Gila monster, Rattler! at Christmas Tree pass hike Nevada

[Rented mule]

http://usera.ImageCave.com/mochajo/hikingaround/IMG_4295.JPG

Here are all the pics:
http://usera.imagecave.com/mochajo/hikingaround/


Wow! What a fun place!
My wife went shopping in Vegas with relatives. I went hiking in the hills west of Laughlin Nevada; Christmas Tree Pass. This is an 11 mile dirt road
not to be missed. What a cool place! From the first stop, at Grapevine wash where you can either geocache the area, or take in the hundreds of petroglyphs! Gobs of brown, round, huge rocks stacked on top on each other and scattered like being on a table full of gobs of playdo were very
unusual.
Then, the drive up to Christmas Tree Pass. The locals drive up there and decorate the juniper trees at Christmas time. Even on my hike, the trees shimmered with loads of silver, blue and gold icicles. I wish I had a movie camera.
The hills and rocky crags are amazing! Very doable.
Then, as I was walking around amongst the matrix, I came upon a huge
huge panamint speckled rattler! It was on a rocky ledge that I was going to cross to drop into the drainage and continue on my way.
the Gila Monster was about 1/2 mile from the rattlesnake. I was stoked!
If you go, just drive down the highway to Laughlin on the road from Vegas and look for a sign as you go down the hills for Christmas
Tree Pass.
The old US Cavalry tested camel corps in this very area.
So, if you are looking for something to do when in the Laughlin Nevada area, here ya go!!

Cheers! jerry

[Kent K25]

Consider me jealous. I'm still looking forward to seeing my first Gila Monster someday.

[Brian in SLC]

I came upon a huge huge panamint speckled rattler!

Wow, great shots!

That looks like a western diamondback. The length, diamond pattern, and tell "tale"...(black and white).

Panamint:

Size
Adults are 23-52 inches in length (58-132 cm) averaging 2 - 3 feet. Young 10 inches.
Appearance
A heavy-bodied, venomous pit viper, with a thin neck and a large triangular head. Pupils are elliptical. Scales are keeled.
Shows a great variety of body coloration which usually allows the snake to blend into its environment - tan, yellowish, orangish, gray, off-white, brown. The body is marked with a pattern consisting of dark speckled banded markings, which can be vague or distinct. A dark band or bands on the tail, but not usually alternating with light bands.

Western diamondback:

Size
Adults 30-90 inches (76-229 cm). The average size of snakes most encountered is 1 to 4 feet in length.
Appearance
The largest rattlesnake in California, and in the West. Heavy-bodied, dangerously venomous, with a thin neck and a large triangular head. Pupils are elliptical. Scales are keeled. Sometimes 3, but usually 4 or more small scales occur on top of the head between the supraocular scales. (The Northern Mojave Rattlesnake has 2 large scales between the supraocular scales.)

The ground color and the intensity of the pattern are variable, often matching the habitat; grey, brown, olive, tan, or yellowish. Diamond-shaped blotches on the back are brown or black, with light edges. Broad black and white rings, fairly equal in width, circle a thick tail with a rattle, consisting of loose interlocking segments, at the end. A new rattle segment is added each time the skin is shed. Newborn snakes do not have a rattle - just a single button which does not make a sound. A light stripe extends from behind the eye diagonally to the upper lip in front of the corner of the mouth crossing over the lip. (The posterior light stripe of the Northern Mohave Rattlesnake extends back beyond the corner of the mouth and does not cross the lip.)

http://www.ndow.org/wild/concerns/safety/snake/NV_Ven_rept.pdf

Two neat reptiles within a short distance. Really cool!

-Brian in SLC

[psl53]

Wow!!!!! That is way cool. I'm always looking for places to go so I don't get Vegased Out with two days. If you would, could you please send me some beta. You can e-mail me at psl53@yahoo.com. :hail2thechief:
Thanks
Peter

[psl53]

Sorry, I should have read your post, I got too excited after viewing the photos.
Thanks for the TR
Peter

[Jaxx]

Very nice TR. That rattler doesn't look like he is having trouble finding food!

[Rented mule]

Thanks, Kent! Snow Canyon has one located near the south entrance station. Go on a rainy, summer day and it may be walking along the roadway. It burrows somewhere near the big green utility box in one of those creosote mounds with the big holes. On the left hand side of the road, coming in. Sometimes, talk to the security guard.
Another one, sometimes, in the early evening, will be walking right around
the DIXIE rock in St. George.
Tell ya whut! If I come upon one locally, I'll get hold of you on the board right away.

Hi, Brian! Thanks! I believe you're right on! I looked with my son and we both agree with ya. wow! I am stoked. Just the word "diamondback"
means desert west, to me. all those westerns growing up....
Careful! That scrub flat is full of diamondbacks! You'll get those horses
snakebit!! hehe Then, to see the gila monster a few minutes later? wow!
So, what would happen if these two met?

Thanks, psl53! There's lots of getaways! I want to do a gold mine tour in Nelson, this October. Then, there's red mtn overlook. The city lights come on right at your feet, I'm told. I'll have to check it out. Hike up at dusk and back down with flashlights and headlamps. A bottle of wine....
ahhhh


Hi, Jaxx!
You bet! Looks like it's belly is a bit full in one spot. Something digesting there?
Also, I wonder if it is a girl or a boy? How old?
Way cool! God, I hope I never get bit.

[Deathcricket]

OMG that is so friggin cool seeing a gila monster! I've seen them at the zoo but never in the wild. Everytime I go to snow canyon now I'm going to check around that place you mentioned. They look like they might be easy to spot being so bright and "monstrous".

:2thumbs:

Oh and speaking of big lizards, there are some really cool chuckwalla's at the Zen gap, which is like 100 feet from the parking area for the bear claw poppy spring trail. I only see them out around 6:00PM for some reason but there are loads of them and really huge. Sadly, I've never even seen one at the chuckwalla trail, oh well. I'll try to get a picture next time to share.