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

Tue Apr 19 13:47:48 CDT 2016

I don't know, I'm pretty charmed already!!

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 19, 2016, at 12:05 PM, William E Frenette <groundpounderbill22 at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> Balony , no female is that desperate, 
> 
> 
> groundpounderbill
> 
> 
> On Monday, April 18, 2016 Reinhold Metzger <reinholdmetzger at cox.net> wrote:
> 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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