Snakes

Three days ago, I encountered a big four foot black snake in the trail. 

I'm not aware of any big black venomous snakes, and assume it is a rat snake or something innocuous. But it has the wide triangular had of a viper so I give it a wide berth. 

Yesterday I saw another one.
This time I wait and watch as it slowly warms up to move. To my surprise, as it warms a faint brown patterning appears on the back as it crawls away. The tail seems tapered with no rattle, but the triangular head and markings are concerning. 

Today I see a third one, hiding in the grass just six inches off the trail.  This one warms enough that he rears up into a threatening stance and I do hear a faint rattle. Fortunately I saw him and stopped well short, because the rattle was too soft to hear otherwise. 

Spirit finds a snake identification pamphlet at a visitor center, and I learn that the Timber Rattlesnake has a black phase. The picture matches. Hmm.

I am blessed with self confidence and optimism. It makes adventures easier. In fact it makes all of life easier and more fun.

I used to filter the blog to leave out scary stuff that might worry my Mom. Now I filter less since Mom is gone, and Pat encouraged me to add more during our Florida paddle (she noted that I downplayed a dodgy rescue and a horrible campsite). I could now blog about being cornered by the PCT mountain lion or the CDT grizzly bear encounter. Or getting robbed in Italy, Nepal and India. Or falling 200 feet down a snowshoot and breaking a rib. Or the lightning strikes. Or running out of money deep inside China. Or encountering the ex-con cleaning his assault rifle in the woods. Somehow those all got faint mention when I knew my Mom was reading. 

Dad doesn't worry. He shrugs and says "he knows what he's doing".

I think so. I hope so. Confidence and optimism make life easy, and enable me to venture on. 

24.6 miles to Kirkridge Shelter, near Fox Gap PA