Wed., June 18 Rattlesnake: Pasture- Ridge-Col(part)

Unexpectedly, Hunter and I were both free to hike on a Wednesday. The weather looked a bit ominous, so we opted for another short loop on the Rattlesnake trails. We predicted they might be busier later in the summer, but at this point, we felt it was okay to take Rumi with us. The leash was precautionary. We did see another dog just as we were starting out. After that, we only saw one other person (on popular West Rattlesnake!!!) - a gentleman with a foreign accent who was as thrilled to reach the top of the almost entirely vertical Pasture Trail as we were in the humid heat. The view was rewarding, although we stopped only for a brief moment before traversing the Ridge Trail and descending the Col Trail where we had been so plagued by bugs on the ascent a few weeks ago. Even with bug spray, Hunter felt a mosquito bite. After that, she took off on a run down the steep trail and we were back at the car within 45 minutes of departure. We decided that the loop we took today was ideal for anyone looking for a steep, short hike with fewer people than the very busy trail on the other side of West Rattlesnake.