[pct-l] Rattle Snakes on the trail...dangers & misconceptions

Mon Apr 18 23:39:13 CDT 2016

This is true....Switchback in speedos would be hard to ignore, would be a
formidable sight and should not be taken lightly.
However, hiker babes might find him rather  appealing and surrender to his
charm.

JMT Reinhold
................................

On 4/18/2016 9:11 AM, TBrokaw at montmush.com wrote:
> I wouldn't worry about Switchback either.  Unless he is in his speedos.
>
> /Tom Brokaw/
> ..............................................
>
> From: Reinhold Metzger <reinholdmetzger at cox.net>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Stephan wrote:...I read that the desert will be snake infested if it
> gets hotter.
> Day-late wrote:...Seriously, snakes will have zero impact on your hiking.
> ...............................
>
> Stephan,
> The list is a great place for information on hiking the PCT.
> However, some information needs to be treated with a grain of salt.
>
> I have hiked the Sierra, Grand Canyon and desert regions for 52 years
> and had
> my share of encounters with bears & snakes.
>
> Just because somebody has not seen a bear or snake does not mean they are
> not  there or are not a potential risk and should be ignored.
>
> THEY ARE THERE...you don't need to fear them, but be aware of them.
>
> Read my below 2010 post on snakes & bears "und gute reise".
>
> BTW...Switchback (the Trail Pirate) is a far greater risk to hikers than
> bears or
> snakes.
> He will ambush & plunder innocent hikers and leave them with nothing but
> their speedos.
> Switchback is what you really should be concerned about.
>
> JMT Reinhold
>
>
>  [pct-l] Rattle Snakes on the trail...dangers & misconceptions
>
> *Reinhold Metzger*reinholdmetzger at
> cox.net<mailto:pct-l%40backcountry.net?Subject=%5Bpct-l%5D%20Rattle%20Snakes%20on%20the%20trail...dangers%20%26%20misconceptions&In-Reply-To=482D27BB.9050902%40cox.net>
> Tue Mar 30 15:23:24 CDT 2010/
>
>
> Why is it that some hikers seem to be concerned about bears yet brush
> "Rattle Snakes" aside with comments like:
>
> "They are not a problem.....I have not seen a single one on my whole 
> hike".
> "Don't mess with them and they will not mess with you".
> "The ones that get bitten are usually intoxicated males messing with 
> them".
> "Just keep your eyes and ears open and you will not have any problem".
> "Stay away from them and even if you do get bitten, their bites are
> hardly ever life threatening".
>
> Although there is some truth to the above statements, it is not as
> simple as that.
> The reality is that in real life there are far more encounters  and
> fatalities from snake encounters than from bear encounters and the
> fatalities ratio is so low only because the vast majority of snake bites
> happen close to civilization
> and the victim is able to receive emergency medical care within hours.
> That ratio will change drastically if the victim is in the wilderness
> and emergency medical treatment is delayed.
>
> Bear encounters just make bigger headlines and seem more dramatic.
> Arguments like...."Keep your eyes and ears open and you will have no
> problem".....just don't make sense.
> It is true, snakes will not chase you to bite you, but they will bite if
> you get to close and they feel threatened.
> The problem is snakes do not stand out like bears or elephants, are well
> camouflaged, blend in with the desert environment and are therefore
> easily overlooked.
>
> Oooohhhh....yes....the rattle is supposed to alert you.
> But, what if you are having a conversation with your trail buddy,
> singing, listening to your i-pod, chatting on your c-phone, are hard on
> hearing or don't have your hearing aid turned up loud enough?
> That is "MY" problem....I can't hear them....to many bazooka rounds in
> Vietnam.
> Hikers are known to engage in any or all of the above.
> Besides, hikers don't always have their eyes focused on the trail...they
> look around at the scenery.
> Especially if they have Hiker Babes with shapely legs, in front of them.
> That is another one of my problems.
>
> I have hiked the Grand Canyon extensively, probably more extensive than
> the Sierra, for 30+ years....every trail in the canyon......some of them
> many times, did the  "Rim- Rim"  in one day 3 times, the  "Rim-Rim-Rim"
> in one day 2 times and have seen my share of rattlers.
> I have far greater respect for the dangers from a rattler than the
> dangers from bears.
> I can usually minimize the risk from bears with proper precaution, but
> there is not a lot I can do to eliminate the risk from rattlers except
> scrutinize the trail carefully every step of the way, or wear
> "snakeguardz".
> Hikers are not known for doing either.
>
> So, my friends, hiking through the desert is like rolling the dice.
> If you'r lucky you will not see any, or only see snake eyes.
> But, if you're unlucky you may see "snake fangs"  buried in your leg.
> If that happens, the first aid instructions say,...stay calm, sit down
> and keep the bite area even with the heart, seek medical help, walk
> slowly if you must walk.
>
> Did you say that will be very difficult if you are all alone, in the
> wilderness, a long way from civilization???
> I agree, that is why I always say "Snake Bite First Aid Instructions"
> are written for city dwellers, not backpackers.
>
> To the "Thru-hiker" I will say, if you respect the danger from bears,
> you should respect the danger from snakes.
>
> I fully expect to get slammed again, like in the past, for doing nothing
> but scaring the hikers.
> But that's OK, I have been under fire before,...the real fire that comes
> from the barrel of a gun.
> For more snake encounters see my 5-16-2008 post below.
>
> JMT Reinhold
> ------------------------------------------------
>
> Reinhold Metzger wrote:
> Watch out for them in the desert.......they are out there. I have 
> hiked the Grand Canyon extensively and encountered my share of 
> them...luckily only close encounters. Threw my dish water on one of 
> them without realizing it.....stepped on one in Shinumo Creek Canyon. 
> I think he was crawling of the trail, when I stepped on his tail 
> end...the front of his body was in a bush, so he could not whip 
> around. Lucky me....he probably would have given me a double dose. We 
> were 2-3 days from the trail head and it could have become life 
> threatening.
> I know, I know......snake bites are only very rarely life threatening 
> and all I'm doing is scare the hikers unnecessarily. But, that is only 
> because 99% of snake bite victims get medical treatment within a few 
> hours. It is a whole different ball game if you have to hike 2-3 days 
> or wait 3-4 days or more for medical treatment...the odds change 
> substantially  and can cause tremendous, sometimes permanent, tissue 
> damage or can  become even potentially life threatening.
> It's not a scare tactic.......that is just the way it is. I AM less 
> concerned about the bears in the Sierra than about the snakes in the 
> desert. Bears can usually be avoided with proper precaution.....it is 
> much more difficult to protect against Rattle Snakes. HIKE ON.....but 
> be on the alert for Rattlers in the desert. 
JMT Reinhold
>
>
>

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