Rattlesnake Encounters: Sharing Experiences

While I realize that I’m probably responding to a bot and also, admittedly, very snake phobic, I will still respond with a story. One summer, many years ago, a group of maybe 6-8 of us were sitting around a picnic table near the upper corner of Camp 4–the way it once was. Eventually my friend and I got up and went back to our tents a few sites away for a couple of minutes. When we returned, everyone at the table was standing and looking under the table. There, comfortably coiled, was a good-sized buzzworm, that had clearly been settled there throughout our extended conversation. It still wasn’t doing much. Eventually someone found s piece of plywood or something, slid it under the snake—which remained lethargic, put a trash can on top and ‘escorted’ the snake up into the talus. Once the can was lifted, the snake still took its time before it leisurely slithered away. A very benign incident, but what if one of us had stretched out his legs in the ‘wrong’ direction while seated at the table?

For a truly terrifying story of a snake encounter, I suggest reading the vignette by Sean Cobourn in the North Cedar chapter of the Southern Pisgah Rock and Ice guidebook (North Carolina).

I always thought that running into a rattlesnake would be scary, but hiking down the wash at Reimer's Ranch, we came across one chilling in the cliffs.

Before I saw it, when we were 20-30 feet away, it rattled to let us know where it was. Very polite. Very not scary.

Super easy to avoid. Super chill snake.

When approaching west ridge last month in Eldo, I ended up nearly stepping on a baby rattler and just about pooped my pants. I immediately texted my partner and told her I loved her and said my good graces but I was kind of shook the rest of the day. Luckily we stuck to pretty tame objectives and I only got "Eldo'd" on the ground this time.

Almost stepped on this little guy at the Dark Side at Shelf last month. 

Best rattlesnake story I ever heard was from a Grand Canyon river guide: He and a couple friends including Dugald Bremner were paddling kayak support on a private trip. The whole party had pulled up for lunch and my friend and another fellow found a dead rattler floating in an eddy nearshore. As a joke, they pulled it out, coiled it carefully on the seat of Dugald's kayak, and quietly joined the rest for lunch.

After the meal, they eagerly awaited Dugald's "discovery". Sure enough, down at the boats, Dugald yells, "Hey guys! Check THIS out..."

Everyone hustles down to the boats, my friend and his buddy with the rest, where Dugald shows them a very-much-alive and buzzing snake, nestled in his kayak!

As monumentally relieved and chagrined as my friend was, I'm not entirely sure he ever told Dugald just how that snake happened to find its place in the boat...

I worked part time rowing boats in the Grand Canyon for quite a few years and there are tons of snake stories.
Mine is I was leading some people down a rushing noisy creek and looking for a place to cross. When I looked down I saw a snake coiled right next to my foot.

Next thing I knew I was on the other side of the 12 foot wide creek with dry shoes. I told my clients to look for another way over.

I take all the rattlesnakes I find at Champe Rocks and donate them to the local pentacostal church.

Kyle Millswrote:

I take all the rattlesnakes I find at Champe Rocks and donate them to the local pentacostal church.

Amen, brother

One of our motivations to climb S Face of Trono Blanco was not wanting to hike back up the approach gully, past all the rattlers.

F*ck in A !!

bots are creating good topics, I think I should quit MP now, go live in a cave, dirtbag life is sounding awesome. What’s next people arguing over a bot topic? That just sucks 

Michael Rushwrote:

F*ck in A !!

bots are creating good topics, I think I should quit MP now, go live in a cave, dirtbag life is sounding awesome. What’s next people arguing over a bot topic? That just sucks 

Considering the crap that puppy lovr starts it shouldn’t be surprising that the bots can beat it. 

Not a rattler, but here are a couple of copperheads from Ragged Mountain in Connecticut. They like to hang out right at the start of Weissner’s Slab.

B Donovanwrote:

Antivenom is good stuff and this is something that the professionals have figured out. While potentially fatal if left untreated, if treated within a reasonable timeframe (12-24hrs), statistics show that fatalities occur in less than 1 in 600 cases, or one to two fatal cases per year.

Is this info generalized for all rattlesnakes in the US. Seems like some rattlesnakes could kill someone in less than 24 hours if left untreated. I’m probably wrong though. I don’t know as much about rattlesnakes. What about losing a limb, finger, foot, etc.? That’s gotta be higher than one or two per year, no?

last thanksgiving i was climbing at red rocks and ran into one in the dihedral i was climbing.  luckily it was pretty cold and i was able to do some face climbing around it.  i did have to place a piece about 6 inches below it though, which was pretty nerve wracking.

i have run into quite a few over the years and luckily no incidents.  i like to say that we have a "truce", and that i try to warn them i am coming and i hope they will warn me too.

spiders on the other hand - all out fucking warfare with them sons a bitches...

Cool lil dude out by Tombstone. Moab area. 

My favorite story is the guy who came across a rattler, tried to unholster his gun to shoot it, lost his balance, shot himself in the foot, fell onto a cactus and the snake bit him.

But really, there was hair raising bite story recently on Table mountain in Golden, look up Ethan Vogel. My wife read me the whole story in facebook, much more involved than the media articles. It was an unusually severe case.

Personally, I've come across maybe a dozen pit vipers, mostly rattlers, unwittingly stepped over several, and maybe half close enough to provokve rattling.

mountainhickwrote:

My favorite story is the guy who came across a rattler, tried to unholster his gun to shoot it, lost his balance, shot himself in the foot, fell onto a cactus and the snake bit him.

But really, there was hair raising bite story recently on Table mountain in Golden, look up Ethan Vogel. My wife read me the whole story in facebook, much more involved than the media articles. It was an unusually severe case.

Personally, I've come across maybe a dozen pit vipers, mostly rattlers, unwittingly stepped over several, and maybe half close enough to provokve rattling.

That’s a great story! Don’t shoot snakes. 

Living in the desert, I've had my share of run-ins with rattlers. 15ish years ago I was at a climbing party one evening, and strolled away to relieve myself on a tree. I noticed some movement on the ground, turned on my headlamp, and saw that I was peeing on a rattlesnake! It was trying to escape the situation (don't blame him!) but with the cold it was moving very slowly. It slithered over my right foot on it's way out, and even got my foot wet, getting me back in a way lol.

10ish years ago I was doing the 2nd ascent of a climb my friend Manny had just put up. It starts out bolted, then has an easier crack up high that takes gear. While climbing the upper crack, I thought I saw an old, faded climbing rope jammed back in the crack. I poked it with my finger and it seemed to move a bit, so I thought I'd work it out with a stick (why? who knows) so I grabbed a stick from a bush just off route, & started to do just that. As I started poking at it, the thought ran through my mind that Manny had just done the 1st ascent less than 1 hour ago, so how did an old rope get in there? At that same moment, the stick came into contact with the 'old rope' which was actually a rattlesnake, which moved & rattled at me. So there I am, on lead and 15' out from my last piece, poking a rattlesnake with a stick. The rattler quickly slithered farther back into the crack, and I happily climbed around it. It wasn't my smartest moment, but it could've ended up much worse.

About 9 years ago, a friend and I went to set up a top rope on North Table in Golden. We were still new to climbing and had no clue what we were doing. My friend plops down by the edge of the cliff to reach some bolts and feels something wriggle under their hand. A small scaly tail with the smallest rattle is sticking out from the side. In horror, they jumped back and there it was — a baby rattler writhing in agony from its body being crushed. I still can’t believe that my friend didn’t get bit that day and instead accidentally killed the baby snake. And yesterday I ran into two pretty big rattlesnakes while running Green Mountain. Just another summer in the front range.

Multiple encounters at the base of cliffs in Escalante Canyon. Just often enough so I'm always vigilant. Take your pooch there at their risk.

One notable spring a rattler took up residence in the lower few feet of crack of a very popular climb. The word was out among the "locals" and you could finesse your way past without jamming in the crack, although it certainly added some spice.