[pct-l] Snake experiences

[Trekker4 at aol.com (Trekker4@aol.com)]

I've never been bit or struck at. In 3,500+ miles  of hiking. I've seen 1 
Eastern Diamondback on the AT (I stepped down beside his  tail; it was laying 
along the right edge of the trail; it was Sep, too cool up  in the Smokies, and 
it didn't move; I did, however, 2 giant backwards steps and  a "whoa".) 
    I've seen 1 Rock Rattler in Guadalupe Mtns NP  - 2 ft long, buzzed, and 
kept on moving. In the same 4 days of day hiking I came  across 2 Black Tailed 
Rattlers - mating - too busy for me. Pervert and  voyeur that I am, I took a 
30 minute break to watch. In all of Big Bend,  and 400+ miles of hiking, I've 
never seen any snakes, except dead rattlers and  live Red Racers on the roads.
 
Bob "Trekker"  
Big Bend Desert Denizen
(Naturalized Citizen, Republic of  Texas)