In the olden days we'd be almost to the Pass by early May. Not this year. Late snow storms continue to force us west to lower peaks. Like Rattlesnake. Again. Well, not exactly again. We were headed to the East Peak a few miles beyond the Ledges where most (sane) people stop.
I raced past the Lower Ledges without bothering to stop. I'd seen it once or twice before. At the Upper Ledges I did take a break with the hope of seeing the mythical rattlegoat, but no luck. Besides, do I really want to see my first goat on Rattlesnake? That doesn't seem quite right. It'd be like seeing my first bear on the Twin Falls trail instead of in the Olympics.
Beyond the Upper Ledges any thoughts of a view disappeared. The snow got a little deeper, but that just made it sloppier. At an intersection I turned to right when I should have gone straight. Heck, there were prints ahead of me. It wasn't my fault. At least I was smart enough to turn around when the prints did, too.
I caught up with the rest of the crew (who had passed me while I was touring) at the peak. A tiny view and a radio tower were the big highlights. Not enough to justify a return trip. So back down we went and got to the lake just at dark. The Solstice is just around the corner so even TNAB is possible without headlamps... sort of.
Total distance 9.8 miles with gain of 2,500 feet. Not bad for Rattlesnake.
