Rattlesnake Ledge

This "sentry," greets hikers at trailhead

Yesterday was overcast and slightly drizzly at Rattlesnake Ledge, just south of Interstate 90 at Exit 32. I began the hike from my car at 11 a.m.; left the summit at 1:16 p.m., and returned to the trailhead by 2:28 p.m.

This yielded a climbing time of about two hours, similar to my ascent of Little Si on May 30. But the descent was relatively quick -- an hour and 12 minutes, which surprised me, because I was expecting it to take 90 minutes, the normal descent time from Little Si, a comparable hike.


My speed limit remains at 128 heartbeats per minute, down from more than 148 bpm in the past. I was packing 16 pounds in my backpack. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath and rest along the route.

A scene along the trail

Just as I arrived at the summit, I fielded a Father's Day call from son Tracy and daughter-in-law Shira, from Germany. Since there was a crowd and I was quite tired, I kept the call short.

Distance: 5.25 miles, 8.4 km
Burden: 16 pounds
Elevation gain: 1160 feet
Total distance for the year: 160.48 km
Total elevation gain for the year: 5,160 feet

June 18, 2017  hike, including from road to trailhead (Green box)