Rattlesnake Hill to Receive Needed Improvements

Rattlesnake Hill, located just north of Icicle River Middle School (IRMS) and Cascade High School (CHS), is in the process of enhancement, thanks to the efforts of many, including project leads from the school district, Brett Johnson, Special Education Director, and Teresa Disher, Facilities Director.

Johnson and Disher gave a presentation at the recent school board meeting, sharing information about the current status of Rattlesnake Hill and plans to enhance the property for multipurpose uses for the schools and the greater community.

Disher explained that the school district owns the largest Rattlesnake Hill parcel, including the south-facing acres, the summit and some north-facing acreage. Upper Valley MEND, the City of Leavenworth and private owners own the remaining parcels.

The 41 acres of Rattlesnake Hill are forested land with some trails that are steep and in disrepair.

In 2019 they were awarded a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of North Central Washington. This grant covered conceptual designs created by James Munly of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. Munly has vast experience in trail building, including many of the trails at Ski Hill. The trail options can include biking and hiking trails and areas for outdoor learning.

The next phase will improve the fire safety of the overgrown forest. Some of the areas of densest vegetation are adjacent to IRMS and CHS. Fuel reduction will protect both the hillside and the buildings.

Brett Johnson shared the good news that the fuels reduction will incur zero cost to the district. Chelan County Fire District 3 (CCFD3) was awarded a federal grant to implement a firewise demonstration project. The grant is matched by funds from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and the two agencies together will perform the fuels reduction. CCFD3 will utilize before and after information to create virtual firewise education materials, which can be used by educators and community members alike.

Johnson shared maps showing EMBA’s concepts of trail entry points and possible trails for different uses and skill levels. Science classes have already been utilizing Rattlesnake Hill, but with improvements, the hill could also be safely used by sports teams, PE classes, art classes and younger children from Alpine Lakes Elementary (ALE) and the Kodiak Cubs preschool.

When asked about costs, Johnson said $35,000 would be the upper limit of trail building costs, and could be less if working with EMBA and their network of trained volunteers. Grants and community fundraising efforts are expected to cover the costs.

School board members and superintendent Tracey Beckendorf-Edou recognized how this project aligns very well with their newly developed Strategic Framework, which includes the Outdoors as one of the district’s cornerstone values.