Submitted by jhawkweapon t3_11a5x19 in Washington
Comments
epicnding t1_j9qoojb wrote
That's just at the top. There's another 75 on the trail and 40 in the parking lot with 5 people trying to find parking.
phulton t1_j9rcsc5 wrote
Learned the hard way. I was there because it’s the southern start of the snoqualmie valley trail (which no one is ever on by comparison) and it’s such a pita if there’s a little bit of sunshine.
Honestly I still haven’t done this hike after being here for a year now but idk if I’m really missing anything when so many other beautiful trails exist.
torrent7 t1_j9qomhw wrote
It's like herding cattle... though it keeps people away from the much better hikes maybe 15-20 minutes further on i90
wpnw t1_j9rdij4 wrote
Only 50?
DHH2005 t1_j9sa5ms wrote
I know this was a dis. But hey when I go see a Blockbuster, I fully expect it to be packed.
jhawkweapon OP t1_j9r8twc wrote
He speaks the truth!
sam_42_42 t1_j9tv6k3 wrote
I'm just glad those 1000 people are there, and don't know about the other 1000 trail heads that are quiet and nice.
lovesmtns t1_j9q8fch wrote
One of my favorite trails. I like that there is no parking pass requirement, and fairly abundant parking. It's also a fairly easy trail, and the views from the top are just spectacular :).
rosesandpiglets t1_j9qa2nv wrote
One of my favorites, except for summer
jhawkweapon OP t1_j9qasys wrote
That's the truth. It can get pretty busy in the summer.
It's really the perfect winter trail... super close to the city if you're trying to squeeze in a quick after-work hike before the sun goes down.
lovesmtns t1_j9qblhi wrote
Yeah, when it's crowded, it's really crowded :).
rosesandpiglets t1_j9qbo02 wrote
Exactly.
lurkerfromstoneage t1_j9svqm9 wrote
Last time I did it in winter was almost exactly a year ago to the day. It was snowy, cold and VERY mucky muddy. LOTS of people totally unprepared for it, as in younger folks wearing flip flops with white socks, white converse no socks, etc. Slipping and sliding around because the packed snow turned into a slide at times. Needless to say, it was still busy but pretty dicey. At the top too, a slick snowy slide that gives me chills thinking about how easy it would be to lose footing and spill over…. Ah!! Wouldn’t do again in those conditions lol. Totally depends on the day. Your shot looks a LOT LOT clearer than that visit.
DHH2005 t1_j9sabgc wrote
I love how flat the upper valley is from this view. Glaciers we're incomprehensibly giant.
lovesmtns t1_j9saxg9 wrote
I have pondered those flats many times. Obviously they aren't the bottom of the glacier valley, so they must be moraines. I haven't figured out why they are so flat, but obviously again, it was done somehow during the glaciation :):). OR, maybe they were the flat bottom of the glacier valley, and the rivers further eroded around them. Would love to have been a geologist in another lifetime, what stories they have to tell :).
[deleted] t1_j9qairl wrote
[deleted]
jhawkweapon OP t1_j9qcpx5 wrote
"Open dawn to dusk, year-round. Parking is free."
Source: Seattle Public Utilities
lovesmtns t1_j9qbp8p wrote
Interesting, I did not know that. I don't recall seeing signs, but I will be looking next time I go. That being said, I do have a Discovery Pass :).
TGKRaidriar t1_j9qcmq0 wrote
I think that the discovery pass was specifically for the parking at the iron horse trail parking (the one with the tiny roundabout before the yellow gates) as they’ve had that requirement for the past like 15 years. I don’t think they’ve expanded it to the general parking at either the main Rattlesnake Lake parking section or the watershed but I can’t say for sure as I haven’t visited since summer.
empathetic_witch t1_j9rh9py wrote
Beautiful photo!
But for me personally? Oooof. Never again. Tried this 7-8 years ago with my youngest at the time. Too many people acting a fool going up and down + the “hey so do you want to die today” crevices at the top. Nope.
jhawkweapon OP t1_j9ri6nr wrote
All fair points. Those crevices at the top really are terrifying
empathetic_witch t1_j9rito2 wrote
Looked it up for curiosity…
”The King County Sheriff's office says, on average, two people fall to their deaths on Rattlesnake Ledge each year”
jhawkweapon OP t1_j9s73da wrote
WOW!
IIcarusflew t1_j9s6cz9 wrote
Did this as a sunrise hike in the summer, only 4 other people total the entire hike at 4am, so that was cool
jhawkweapon OP t1_j9s6y3j wrote
That's a good tip! I bet it's beautiful up there
Gloomy-Employment-72 t1_j9ridb5 wrote
There is no place like where we live. I can literally ride my bike 5 minutes to the local MTB trail, another 5 to a second, and that links to at third. I can be at Tiger Mountain trailhead in 15-20 minutes. Rattlesnake is 30 minutes. Mt Si in about the same time. Fly fishing, skiing, road cycling, camping…it’s all literally minutes away in pretty much any direction you want to travel. I wish it were cheaper to live here, but for an outdoor person I can’t imagine how it could be better.
lurkerfromstoneage t1_j9svxen wrote
Sssshhhhhhhhh
tim3capture t1_j9r8ksp wrote
GREAT CAPTURE!!! Love this place...
PhotographOk4076 t1_j9rnhc4 wrote
Yes. It IS amazing, and it IS beautiful. In fact, thanks to social media, now EVERYONE knows how amazing it is here...say hello to your new neighbor(s)...and the 50-other people on the ledge behind you.
jhawkweapon OP t1_j9pzhyl wrote
I captured this a few weeks ago during a photoshoot for a trail-review. The vibrantly colored and moody forest views on the way up to the lookout were just as stunning. See you on the trails.
Starfishy78 t1_j9rsoez wrote
Is a hike really worth it when you also see an industrial complex (of sorts)? Nah. #1 reason I don’t hike Issaquah.
Keatontech t1_j9s4elt wrote
What?
Starfishy78 t1_j9sbpju wrote
Is the hike really worth it when you can still see civilization? IMO, no. It isn’t.
punkmetalbastard t1_j9qcspj wrote
Not pictured: 50 other people