Flashfloods & Rattlesnakes

[Iceaxe]

With all the recent flooding one thing to be cautious about..... I have noticed that a lot of rattlesnakes get washed into the slots after a big flood. This seems to be particularly true of the Roost. The snakes are usually cold and lethargic but I have almost been bitten after a big flood because of this. We did Not-Mindbender 3 days after a flashflood once and I counted something like 8 rattlesnakes in the slot. The next day we found about 5 in Bluejohn, which had also flashed. I have spoken with local ranchers about this quirk and some of them have told me they have noticed the same thing. One old rancher told me if you watch a desert flash flood closely you will notice that some of those sticks in the leading wall are not really sticks but are snakes.... anyhoo.... just something to be a little extra cautious about.

There was an interesting thread on rattlesnake bites in the hiking forum about a year ago.
http://uutah.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1471

Here is a picture of a buzztail that almost got me
http://uutah.com/forum/files/snake.jpg

[tanya]

I would love to be around when Shane runs into one of those guys. :popcorn:

[Iceaxe]

I would love to be around when Shane runs into one of those guys.

I scream just like a little girl when I see a snake :lol8:

[tanya]

As long as thats the only time you scream like a girl :mrgreen:

The rattlers are hatching. There were baby rattlers crawling across the road out at The Wave this weekend. They were cute. You would have likes these. :nod:

[accadacca]

Oh man that fella looks like he may not be the friendliest. :eek2: