Rattlesnake Mtn and Noble Knob Trails

A Subtle Warning, Rattlesnake Mtn Trail

It's downright hazardous how quickly this summer seems to be slipping past. Work has been keeping me fairly busy and I can never seem to satisfy my appetite for exploring Washington's trails. I'm making steady daily progress on my 1000 mile challenge but feel like I'm playing a serious game of catch up with the others. If I can keep my weekly average between 25 and 30 miles during the warmer months here in Washington, I should be able to complete the trip on time. Unless I take a wrong turn and go over a cliff like the unfortunate fellow on the sign.

I've got a couple of great trails I wanted to share this week using an online mapping tool that I'm just learning about. It seems to have a few technical kinks and isn't always super intuitive, but it's one of the better ways I've found to share trip details (at least until I break down and design my own online mapping tool that is). As always, I've also got downloadable PDF maps that you can simply print and go.

Rattlesnake Mtn Trail - 9.02 Miles



This was a great trail I hiked two weeks ago, conveniently located off I-90 at exit 32. You'll gain a significant amount of elevation in the first 1.6 miles along this high traffic section of the trail. Most hikers get winded on their climb to Rattlesnake Ledge and go no further but the 2.4 miles of trail along the northwestern ridgeline provides a surprising degree of solitude. On clear days you'll have unmatched views of Mt. Si, North Bend, and Chester Morse Lake to the southeast.

Trail Rating
Elevation	Low Point - 915’ High Point – 3,481’
Trip Length	9.02 Miles Out & Back , Day Hike (4-7 hours)
Season	May - October
GPS Trailhead	47° 26.091’ N, 121° 46.126’ W
Topo Map	Download PDF
More Info	Washington State Department of Natural Resources, (360) 825-1631
Driving Directions	Take exit 32 from Interstate 90, travel south on 436th Avenue SE for approximately 3.1 miles, and park at Rattlesnake Lake to gain access to this trail.

Noble Knob Trail – 7.1 Miles



I had been eyeing this ridgeline trail that borders the Norse Peak Wilderness ever since the snows let up in mid-April. I’m sure the rangers at the Enumclaw Station were wearied by my almost daily calls to find out if the road had been opened to get to the Corral Pass trailhead. With my wife, new hiking partner (Adrian), and five kids under the age of eight in tow, I was finally able to venture up to check it out this last weekend. Two of the kids actually made it the full distance out to Noble Knob and back (7.1 Miles). What can I say, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

A Word of Caution: The trickiest part of getting to Corral Pass and the trailhead is NFD 7174. There are several sections that are extremely steep, narrow, and rocky. You'll want to be in a vehicle with sufficient horsepower and road clearance in order to make it up. Be very careful when passing other vehicles moving in the opposite direction. We actually saw a small Honda Civic that was being plucked from a dangerous embankment by a heavy duty tow truck while we were up there. The owners had the look of terror on their faces as we carefully moved past them.

Trail Rating
Elevation	5,658’ High Point – 5,995'
Trip Length	7.1 Miles Out & Back , Day Hike (3 or 4 hours)
Season	July/August - October
GPS Trailhead	47° 0.855’ N, 121° 27.993’ W
Topo Map	Download PDF
More Info	White River Ranger District, (360) 825-6585
Driving Directions	The turnoff for NFD 7174 is approximately 1.3 miles beyond Buck Creek on Highway 410. Pass Alta Lodge on your left and then take your next available left turn (it's easy to miss if you're not paying close attention). The road up is about 6 miles long but it will seem like a lot longer.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins

Rattlesnake Mtn Trail, WA - July 30, 2011

Earlier this month while reading a post on one of my favorite hiking blogs, The Adventures of Jobiwan, I learned about an ambitious group who was starting a 365 day 1000 mile challenge. Sonja Behnke and her aptly named blog, Overly Ambitious Me, lays out a deceptively simplistic framework that credits participants for mileage covered in a variety of outdoor activities (i.e. hiking, backpacking, walking, running, biking, kayaking, etc.).

One Hiker's Trash Yields a Treasure for All

Storm Rolling in on the PCT

In July 2004, while backpacking a section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), I ran into a patch of really nasty weather and bivouacked a night on Lodge Lake (47.408457 N, 121.430168 W), just south of Snoqualmie Summit. I was out of gas for cooking and was soaked to the bone from a torrential downpour that had blown in from Puget Sound.

Getting a fire going quickly was imperative. However, everything in the vicinity was soaked and I had virtually nothing available that would do more than pathetically produce smoke. Ultimately, I was forced to shred the footprint for my Kelty Raptor tent to get a fire going. While it was a real bummer to loose part of the tent, I was grateful for the added warmth in what turned out to be a very cold and wet night.

This experience taught me to always carry the essentials for getting a fire going. This is especially important in places like the Pacific Northwest where heavy rainfall can limit fuel sources. I’ve found that dryer lint is one of the more effective items to carry. It’s light weight and burns extremely well. I’ve also just recently been introduced to Eco-Friendly Fire Starters made by a company called TerraCycle.

For hikers, bikers, campers, and general outdoor enthusiasts who subscribe strictly to Leave No Trace (LNT) principles (and all of you should), this is a product and company you’ll be keenly interested in.

Nimpkish Lake Campfire by Rolf Hicker

In the warmer months, as visitors flood National Parks and Recreation Areas, some agencies have implemented a “pack it in, pack it out” policy. This is a great step that helps preserve the landscape and conserves park resources. Unfortunately, the trash still ends up in a landfill once visitors return home. The parks and the environment in general can benefit from our efforts to “upcycle” – reuse items that would otherwise head to the dump. For example, a used water bottle could be repurposed as flower vase or decorative pencil holder.

While some items can be reused at home or recycled curbside, much of the ‘trash’ generated during outdoor activity (i.e. food packaging, drink containers, etc.) isn’t as easy to re-use or recycle. TerraCycle is taking a pioneering step and partnering with popular brands including CLIF BAR, Revolution Foods, Kashi, and Bear Naked to implement a program for collecting and creatively re-using and recycling these items.

TerraCycle reuses materials gathered through their program to produce a wide variety of useful products, including their Fire Starters made from waste wood shavings. I’ve tried them myself and they actually work really well. Their program also offers the opportunity to earn cash to donate to your favorite school or other charitable organization.

So far, they’ve kept an impressive two billion plus pieces of trash from leaving their mark on the Earth, and dispersed over $2 million in donations through their consumer Brigade Programs. Even companies like The North Face are getting involved by forming their own Brigades to keep distribution packaging from ending up in a landfill.

It may sound cliché, but one hiker can definitely make a difference. The trail trash you pack out really can be a treasure for all, both in the form of environmental preservation and now as an ingenious line of recycled products. To be clear, this is not a paid endorsement…just a really cool idea that I felt my readers would appreciate hearing about.

Win an Eco-Friendly Fire Starter Pack

Made from 100% Recycled Materials

I’m interested in hearing your creative upcycling ideas for useful items that could be produced from trail trash (i.e. food wrappers, packaging, discarded gear, etc.). Send your best recycled product idea(s) or a home upcycle story (with picture) to trailguy2011@live.com by August 20, 2011 for chance to win TerraCycle’s Eco-Friendly Fire Starter pack (includes 24 individual fire starters). Be sure to include “TerraCycle Giveaway” in the subject of your email. The two best submissions will receive a Starter pack and will have their submission published on My Traverse.

While TerraCyle has generously agreed to provide the Fire Starters, all contest entries will be judged by me (and probably my wife). Entries will be judged based creativity, idea viability, descriptive detail, and the original images that you include. Your email submission will constitute consent to publish on My Traverse in the event your idea is chosen as a winner.

I’m very excited to see what you all come up with!