Home
Rattlesnake Trailhead, 11 May, 2025
Eight Cache Hikers met at Smith's to enjoy a Mother's Day hike. We carpooled to the Rattlesnake Trailhead where we were pleased to find Deb waiting for us, raising our numbers to nine.
We started up the trail at 8:30 under cloudy skies and a comfortable 66 degrees Fahrenheit with a little breeze. Conditions were pleasant as we ascended to the communication towers. The group enjoyed the fresh green look of spring, along with a variety of early flowers and great views as a large raptor (a golden eagle?) soared in the distance. A rubber boa crossed the trail in front of us, and we found a fossil. too.
Mother's Day Brunch commenced at the towers but was interrupted by a squall with momentary high winds and brief driving rain. We sheltered near the buildings, but were soon on our way back down the trail.
When we reached the junction with Narrow Canyon, some members of the party elected to descend there and have us pick them up at the Murray Farm Trailhead. The Narrow Canyon hikers were treated to blooming glacier lilies, a gopher snake sliding to hide in trailside vegetation, and muffled thumps of male ruffed grouse as they "drummed" in the distance. The rest of us continued back to our vehicles and then drove to Wellsville to pick up the second group.
Trip Summary:
- Nine hikers:
Deb, Teresa, Ruth, Laurel, Deanna, Linda, Jane, Dave
W., Brent L.
- Drove 14
miles to the Rattlesnake Trailhead in Wellsville
Canyon (US 89/91)
- At the trailhead 8:30, "brunch" 9:50-10:15. Met at Murray Farm Trailhead 12:30, back at Smith's 1:05
- Changeable
weather conditions, wind, clouds, sun, rain.
- Our GPS
tracks show abut 6 miles for the Narrow Canyon hikers
and 5 miles for the others, with about 800 feet of
ascent for all
Thanks
to Brent L for for the narrative, photos and GPS data,
Jane for photos, and Dave W for photos and GPS data.
 |
|||
| Cache Hikers, near the beginning of our hike | |||
 |
 |
||
| We passed the top of Narrow Canyon on our way | |||
 |
|||
| Arrowleaf balsamroot flowers covered the hillside | |||
 |
 |
||
| Unsettled weather conditions
|
|||
 |
|||
| Looking south
towrad Mount Pisgah |
|||
 |
 |
||
| We enjoyed "brunch"
near our destination, the communication towers on
Murrays Hill |
|||
 |
|||
| At the trail junction on our return,
deciding who would walk down Narrow Canyon |
|||
 |
 |
||
| Oregon grape |
Glacier lilly |
||
 |
 |
||
| Deanna found a fossil |
Turkey feathers found in Narrow Canyon |
||
 |
 |
||
| A rubber boa
(left) and gopher snake (right) |
|||
 |
|||
|
Our GPS track shows about 6 miles
for
the Narrow Canyon hikers (blue) and 5 miles
for the others (about 800 feet
of ascent for all). You
can look at our route using Google
Earth or download our GPS
file.
|
|||