Let’s Get An Oil Change
And how did we end up with this bloody child?
I returned home last summer visiting family in Virginia and wanted nothing more than to reconnect with Natasha. The plan called for a lazy Sunday sipping coffee and truly just taking it easy. Thinking about preventative maintenance concerns I even boldly suggested “Let’s get an oil change.” The body of our Subaru is banged up enough considering we park on south Seattle streets I figured the least we could do is stay on top of what’s under the hood. We mulled it over for a solid thirty seconds. I’m not back from Virginia more than twenty four hours and the palpable nature of our collective restlessness instantly crept back in. “We’ll do Rattlesnake” came Natasha’s reply after that half minute contemplation and all too brief reflection of caring for our vehicle. That was all it took. I said how one thing was certain “We won’t regret it!” We have this knack for making crucial decisions with long term impacts in minutes. Twelve to be exact. And with that we loaded up our packs and jumped in our beloved albeit bodily damaged Pacific Northwest ride.
Its closeness in proximity to Seattle makes this a popular hike. Located in the Snoqualmie Region, this trail head can be attained in less than an hour; however, arriving on a Sunday in August at 10:30 am isn’t ideal. You will find the parking lot slammed full much like we did. There is no entry fee or pass required so you’ll be squared away on that end.
Just get there early. 6:00 am early. Unless you don’t and in that instance prepare to hike alongside any number of people to include but not limited to the following: your next door neighbor, your entire sorority rush class freshmen year from the class of 2001 from Milwaukee, your hair stylist and his/her intern (obvious team building exercise), your city council elected official and his/her spouse, two kids and their dog, and some random male K-Pop model wearing lavender hair, a shawl revealing his bare chest, and sandals and a look as if he is simply levitating up this damn mountain.
The ascent itself is aided by a series of switchbacks which gives the ledge its name. If rattlesnakes are what you desire may I recommend Ancient Lakes farther east. As for Rattlesnake Ledge, you will be surprised how much elevation you gain in a relatively short amount of time.
The day was sunny and bright and filled with all the promise new adventures often evoke. In no time we arrived at the trail head and stepped off on what was then our second hike together. We already had a slew of camping trips under our belts and simply sought to experience a little more uncharted territory. “We got this,” I proudly exclaimed to Natasha as we made our way. Now I probably didn’t need my Ka-Bar on this hike. I brought it anyway. Natasha subsequently made me place it back in my pack lest I scare everyone. I get that and so I did. The trail itself seemed professionally manicured and made for a pleasant outing. The almost two mile ascent up to the ledge may have looked rather daunting from across the lake on our approach but as we delved deeper we found it quite exhilarating. Achieving the ledge was a victory for us in that we set out to do this and here we were with absolute gorgeous views on such a pristine western Washington summer day. The twenty to twenty five minutes spent on top found us in complete awe of the stunning views while simultaneously jockeying for position for photo ops being extremely thoughtful of each step. I call it her “magic eye,” because Natasha takes amazing photographs. She just has a knack for perspective and how to properly mind lighting. She even brilliantly and vividly describes what she is seeing and shooting with enough depth that you don’t even have to be present in the moment to appreciate and understand. You can still see it in your mind. That’s reason eight thousand and twelve why I love her. Two framed pictures adorn our bedroom wall and chest of drawers. One image comprises just our pairs of boots hanging over the ledge together with the lake and surrounding mountains before us. The other is a candid shot of us laughing not even looking at the camera but each other. Both are two of my favorites. When you do get to the top you will notice a sign. Pay close attention to the sign and heed it’s picture warning. The sign is a visual description of what could potentially happen to you should you desire to step too close to the edge of this rocky overlook. I will say no more on this matter other than to respect nature.
The descent was inevitable. I for one hated it. There are moments in life where you wish time could stand still. Holding Natasha in my arms on any summit is my ideal utopia. Not wanting the moment to end, I embraced her tight and closed my eyes. In that small way the moment will forever remain.
Just before our hike concluded a little excitement befell us requiring immediate action. We had more or less descended the entire way down with this family of four. Toward the bottom the young boy could be heard directly to our rear slipping over some rock, plummeting toward the ground, and crying in excruciating pain. The right knee appeared a combination of dirty abrasions with pock marks accentuated with blood. Separated from his family by a stretch, Natasha and I jumped directly into his life rendering aid. I immediately snatched the same bandana that earlier affixed my combat knife to my person and grabbed an extra water bottle from inside my pack. Natasha poured the water over the boy’s wounded knee while cleaning it up a bit and cinching my bandana to help stop the bleeding. It all happened so fast and before we knew it the boy’s mother was thanking us immensely for our assistance. The boy was going to be just fine. Maybe shocked about the tumble more than anything. More smiles and thank yous abounded once the dad made it down and we parted ways. By the time we made it down Rattlesnake Lake beckoned to us. Both hot, we dropped our packs, shed our boots and proceeded to to tip-toe out into the lake barefoot. The water was quite refreshing. Earlier that summer we procured a massive flotation device and it was now I wish it had made the journey. Oh well! Things you pick up and learn along the way for next time.
The Things You’ll Carry:
Carry water! My days in the Army taught me one invaluable lesson among millions “The water you drink today is the water you will use tomorrow.” If you only bring one thing on any hike ensure that one thing is water. Carry a day pack replete with first aid kit, snacks, change of socks, a bathing suit/ trunks, towel, and if you are like me and sweat like a madman then a fresh shirt is always in order. Carry a good attitude! You will find yourself in a beautiful environment and you should be grateful and thankful it is at your disposal. Thank you Washington Trails Association for such a carefully planned and well-maintained hiking experience.
