Training Kick-Off: Rattlesnake Ledge
Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. – Greg Anderson
Finally, the training season has kicked off in preparation for my upcoming Mt. Rainier Climb for Clean Air. With my fundraising goal just over halfway complete, I still have a fair amount to raise over the next two months. So if you haven’t yet, feel free to donate if you’d like to support my goal.
Our first training hike as a group was at Rattlesnake Ledge, about 30 miles east of Seattle near North Bend, on February 22nd. Normally, a hike in the Central Cascades in February wouldn’t sound all too appealing as most peaks are snow-covered and masked under a veil of cloud cover. This year, however, a normal Pacific Northwest winter has failed to materialize and we’ve been fortunate enough to have tons of sunshine and pretty mild temperatures since the new year began. It’s definitely been wet with rainfall right at normal, but the storm systems blowing in from the Pacific have been few and far between the entire winter season. But snowfall and the Cascade snowpack has been brutal — running a good 30-40% of normal, or less, for this time of year. What’s bad for skiers and snowboarders is definitely good for our own training in the mountains.
What started off as a rather chilly morning with temperatures right around freezing, clear skies and a higher sun angle quickly warmed temperatures into the lower 50s by the afternoon.
It was exciting to finally get to meet all of our fellow climbers partaking in this year’s Climb for Clean Air, especially those who are also on our team for the same climb dates. There are eight climbers on my July team — four from Washington (including Jason), two from Oregon, one from Connecticut (a good friend from college) and one from Illinois. Synchronous to those of us training for our Rainier climbs, there are additional climbers in our training hikes from the other two climbs occurring this year: Mount Adams and Mount Hood. So with the climb participants, event directors and volunteers, there were at least twenty to twenty-five total on this first training hike.
As expected, this Rattlesnake Ledge hike was pretty simple and nothing excruciating (unlike Mailbox Peak). However, you are rewarded with amazing views of Rattlesnake Lake and the Central Cascades once you reach the top of Rattlesnake Ledge. Even with full sun, it was quickly evident how important layering is when hiking with any amount of elevation gain, full exposure to the elements, and a brisk wind. This will be far more critical on Rainier in July when you will likely start your hike in 70- and 80-degree weather, but reach the summit with temperatures around or just above freezing and strong winds. Although with the fickle Pacific Northwest weather the past few years, who knows what this summer’s weather will bring.
And apparently everyone was taking advantage of the amazing spring-like weather as the entire trail on the descent back to the trailhead was packed. Everyone, including what seemed like their entire families and dogs, swarmed the narrow two-way trail. Not usually what I would call an escape, and is precisely why I usually pick the less popular trails when I really want to get away.
After a brief group gathering on the shore of Rattlesnake Lake upon completing the hike, some of us met up at a local cafe for brunch and more mingling. By the time we left the trailhead it quickly became evident how packed the trail and nearby recreation spots surrounding the lake really were. Not only were all parking lots overflowing, but cars lined the entire road halfway back to the interstate. Insane.
Overall it was a good social hike to meet all of our fellow climbers. The next training hike is in mid-March on the Little Si trail, another fairly easy hike where I scrambled up on my last visit last summer. Fortunately these training hikes ramp up in intensity and difficulty pretty quickly after that, which combined with a few personal training hikes should prepare us well for the Rainier climb in July.
