Little Rattlesnake Mountain (1,605 feet) in Rumney is one of my favorite spring hikes. It's a short hike to open ledges and wide views, but it does pack a punch with 850 feet of elevation gain in its first 0.8 mile. Overall the hike is 2.5 miles round trip with 1,000 feet of elevation gain.
In its lower section the Rattlesnake Mountain Trail follows an attractive small brook.
Much of the elevation is gained in the relentless middle section of the trail.
On April 1st, the trail was 90% snow and ice free. This was the longest stretch of snow/ice, approaching the loop junction.
Loop junction.
The long loop around the summit area is a fun ledgy ramble. I usually start on the western side of the loop.
Just below the summit a side path leads to a ledgy, piney area...
...with a view west to Smarts Mountain, Black Hill and Mount Cube.
The trail traverses a long line of open metamorphic ledges on the summit crest.
Looking out to Mount Cardigan in the distance.
Stinson Mountain close by to the east.
Looking across the Baker River valley to the wind turbines on Tenney and Fletcher Mountains.
My favorite view from Rattlesnake looks north to the various trailless southern spurs of Carr Mountain, with the dark abd distant summit peering over in back. Seeing expanses of bare ground hardwoods out there had me planning to repeat a favorite bushwhack loop in the near future.
One more view of Stinson along the eastern side of the loop.
