Hiking Rattlesnake Mountain at night??

Old Hubbard Rd · 03-19-2005, 04:06 PM

Has anyone ever hiked Rattlesnake Mountain at night?? On a full moon lit night?? Is it safe?? My wife is scared of animals attacking us. What would the view look like on a nice moon lit night??

I wanted to let you know that we have hiked it MANY times during the day. We're just curious what we would see at night??

upthesaukee · 03-19-2005, 04:21 PM

I would not be so leery of animals attacking...I would have concerns about hiking a mountain whose trail could be anywhere from just plain snow covered to slippery to treacherous, possibly all in the same night. I would certainly want to be experienced with the trail (darkness has a way of changing the way a trail can look), I would certainly want to have artificial lighting available, you would need a form of communication to the outside world in case of emergency, have a topo map, and first and foremost if you do decide to go is to make sure that someone knows where you are going, what route you intend to follow, what time you are leaving, and what time you expect to be back. And make sure you call them ASAP to let them know you made it off the mountain OK. Oh, did I say make sure you have all the good stuff for a hike like a first aid kit, dry socks, extra layers for warmth, water, food, ... (don't want to sound like a nag here, but safety is not only first, it is absolutely paramount.) If you do go, be safe, be careful, and have fun.

secondcurve · 03-19-2005, 05:35 PM

Is there public access to Rattlesnake mountain? A place to tie up a boat or is it all private land.

Thanks,

Franklin

Old Hubbard Rd · 03-21-2005, 06:42 AM

Rattlesnake Mountain not to be confused with Rattlesnake Island-2 different locations. The Mountain is located in the Sandwich/Holderness area and is not accessable by water.

secondcurve · 03-21-2005, 06:58 AM

OH:

Thanks for the clarification. Yes, I was thinking about Rattlesnake Island since it seems to have some elevation. Are there any hiking trails on the Island, or is it all private land?

TomC · 03-21-2005, 07:39 AM

is kind of an insult to real mountains everywhere! It is a nice hike, with a beautiful view from an elevated vantage point there on the rocks, but its hardly a mountian. My 66 year old father-in-law with arthritic knees from 30 years as a contractor, made it up there.

Rattlesnake Gal · 03-21-2005, 08:29 AM

Lakes Region Conservation Trust does own a small piece of the island, but it is not accessible to the public.
Individuals privately own the rest of the island along with our association. ~ We have to keep out the riff raff!

T.H.E. Binz · 03-21-2005, 11:00 AM

Actually, there are trails up Mt. Rattlesnake from the public access point at Five Finger Point (or Five Finger something) on Squam Lake. It's about a 3-mile hike with a 700-foot elevation gain so you will need hiking boots, water, snack, raingear, etc.

squamasee · 04-01-2005, 03:40 PM

My wife and I along with my 2 daughters (9 and 12) climbed rattlesnake
at nite. We actually climbed at dusk and hung around to see the full moon rise and then headed back down. When we reached the top there was a red fox standing on the rock outcropping, saw us and meandered into the woods not to be seen again. When it got dark a boat in the cove below began to send us flashing signals from his spot-light. The girls answered them back with their flashlights. They got a kick out of that. We brought head mounted flashlights for the descent down. The trail is very peacefully and still at nite. It was a great experience and highly recommend it. Enjoy ......

03-19-2005, 04:06 PM	#1
Old Hubbard Rd Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 462 Thanks: 141 Thanked 54 Times in 33 Posts	Hiking Rattlesnake Mountain at night?? Has anyone ever hiked Rattlesnake Mountain at night?? On a full moon lit night?? Is it safe?? My wife is scared of animals attacking us. What would the view look like on a nice moon lit night?? I wanted to let you know that we have hiked it MANY times during the day. We're just curious what we would see at night?? Last edited by Old Hubbard Rd; 03-19-2005 at 04:51 PM.

03-19-2005, 04:21 PM	#2
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,599 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,458 Thanked 1,981 Times in 1,082 Posts	I would not be so leery of animals attacking...I would have concerns about hiking a mountain whose trail could be anywhere from just plain snow covered to slippery to treacherous, possibly all in the same night. I would certainly want to be experienced with the trail (darkness has a way of changing the way a trail can look), I would certainly want to have artificial lighting available, you would need a form of communication to the outside world in case of emergency, have a topo map, and first and foremost if you do decide to go is to make sure that someone knows where you are going, what route you intend to follow, what time you are leaving, and what time you expect to be back. And make sure you call them ASAP to let them know you made it off the mountain OK. Oh, did I say make sure you have all the good stuff for a hike like a first aid kit, dry socks, extra layers for warmth, water, food, ... (don't want to sound like a nag here, but safety is not only first, it is absolutely paramount.) If you do go, be safe, be careful, and have fun. __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

03-19-2005, 05:35 PM	#3
secondcurve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,117 Thanks: 1,328 Thanked 559 Times in 288 Posts	Public Access Is there public access to Rattlesnake mountain? A place to tie up a boat or is it all private land. Thanks, Franklin

03-21-2005, 06:42 AM	#4
Old Hubbard Rd Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 462 Thanks: 141 Thanked 54 Times in 33 Posts	Rattlesnake Mountain not to be confused with Rattlesnake Island Rattlesnake Mountain not to be confused with Rattlesnake Island-2 different locations. The Mountain is located in the Sandwich/Holderness area and is not accessable by water.

03-21-2005, 06:58 AM	#5
secondcurve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,117 Thanks: 1,328 Thanked 559 Times in 288 Posts	Thanks OH: Thanks for the clarification. Yes, I was thinking about Rattlesnake Island since it seems to have some elevation. Are there any hiking trails on the Island, or is it all private land?

03-21-2005, 07:39 AM	#6
TomC Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Lakes Region Posts: 677 Thanks: 21 Thanked 92 Times in 61 Posts	calling that trail (rattlesnake) a "mountain".. is kind of an insult to real mountains everywhere! It is a nice hike, with a beautiful view from an elevated vantage point there on the rocks, but its hardly a mountian. My 66 year old father-in-law with arthritic knees from 30 years as a contractor, made it up there.

03-21-2005, 08:29 AM	#7
Rattlesnake Gal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central NH Posts: 5,252 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,451 Thanked 1,349 Times in 475 Posts	Rattlesnake Island Access Lakes Region Conservation Trust does own a small piece of the island, but it is not accessible to the public. Individuals privately own the rest of the island along with our association. ~ We have to keep out the riff raff!

03-21-2005, 11:00 AM	#8
T.H.E. Binz Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Meredith & Chadds Ford, PA Posts: 112 Thanks: 0 Thanked 11 Times in 8 Posts	Rattlesanke From the Water Actually, there are trails up Mt. Rattlesnake from the public access point at Five Finger Point (or Five Finger something) on Squam Lake. It's about a 3-mile hike with a 700-foot elevation gain so you will need hiking boots, water, snack, raingear, etc.

04-01-2005, 03:40 PM	#9
squamasee Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	My wife and I along with my 2 daughters (9 and 12) climbed rattlesnake at nite. We actually climbed at dusk and hung around to see the full moon rise and then headed back down. When we reached the top there was a red fox standing on the rock outcropping, saw us and meandered into the woods not to be seen again. When it got dark a boat in the cove below began to send us flashing signals from his spot-light. The girls answered them back with their flashlights. They got a kick out of that. We brought head mounted flashlights for the descent down. The trail is very peacefully and still at nite. It was a great experience and highly recommend it. Enjoy ......