[pct-l] Snake bite Kit

[blisterfree at isp01.net (Brett)]

Nine - count 'em 9 - blacktail rattlesnake encounters in a 
mere THREE DAYS on the Arizona Trail last year. Three of 
these were close-encounters, in which the snake actually 
approached ME. In one of the encounters, I came within 
inches of stepping on the poor critter as it slithered by, 
underfoot in the tall creekside grass. In another instance, 
the snake passed to my rear as I sat beneath a tree, 
effectively blocking my view of the snake while offering it 
every opportunity to strike me in my, er, least-defendable 
quadrant.

Bad news, you say? Ah, but in no case did a snake actually 
bite, or even make an attempt at biting me. In the first two 
close-encounters, the snakes were merely curious as to their 
new visitor and his large and unusual infrared profile. (And 
hey, I was pretty sunburnt too.) I just happened to have 
plopped down along their chosen route, and they then 
happened to make a point to come in close to see whassup. In 
the third encounter, hey, give the poor critter a break - I 
almost killed HIM. He wasn't coiled, wasn't prepared to 
strike, and my combined pack & body weight (220-ish) came 
within milliseconds of converting him to snake stew.

Which would have been for the worse. I like snakes. Or to 
put it in the words of our president, "I have seen inside 
[their] soul, and [they are] good."

Snake bite kit? Ehh... I think an "attitude kit" should take 
precedence. Get the head in order, approach the subject 
without bias or superstition, determine the actual risks, 
and THEN decide what's the best course of action.

blisterfree, hoping to see more snakes on the Grand 
Enchantment Trail...

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