What the HECK was that noise???

Well, guess what?? There are living, breathing rattle snakes in Washington!!

Yesterday Chris and I were taking a couple-hour hike out in the desert lakes area around Quincy, we left the house about 7PM, and we both knew it would be getting dark before we got back to the truck. The hike to the lake and back is about 5 miles, so no huge deal, the trails are pretty flat and very well marked, and there's really no way to get lost as all the trails eventually lead back to the parking area. The area to the sides of the trails are mostly sagebrush and open ground to the canyon walls all around. It's really beautiful out there.

So - after we rested and drank some water and listened to the bull-frogs in the lake, we started back, we were treated to a seranade by the canyon group of coyotes and as we got about half way back I heard this horrible noise over to my right. I looked down just quick enough to see a rattler coiling and ringing that rattle like it was the last thing on earth this creature was going to get to do!!! I did the girl thing and skipped to the left and ahead out of the strike zone.

Well, that's about as scared as I can recall being in my 44 1/2 years on this earth. The snake appeared very very very large because it was coiling and rattling like that. I don't remember ever having that much adrenaline pumped into me in such a short time. I felt giddy and childish and held Chris's hand almost the whole way back to the truck. He asked me more than once to slow down and take deep breaths. He thought he saw ten more snakes on the way back, but they were all shadows on the path from rocks or roots. Of course he did his best to ally my fears by telling me that the first snake bite is usually a dry one, and normally they hit the ankles because that's the closest area to them (and since we had on our hiking boots we were probably pretty safe). He said it only feels like a razor cut...thanks Chris....yer a peachy helpful guy all the time.

So - in case anyone out there was wondering, yes, there are rattlers in Washington, I can attest to it personally. There were times over the years I thought I heard a rattler, but now I know for sure those were probably June bugs or something else, because it is a very distinct sound that you hear when its a rattler warning you to stay the hell away. Whew....I was glad to get back to the truck and climb inside out of reach!!