[pct-l] Rattlesnakes on the PCT

Thu Apr 1 11:21:02 CDT 2010

Dave,

Last year I was walking directly behind Yogi Beer in the San Fillipe hills. We were in a steep uphill and I was leaning on my poles waiting for Yogi to pull a little further ahead, as I was walking a bit faster than him. As if in slow motion I saw a buzzworm lunge for, and strike Yogi's pole. Now, my friend Yogi has only one eye, and it wasn't on the right side. He did hear a quick buzz at the moment of attack and leaped into the air in reaction. It was quite a sight to see Yogi jump up two feet into the air with a 55lbs. pack on his back. After Yogi backed off, he looked at me with his one good eye, and with a sinister laugh said, "...almost got me, I felt it hit my pole!" He didn't have to tell me, I had just seen it.

I'm not a herpetologist but I remember reading that snakes use their tongue's to check air currents, ie. motion. I might be wrong. Maybe the snake sensed Yogi's heat signature and the motion of the pole drew his attention, as it was the closest portion of Yogi to him. I don't know, I just wanted to pass that along.

It's important to point out that--It was early, and the day was just beginning to warm, we were chatting loudly and surely not paying attention, and Yogi is handicapped. 

It is not my intent to insight any fear by telling this story, just something that I observed. Like Piper, I think that most of our worries before hiking the trail quickly melt away once we are on the Trail. I've never felt as safe as I did on the trail. Sure, situations arise, that if not approached with a cool head, can be dangerous. That's life. 

I will say that conversation was kept to a minimum for several hours. We were too focused on each bush that we passed. We did see two more buzzworms on the way to 3rd Gate. A few rocks were tossed in their direction, they moved on and so did we.

jason

> From: david at xpletive.com
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 10:14:41 -0500
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rattlesnakes on the PCT
> 
> It's my belief that a buzzworm (I also like the term) will not strike a pole unless it is touching them or at least very, very close to them. This is due to the fact that they are pit vipers and effectively "see" their targets using thermal imaging. To the buzzworm, a trekking pole simply is not a living thing and poses no danger unless you poke them with it.
> 
> Dave
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Don Billings
> Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 7:40 PM
> To: Matthew Edwards
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rattlesnakes on the PCT
> 
> Interesting story. Thanks for the post.
> 
> Although I have yet to embrace hiking poles, I am planning to. And, it seemed to me just yesterday that a snake just 
> might strike the poles before it struck my leg if the pole was in the right place. So, you confirmed it is possible. And
> thus poles might play a part in lessening the odds of sustaining a bite injury.
> 
> I also liked your idea of a snake warning via squiggle in the dirt.
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Matthew Edwards <hetchhetchyman at aol.com>
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 1:18:32 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rattlesnakes on the PCT
> 
> Sure, I saw plenty of rattlesnakes on the PCT last year. Mostly in the first 400 miles. Every time except once I had ample warning from the snake. That one time was climbing Jenkins peak. The air had turned cooler as a gentle rain began to fall. I was distracted by the mesmerizing weather amid what to me seemed like Desert enviroment. I stepped right next to a slumbering juvenile rattler. I jumped back before it reacted. It was in the middle of the trail so I relocated it with my trekking pole due to a train of hikers I knew were no more than 1 hr behind me. As the tip of my trekking pole touched it's body the snake instantly struck the pole basket three times in rapis succesion!
> Anyhow I relocated the snake down slope a bit and then did something we all began early in the hike.
> I made a squiggly line in the trail dust for 10 feet in front and after the point I found the snake.
> In my "tribe" it was our way of signaling a snake was nearby.
> Definitely not LNT so go ahead and rip me for the suggestion if you like.
> Other than that one encounter I really never worried to much about rattlers either on trail or cowboy camping at night.. Neither did anyone I met.
> Just use common sense and try to stay alert especially during the warming times of the day and evenings.
> Beautiful Animals!
> -Iceaxe
> 
> HikeStrong2010.com Benefits Cancer Research
> Sent on the go from my Peek
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