Rattlesnake bliss on a cool day

[666-The Beast]

It's a drive to get there, with lots of obstacles to delay or never make your arrival to the start of the trail. The big band sat morn show blares loudly on the radio to keep things swinging along. Passing the Mount Wilson area on the 210, the exits to the trails become sirens, enticing you to go there and to cut short the longer drive to go anywhere else. I resist that enticement and move on near the 605, I see Baldy calling me to go there also but not today. I am firmly determined to go visit Iron's bro the Rattlesnake peak. The 50 degree weather is just perfect for an easy trek up and down the ascending bumps.
Moving along on the 39 I get slowed down by 4 suv turtles going 35 on 39. The considerate people pull over to let you go by when there is half a dozen or more cars behind you, not these city rats. I turn on the lights, staying on 3rd gear and waiting for the chance to go by them. When its time to move on, I down shift to 2nd, petal to the metal, turn signal on, a beep of the horn and I pass the turtles two at the time to an open rd all the way to the trailhead. Greeted there, by Baldy, Iron, Ontario, the East Fork river and the Glendale Ridge Rd, they will remain constantly in your view for the whole trek to the top;they look deceptively so close to each other, that it feels like a mountain family gathering affair here. The one mile or so warm up on the Shoemaker fire rd ends when you spot the 6 markers on the rd, then its time to turn left up on an old fire rd, with a view of a water pipe and the stone arrow, then you are right on the Rtlr's place, as you will have to march upwards on the bumps in order to get to the summit. Its a faint trail with no heavy foot traffic on it, but you can follow the trail without any fear of getting lost. Its an uphill zigity-zag, huff and puff in order to reach the top and the last section to the top stays always in your view. The Rtlr is situated in the middle of the San Gabes high country mnts. As you pass the 45 marker(the halfway point), on the westside the Twin Pks, Waterman, Monrovia Pk with the Mt Wilson area come in view as you concentrate to get by the the tricky backbone ridge. As you ascend some more, you now get see the Hawkins Family mts, Throp, Ross, Baden-Powell, the Blue Rdg and the Big Horn Rdg. Finally as you pass by the oak gate, the summit comes in view with the last bump and the 39 post on it. Depending how much energy or craziness you have left in you, the short looking ridge to the Hawkins looks enticing but not for me, I know better! The only walk I do now is to drop down a bit to view of the Bridge to Nowhere. The benefit of going to the Rtlr is to train the body for an Iron trek, to view the entire iron trek from a distance and to see another view of the surrounding area. Go there when the weather is cool, it's a heavenly trek, wait for the heat and you will be in hell for the whole trip! Be smart and enjoy this wonderful mountain.....666

Pics

[666-The Beast]

From the Shoemaker fire rd gate to the start of the uphill trail at the left of the white triangle



The rest of the trip from the white triangle up the ridge to the top



Here is another helpful take of the Rattlesnake trail as viewed from the other side of the river.
666