When the MountainGals climbed Mt Margaret a few weeks ago, we noticed the string of lakes below. My Green Trails map confirmed that Swan Lake and Rock Rabbit Lakes were outside the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, so our mission was clear.
So, what the heck is a rock rabbit, anyway?
- A winery on California's Central Coast
- A website for the Japanese rock band GO!GO!7188
- Another name for a pika, a small mammal with a piercing whistle
- All of the above
Since this is the Cascades and one just tootled at me, I'm choosing pikas. These excitable little critters live in rocky terrain, hence their nickname. Although they look like big-eared hamsters, pikas are not rodents; they are lagomorphs, along with rabbits and hares.
Pikas are herbivores and native to cold climates. But they don't hibernate, relying instead on hay for warm bedding and food. Pikas gather fresh grasses and lay them in stacks to dry. Once the grass dries into hay, it's taken back to the burrows. If you visit this cache at the right time of year, look for small piles of grass among the rocks - cool, eh?
This cache is placed at the second Rock Rabbit Lake, which has more of that pika ambiance (rock scree) than its larger neighbor. The ammo can is on the far side of the lake, in a typical pika hidey-hole. I've provided spoiler pics that should simplify your search.
The lake was quite low when we visited in October, and things were a bit frosty. We enjoyed lunch on some logs that may be submerged at other times of year. Tell us what the lake is like when you visit - how high? Any pika activity? Snow? You may also notice what appears to be a small cave or mine in the cliffs above. We explored, and it's just a hollow where the rock eroded away.
Road directions: Finding the right route is easy if you use Green Trails map #207 (Snoqualmie Pass). However, some online maps (like Google) are missing a critical road section, so.... To get here from I-90, take exit 54 (Hyak/Gold Creek), follow FS 4832 around the lake, then fork left onto FS 4934 as you climb the hill. About 2 miles past my Another Great Rainier View II cache, take the left fork onto FS 4948 (this is the section missing on some maps). Follow that until you reach the left turn onto FS 120, which takes you to parking and the trails. Some passenger cars may have problems negotiating FS 120, as it has rocky and rutted sections where higher clearance and/or 4WD might prove helpful.