time goes by the snow conditions could change and become more punchy but...

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JPH
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PostTue Jun 03, 2008 1:21 pm 
When we went from Snoqualmie to the lake 2 weekends ago, we were a group of 4 all in running shoes. Obviously boots are preferable, and I wish I had worn mine, but definitely not necessary. Just be ready for wet feet at the end of the day!

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tigermn
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PostTue Jun 03, 2008 1:38 pm 
Or gortex trail running shoes work fine (and keep the feet dry)...

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PostTue Jun 03, 2008 2:21 pm 
Having read this report a few times today (because of the updates), I've decided I'm going Snoqualmie Point to the lake before the day's over. I'm dying to get outside, going absolutely stir-crazy. dizzy.gif Rain, cold, I don't care - I'm getting out! I'll drop a car at the lake and get my wife and daughter to shuttle me to the point. Probably won't get many pictures, but I'll post an update when I get back.

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tigermn
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PostTue Jun 03, 2008 4:24 pm 
I wish I could just do stuff like that.. Unfortunately work etc interfere.... so at best during the week I'm stuck with 3pmish kind of departures. The weather looks kinda dark to the east as I sit here now. I think next time I'll just do an out and back to the ledges (provided I have about 8 hours to spare give or take).

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PostWed Jun 04, 2008 11:11 am 
You were right about the weather being dark. After dropping off a car at the lake, I made the Snoqualmie Point trailhead around 4:45PM, climbed pretty well to about 2400', then got into the clouds, rain/sleet, and a huge wind. It pretty much stayed that way until I dropped below the ledge at the other end, finally exiting the trail around 9:15PM. The snow started at about 3000' on both ends, and was pretty deep but well packed most of the way, with only 1/2"-1" slushy bit on top. I post-holed just once, and it was brutal affair: crotch deep at a near run on the way down, bent and nearly broke one of my poles. Even with the clearcuts and logging roads and all, this is really a beautiful trail. Unfortunately, with all the weather and darkness, I only grabbed a few shots:
The beginning.
The beginning.
The middle.
The middle.
The end.
The end.
Except for one fellow coming down (just above the first big clearcut) and a very nice couple at the Grand Vista (also about to head down), I saw no one the entire time. Great solitude. However, it was a bit eerie being on the ledge by myself in the near dark with that wind. Got shots of it and the lake:
Where is everyone?
Where is everyone?
Late evening view of the lake.
Late evening view of the lake.
Got a pretty good GPS track across the ridge; only lost signal a few times, mostly in the deep woods. Here's a TOPO! capture with profile:
Route and profile.
Route and profile.
I also saved the route as a GPX file, in case anyone wants it. I'm so glad I read your report first, because there really were some confusing junctions. The one with the sign before the fence/gate, but actually requiring a left just past the fence/gate, with 3 options to choose from on the other side, had me flummoxed for a minute; then I remembered your note about making the hard left (plus I saw that the one I chose had me going straight south). Choosing that first hard left is counterintuitive because there's a tree down on it right away, which is usually a sign to move on/pick a different path; in this case, though, it's just a blowdown that has to be gotten around like the dozen blowdowns just past it. Thanks again for posting your report!

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tigermn
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PostWed Jun 04, 2008 2:02 pm 
Looks like you made reasonable time. I slogged up to East Peak in about 3 hours not really hurring/taking a couple of minor sidetrips and more than enough pictures. I think it said it was 2.2 miles to the ledges from where I turned around then I guess like another 1.7 down to the lake. I'd like the .GPX track. You can email to me. johnr@golfc.com Between that and what I have I might get a decent track. At first glance yours looks a little better than mine. I lost signal coming back for quite a while and it wouldn't reqacquire until I got into the logged off area. On the confusing junction. I actually started heading down the 2nd road, but quickily realized that was going down which I didn't want to be doing at that point. I kept looking for a trail before the gate but didn't see anything. Then I noticed that arrow painted in the snow pointing like you came from the other direction and saw a reasonable amount of footprints, so I just tried it. The immediate blowdown did kind of throw me as well, but I saw footprints so just keep hopping over them in that relatively short but mildy annoying piece aka blowdown alley.

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PostWed Jun 04, 2008 2:44 pm 
bikejr wrote:
Looks like you made reasonable time. I slogged up to East Peak in about 3 hours not really hurring/taking a couple of minor sidetrips and more than enough pictures. I think it said it was 2.2 miles to the ledges from where I turned around then I guess like another 1.7 down to the lake.
I was fairly motivated by my late start and the bad weather bearing down on me, resulting in a moving average of 3.1 MPH, and an overall average of about 2.1 MPH (I racked up about 80 minutes of not-moving time).
bikejr wrote:
I'd like the .GPX track.
Sent. (You might want to edit the above and pull your email address before it gets scraped by spam bots.)

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