Watch Out For Snakes!

I went up into the foothills behind Red Butte yesterday afternoon because I wanted to think and get some sun and work on my poem memorization. I consider myself a cautious hiker (I stick to trails with cell reception when I’m alone; I always have food and water and a first aid kit, etc.) but I think I need to pay a little more attention to my surroundings and a little less to what’s in my head from now on.

I was walking along and brooding and passing what I thought was a stick until, mid-pass, my brain registers, “Holy shit that’s a rattlesnake.” I won’t say I nearly stepped on him but I was a LOT closer than I would have been had I seen him right away.

Fortunately, Snake seemed pretty relaxed in the sun, all stretched out and looking like a stick. I got some better distance between us and checked him out–about eighteen inches long and diamond patterned (nice camouflage, buddy!).

Then, of course, I paid a lot more attention to the trail for the rest of the hike.

(Do any Misties out there get the post title? No googling!)