I didn't leave my house this day thinking I would climb to the top of Rattlesnake Ledge. In fact, it was the cheapskate in me that led me to one of the most breathtaking views in all of Washington.
I had done some quick research for an "easy" hike. When I arrived at the pre-planned trail head, I discovered I would have to pay for parking. So I turned around, expecting to find a parking spot along the road. What I found instead was Rattlesnake Lake just across the street and the parking was free.
When I hopped out of my car, fanny pack strapped on (yes, I am that old school), I asked a passer-by if there were any good hikes around this lake. She said, "Not around the lake, but certainly above the lake." We chatted a bit more and she talked me into the 1.9 mile, 1,100 foot elevation gain hike to the top.
Having left my house thinking I was going on a flat stroll through a forest, I didn't pack my knee braces or even my ibuprofen (I have weak knees).
I had done some quick research for an "easy" hike. When I arrived at the pre-planned trail head, I discovered I would have to pay for parking. So I turned around, expecting to find a parking spot along the road. What I found instead was Rattlesnake Lake just across the street and the parking was free.
When I hopped out of my car, fanny pack strapped on (yes, I am that old school), I asked a passer-by if there were any good hikes around this lake. She said, "Not around the lake, but certainly above the lake." We chatted a bit more and she talked me into the 1.9 mile, 1,100 foot elevation gain hike to the top.
Having left my house thinking I was going on a flat stroll through a forest, I didn't pack my knee braces or even my ibuprofen (I have weak knees).
But I wasn't deterred. I figured since I was alone, I could take all day and no one would care. But after just 0.3 miles in, I found two walking sticks propped against a tree. I scooped them up and kept going. It wasn't long before I named them Tender Mercy 1 and Tender Mercy 2. My life savers.
This hike qualifies as one of my "Top 50 in My Fifties." It is over 3 miles long and I have never been here. But what I didn't know was there would be "doing a scary thing" as well. I have as a goal to do one scary thing per year. For 2014, it was free falling. What I did at Rattlesnake Ledge didn't rise to the level of being able to check another scary thing off my list, but it did serve as a catalyst for me to actually attempt something I would have otherwise never attempted.
This hike qualifies as one of my "Top 50 in My Fifties." It is over 3 miles long and I have never been here. But what I didn't know was there would be "doing a scary thing" as well. I have as a goal to do one scary thing per year. For 2014, it was free falling. What I did at Rattlesnake Ledge didn't rise to the level of being able to check another scary thing off my list, but it did serve as a catalyst for me to actually attempt something I would have otherwise never attempted.
On the ledge, there is a crack in the rock. You can look into it and see bottom in most places. Well, one of the hikers dropped his backpack down there on accident. So he had to go retrieve it. I really wanted to go down as well, but my fear of heights and unsecured ledges left me just watching. Then a new thought came. I am working on conquering some of my fears, so I decided to go down. A friendly girl named Bree helped by showing me which crevasses to place my feet and hands on and how to hold the sides when crawling back out. She is also the one who took pictures to prove that I actually climbed down, not just sent my boots.
It took me about 1 hr and 45 minutes to get to the top and only 1 hour and a half to get back down. I treated myself to dinner at the River Bend Cafe before getting back on the highway for home. Best little restaurant I have been to in a long time. I was lucky enough to sit where I could see all the dishes as they left the kitchen. There were several I wished I had ordered. I am certainly going back again, not only for the hike, but for the food.