Rattlesnake Ledge Hike

Yesterday, Caron and I went on the Rattlesnake Ledge Hike.  This 5 mile hike  is just off Interstate 90 east, exit 32, relatively easy and fast to get to from Seattle and a very nice hike!  The weather held for us (meaning it didn’t rain).  It was overcast and cool, but the cool felt beautiful on my face as we ascended 1,100 feet to the lookout ledge!  Since it was a Sunday and since this hike is so close to Seattle and the view from the top so great, there were a lot of people on the trail.

The trail begins near  the southern promontory of Rattlesnake Lake.  Caron and I both wondered why the lake, trail, and ledge are named “rattlesnake”?  As far as I know, there is not a single rattlesnake west of the mountains in this part of the state!  (Too wet?)  The lake definitely made me dream.  You can see, from the pictures below, it would be an idyllic place to have a picnic or swim here on a warm summer day.  There were a few fishermen out on boats.

The trail is heavily forested with alders, fir, and hemlock.  The new fern fronds are a dreamy green and I kept thinking of the Anahata Chakra, the heart energy center, which is soothed and nourished by the color green!  The air smelled of  summer and the trail is wide enough for two hikers to hike side by side, which we did and which is kind of unusual while on a hike.  When we got to the ledge,  the view was breathtaking!  I am not afraid of heights and actually find being at high lookouts quite thrilling, but I was surprised to see so many relaxed parents resting on the flat rocks, eating lunch, and casually watching their children stand so close to the ledge!!!

After our hike, I had plenty of time to get ready for a Thai dinner party with a very cool group of yogis/yoginis.  The dinner party was hosted by Pam and Michael.  I made my favorite Thai dish which is a cabbage tofu salad dressed with  a peanut sauce,  served with brown rice.  It is THE perfect never-fail dish to serve your vegetarian-vegan-glucose intolerant-raw foods-friends!  Everyone contributed fantastic main dishes and desserts for the feast.  Time went by way too fast and before I knew it, it was 10:30 pm!  Way past my bedtime!  And just so  I could be even more sleep deprived today, as I drove us back home, the brake fluid on the car had somehow seeped out and the brakes hardly worked!  Yikes.  That meant two things: I had to get up at 5:15 a.m., much earlier than I had planned, in order to catch a bus to teach my early class, and the car is now at the garage getting worked on!

Thai Salad
1 cake tofu    Cubed and drained on paper towels so they are as water free as possible
2 cups shredded cabbage  (red or green cabbage, I used both!)
1 cup sprouts
4 spring onions  (thinly sliced)
2 tomatoes (cubed)

Fry the tofu cubes in about an inch of hot oil.  fry until golden, drain on paper towels

Put tofu in a bowl  (glass bowl is best because the layering of this dish is so beautiful), cover with cabbage, sprouts, pour peanut sauce over (see recipe below) and garnish with onions and tomatoes

Peanut Sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. dry shrimp paste  (I omitted this)
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 tablepoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons tamarind liquid  (I buy this at Pike Place Market at one of the shops where you can get many Thai food items)
1/2 sambal ulek  (or chili)   (bought at same source as above)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk

Mix the above ingredients together and ENJOY!

And here is the follow up to my blog about the Film and Video Program at Seattle Central Community College.  Today I received this reply from the president of Seattle Central Community College.  I don’t think it is a personal reply, but rather a pre-drafted reply he sends out to everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to write. I appreciate your concern for our students and for our college programs. As I told the college, these decisions are painful to make and will be painful to live with. Unfortunately, state support for higher education has deteriorated to the extent that we must reduce the number of programs we can offer.

We will make every effort to ensure that currently enrolled, full-time students will able to complete their programs. For more information, please visit our “frequently asked questions”  page. You might also be interested in the memo I sent to our campus explaining our reductions.

Thank you.

Paul Killpatrick, Ph.D.
President