Rattlesnake Hill has been on the agenda for a while. Located in the Pigeon River Country State Forest in northwestern Montmorency County it would be otherwise unremarkable if it weren't for its partially open summit, needless to say a rarity in Lower Michigan. Also, after mentioning the name of the hill to my oldest son Alex, the previous fall, he decided that if I went I would have to take him. Twist my arm why don't you:) Well, we didn't get out to it last fall or over the winter. Alex hadn't forgotten, though, and as soon as the snow melted he began pestering me to take him out there for a hike. I couldn't get the weather to fully cooperate (too many clouds) but the leaves had just started to pop which helped a lot. If you make it to the end of the album we even made quite a remarkable discovery (for mid-April!)...

Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 45.070542, -84.281838

Route Type: Out-and-back

Difficulty: MODERATE

Mileage Hiked: 2.5 miles

Trailhead Temp: 53'F

Min. Elevation: 910'

Max Elevation: 1,220'

Trails Used (blaze color): High Country Pathway (blue)

Rattlesnake Hill, Montmorency County (4-18-10)

High Country Pathway Trailhead (Rattlesnake Creek Rd)
Heading out...pretty sure they were both having fun so not sure about the look on Chris' face...
High Country Pathway Trailhead (Rattlesnake Creek Rd)
We'd be using the High Country Pathway to get to the top...the HCP makes an 80+ mile loop around the periphery of the Pigeon River Country State Forest...
High Country Pathway
This little plant, Wintergreen, was growing all over the place along the first part of the hike...I invited the kids to pick some up and have a sniff...
High Country Pathway
If you crush the leaves of the Wintergreen between your fingers they give off a pleasant minty aroma...I had the kids sniffing plants for the first 15 minutes of the hike:)
High Country Pathway
The woods along the trail were quite a mix...just about any tree you can think of that makes its home in Northern Michigan was represented here...
High Country Pathway
Passing a stately grove of aspens...
High Country Pathway
There were a handful of what I believe to be apple trees along the trail...a nice bit of early spring color...
High Country Pathway
I wanna say apple, but I could be wrong...
High Country Pathway
Right around the halfway point the trail crosses a large open area...
High Country Pathway
Perhaps the only cool part of the Jack pine is its cones...they are closed up tight to the point that they're all but impossible to pry open. The trees are waiting for the next forest fire which, when it sweeps by, opens the cones which release their seeds. This helps the Jack pine to be one of the earliest trees to recover after a fire...
High Country Pathway
Spotting a landmine..
High Country Pathway
The ugly step-brother of the pine tree family, the Jack pine...I can't stand these trees, it's not hard to see why, is it?...
High Country Pathway
Shhh...don't tell anyone but this is gonna be a GOOD place to find blueberries this summer!
High Country Pathway
The large fields along the trail were quite strange, there must have been numerous farms in the area at some point...or a lot of clear cutting...
High Country Pathway
Hey, we cut down all the trees here so please stay on the trail!
High Country Pathway
The terrain here has just been devastated...a prime example of how forests are preserved not primarily for recreation, but rather for the protection of a resource...
High Country Pathway
The only nice part of walking through this area was the bright, warm sunshine...
High Country Pathway
You'd think if the state was regulating the harvesting of this area that they'd make the loggers be a bit more selective...
High Country Pathway
Before long we started the steep climb to the top...
High Country Pathway
Climbing out of the river valley the forest abruptly becomes dominated by hardwoods, oak to be precise...
High Country Pathway
It wasn't long before we could see a bare hilltop through the trees above...
High Country Pathway
Alex, in the lead as always, nearing the top...
...and the views start to open up...
Michigan Lower Peninsula Gaylord Pigeon River hike forest flowers spring
High Country Pathway
Chris uses a different climbing strategy than his brother, 'slow and steady wins the race'...but he made it!
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
Must be quite a view if it stops Alex in his tracks!
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
The summit, as it were, of Rattlesnake Hill...
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
For Lower Michigan, this was simply amazing...this is the panorama that opens up to the north from the top...
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
Looking west...
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
Unfortunately, it looks like more than a few people don't get to the top by way of their own two feet...
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
Looking north over the Pigeon River Country State Forest...
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
Alex thought these huge pine flats were pretty cool...I had to agree...
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
We thought we might wander a bit farther along the ridge but it looked like it might involve another steep climb so we thought better of it...
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
Blue skies, two great boys, and wide open views...it just doesn't get much better...
Rattlesnake Hill -- 1,220'
Yeah, I'm a little proud...
High Country Pathway
Time to head down...
High Country Pathway
The kids decided to take one of the off-road trails down...'cause it's steep Dad!'
High Country Pathway
This was another little hilltop we stopped by on the way down, not quite the views from the top but still nice...
High Country Pathway
Tent worms were setting up camp all over the place around here...gonna be another bad year again...
High Country Pathway
The boys seem to think the best way to get down a hill is to run...I was content to be the 'rotten egg'...
High Country Pathway
After a long run down the hill, the boys pulled up at a couple rocks for a quick breather...
Large-flowered Trillium
The biggest shock of the trip...Along the drive back I noticed a white flash in the woods and when I stopped to look I found this, the seasons' first Trillium!!! It's mid-April people, nearly a month early for these guys! This proves it's been a crazy spring!

dwhike

Rattlesnake Hill

Rattlesnake Hill, Montmorency County (4-18-10)