Full "Pink Moon" Hike on Rattlesnake Ledge

Weather Update: The forecast calls for rain Thurdsay night but we plan to do this hike as scheduled rain or shine. If you don't want to hike in the rain, please update your RSVP now so those on the waiting list can join us. Thanks! -Heidi

Also: Linda hiked Rattlesnake last Tuesday (March 31) and said her yaktrax came in handy about 2/3rds of the way up because of some snow on the trail. So if you have yaktrax and/or poles you may want to bring them just in case.

UPDATE: See further down this page for updated carpool information...

Hike up Rattlesnake Ledge on an early spring evening and descend under the glow of the full moon and your headlamp. We'll begin hiking at 6:30 sharp in order to arrive at the ledge with enough time to be on the ledge prior to sunset. The sun sets at 7:50pm and the full moon rises at 8:30pm. We'll stay until 9:00pm or so and head back down in the dark, so be sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp with fresh batteries.

Elevation Gain: ~1200 ft
Length: 3 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate

What to bring:
Something to eat and something to share. If we’re lucky, Len will bring his spicy hot chocolate to share!
Enough extra clothes to be warm since we’ll be hanging around at the top waiting for the full moon to rise. Hat, gloves, warm coat etc.
Flashlight or headlamp and extra batteries.
Your camera!
$1 donation for John Haggard who pays to maintain the Bellevue Hikers Meetup Group (this is a suggested donation only. You may give him more or nothing, it's not required).

Directions:
From Interstate 90 east of North Bend, take Exit 32. Go right (south) off the exit ramp on 436th Avenue Southeast/Cedar Falls Road Southeast and head three miles to reach Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area. Here's a link to the location on google maps: https://maps.google.co... (https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=18618+Cedar+falls+rd.+se,+north+bend,+wa&sll=47.434503,-121.767848&sspn=0,359.986267&ie=UTF8&ll=47.437667,-121.770551&spn=0.00553,0.000901&z=16&iwloc=addr)

Signs state the gates close at [8:30?] and your car will be towed if it is in the lot so I recommend you park alongside the road (and NOT in the parking lot) or possibly in the overflow lot which is outside the gate and looks like it could hold 12 well-parked cars.

Let's meet at 6:15pm where the parking turns right towards the trailhead. There are a couple of trash cans nearby (and do not go past the gate with the boardwalk on the side).

If you signed up and miss us in the parking lot, grab your stuff and head up, we'll be on the ledge after dark.

Please no vices until after the hike is over.

If it’s totally overcast and/or raining I will cancel this hike. If it’s only partly cloudy we’ll still go for it as past full moon hikes have been great even with a few clouds in the sky. But let’s hope for clear skies on April 9th!

Carpooling:
UPDATE: Because of the large size of this group, Heidi and I decided to organize carpooling from a designated area so that we don't have 50 cars up at the trailhead. So if you'd like to carpool, meet us at the Eastgate Albertsons parking lot on 15100 SE 38th St, Bellevue, WA, between Baskin Robbins and the bank, and near the Shell station, at 5:45 PM (we'll leave by 6:00 sharp) to arrive at the trailhead around 6:30. This will get us started on the trail around 6:45, and up to the top by 8:00 at the latest. Look for a silver Toyota RAV4. Linda-Assistant Organizer

Call Heidi with any questions (206)949-6354

Solar and Lunar data from NOAA
U.S. Naval Observatory
Astronomical Applications Department

Sun and Moon Data for One Day
The following information is provided for Issaquah, King County, Washington (longitude W122.0, latitude N47.5):
Thursday
9 April 2009 Pacific Daylight Time

SUN
Begin civil twilight 5:59 a.m.
Sunrise 6:30 a.m.
Sun transit 1:10 p.m.
Sunset 7:50 p.m.
End civil twilight 8:22 p.m.

MOON
Moonrise 7:21 p.m. on preceding day
Moon transit 12:49 a.m.
Moonset 6:05 a.m.
Moonrise 8:35 p.m.
Moonset 6:27 a.m. on following day

Full Moon on 9 April 2009 at 7:57 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.