I have no problem with snakes. I keep trying to find some to show my daughter. Of course, I never come across any poisonous species around here.
Once while prerunning for the Baja 500 I think about 1975-76. Was riding across Diablo dry lake off in the distance could see a mirage dust trail. Common site as you see this a lot, range cattle walking across dry lake. As I got closer at the leading edge of the dust trail couldn't see the cattle or what was causing the dust. Usually it's just a spot on the horizon then gets bigger as you get closer as I got closer started slowing down to get a better look. Now am almost stopped in the leading edge of the dust cloud, first thought was a Dust Devil, no where are the cattle? pulled my dusty goggles off couldn't believe what I was seeing, thousands maybe tens of thousands of Sidewinder Rattle Snakes migrating across the dry lake. Want to talk about soiling your shorts,holy crap, best 1 kick start have ever gotten. As I got off the dry lake pulled up to a fellow pre-runner in a VW thing, the guy driving and his partner were standing there kinda shaken. I pulled off my helmet I couldn't speak for a few seconds neither did they. Was hard but finally was able to speak,said Did you see? That broke the ice as they had been there for 1/2 hour in a suspended trance in shock and disbelief none of us could believe it but didn't even think about going back and taking another look as that was totally out of the question. Some years later talked to a Mexican rancher in that area and he said it happens very seldom but it still happens. Later George
Oh no, they've made it west of the Rockies. Living in Central Washington, east of the Cascades, is a different story. We're a semi-arid desert, and it comes with rattlers, scorpions, black widows and brown recluses. My damn cat brought home a small rattler last summer. Lucky for me the cat had already killed it. Snakes in general don't bother me a bit, but I do give the poisonous ones all the room they need.
Man, that is the most off-the-wall thing I've ever heard. A digital camera would have come in handy, followed by a flamethrower.
If I would have seen what George had seen, they would still be cleaning that shat out of my pants. (I would be kriegs roomy in that loony bin.)
A couple of years ago, I saw a black snake while riding at Broad River in Georgia....no big deal, but rounded a corner and almost hit 4 wild bore running across the trail. They seemed pretty agitated and I'm glad I didn't plow into them. They ran like 40 heck and I twisted the throttle to put as much distance between them and me as I could.
Most likely a rough earthsnake and a couple of black water snakes in our area. If they didn't have any discernable pattern, they are definitly non-venomous. Any snake in our area tat is venomous has a very discernable pattern, even a cotton-mouth, which looks mostly blackish-brown has a definite daimond pattern to it.
We see snakes so much down here that it doesn't even get me riled up anymore. But we've been cutting new & maintaining old trail lately, one late afternoon last week I was out by myself on a power line easement trying to get back to the truck. I saw something moving pretty fast in front of me, coming across a fairly open field that lay on one side of the easement. I slowed down & stopped not believing what I was seeing, a mountain lion ! It was young, it still had spots on it, at least a 2' tail crossing the trail. It was beautiful. I have seen cougars in north Alabama, but never this far south or this close to civilization. What scares me the most is I know there is a mom, dad & siblings too. I can't tell you how many times I've been out, by myself or with my 6 year son old cutting trail. I don't think I have anything to worry about from what I've read about the species, they seem to be secluded & keep to themselves.... but all those times I've been out there & thought I was being watched may not have been paranoia after all. Sorry to cut in on the thread but I think sheayting in the pants seemed to be the common bond shared by all that posted.
