Rattlesnake Recon 
As the June heat descends on Southern California the Dzrtgrls are thinking of ways to get high. We're talking about altitude, of course! The San Bernardino Mountains offer several options, one of which is the historic Rattlesnake Canyon area. With elevations of 5,000 to 7,000 feet you can be assured that you'll climb above the desert heat. But there's more to this area as well. This reconnaissance trip gives us a chance to hunt for geocaches, explore an abandoned observatory, view some of the largest Joshua Trees in the West, check out some historic springs and a nearby cabin, travel the route of an 1875 cattle trail through a scenic canyon, explore an enigmatic stacked rock smelter from the 1860's, visit the historic 1880's Rose Mine which was once the largest gold producer in the San Bernardino Mountains, and enjoy a lovely and secluded backcountry camp complete with a night time fluorescent scorpion encounter. Does it get any better than that?! Grab a snack from the fridge and limber up that mouse wrist 'cause we're bound for the high country!