Snakes

[Justin Baker]

A VERY long stick Roger. A few nudges and they should slither off.

[Leslie Thurston]

luke!
you're definitely not alone in your fear!
the whole time i was on the AT i was secretly dying i'd never see one
however intriguing rattlers are to me, and snakes in general,
i didn't sleep a wink in shelters, and made certain my miles in PA
were logged before they came out to sun themselves.
(did see some black rat snakes but no rattlers)
here in the northeast, we simply don't "have" them…
meaning it's so rare and even so, they're typically small garter snakes
although if i'm caught by suprise, they do freak me out!
it truly distills to frequency of encounters…
if i saw them everyday, i'm certain i'd overcome this.
as for hyperventilating…
perhaps you could train yourself to remain calm with some breathing exercises
or burn a mantra into your head to prepare accordingly…
for example…"snakes are harmless" or "have no fear"
something of this nature?
what excatly about them freaks you out?
it's more the slithering action that i dislike.
eeeeks, gives me the willies just thinkin' 'bout it!

[Kevin Babione]

I think my issue with snakes is the "surprise" factor. You're hiking along and you go to take your next step and there, right where you're about to put your foot, is a snake.

They're the only critters, perhaps other than small frogs and salamanders, that you can step on before they get out of your way. I almost kicked a porcupine last year on the Mid State Trail in PA (I walked right past him and it was the guy behind me who saw him), but generally everything else is pretty quick to scamper off the trail.

I respect snakes and really appreciate it when they let me know that they're there. I was hiking up a rocky slab last summer and heard the distinct buzz buzz of a rattler about 10 feet in front of me. I thanked him (literally) and gave his location a wide berth while he moved from the rock he was using as a lounge chair and disappeared. I was fine in this instance – no shriek was necessary – because he let me know he was there before I even saw him.

The other thing, and this will probably sound stupid, is that I was less worried about getting bitten by a snake when I wore more traditional hiking boots (as if they wouldn't strike above the boot). With my trail runners not only is more of my ankle "exposed" but I'm pretty sure a bite would go right through the mesh.

[Erik Basil]

I don't have it: fear of their presence or existence, but I sure understand it. I have friends that are petrified of snakes in any location, ie stores, a handler's hands, the zoo.. and who modify their outdoor behavior to avoid where they think snakes are. I have one who wouldn't even drive to a mountain resort "because there are snakes there".

Well, yes, but they're not roaming the streets eating people. At least, not that often.

I suggest, if you want to be outdoors, learn up, expose yourself to them and adopt some behaviors such as walking stick/trekking poles and enclosed tents so that you can walk and sleep in some greater peace.

In SoCal, there are plenty of rattlers, depending on season and weather, and those are the one to be bothered by. We've got plenty of non-poisonous snakes that are cool to see and won't savagely drop down onto your neck from overhanging sagebrush like the dreaded Western Furry Rattlesnake I like to tell my Scouts about, and there are plenty of rattlers you may see on trail. If they're on trail and gentle, distant suggestions will usually result in them leaving. However, if you or others need to pass by and the snake doesn't move on or coils and strikes at you, then a *long* stick or tossed pebbles can often move the critter. However, tossed pebbles, tossed trail sand or even the stick can make Senor Snake mighty angry, so be smart and then take the time to get him "really" off-trail, not just into the weeds…

On a trail called Sycamore Cyn, near Malibu, we crossed 14 rattlesnake snakes in trail one morning, over 3.5 miles.

I used to drive up and down a steep access road north of Los Angeles (Browns Cyn) and would see, literally, dozens of rattlers on the asphalt every day. They'd be aggressive and would occasionally strike at the car or truck — you'd hear the thunk as they hit the rocker panel. Once, one got stuck in the sidewall of my bias-ply tire for a revolution! I have to admit, we went out of our way to run the bastards over most of the time, as we also had to hike that road. Hat bands and appetizers.

Let the bunnies live. They're cute.

[Richard Lyon]

Most snakes will leave you alone if not cornered or provoked. Some folks have reported aggressive water moccasins but that is not my experience, and I've seen plenty. A prod with a stick or trekking pole is definitely provocation. That said, keeping crawling things, and snakes particularly, away from me at night is one reason I always use a floored tent even in the Southwest in the summer.

A doctor friend told me that a majority of venomous snakebites in the US are on the hand, which suggests to me that stupidity, bravado, or alcohol is often involved. Ordinary precautions – care in snaky locations, walking around them, allowing them to move away, snakeproof boots when necessary – and there's little reason to worry. A little fear is a good thing.

[Ryan Smith]

Good ol' snake chaps? Just don't pick a snake up and these would go a long way.

http://tinyurl.com/86hyvfo

[Ken Bennett]

My first hiking partner was deathly afraid of snakes. He wanted to go hiking with me, but that fear kept him from doing so for a long time. Not sure how he finally overcame it enough to come with me, but we hiked together for several years.

We have numerous snakes in the neighborhood, including these guys:

The second one is an amelanistic (no black pigment) corn snake that was my daughter's only wish for her 12th birthday.

To the OP, I think asking around for some help in overcoming your phobia would be a good idea. If it really interferes with an important part of your life (hiking), that would be warranted. Good luck.

[Stephen Barber]

@ Ken: I love the cucumber copperhead!

[Franco Darioli]

This is one of several snakes I spotted on a coastal walk recently.

It is a tiger snake and it can kill you with one bite, however as expected when I moved closer he just slithered away.
He lives not far from that water tank .
One of my mates does not like them so I told him about it the next day..
(our tents were at least 20 yards from it )
I was having a full body wash when it came to have a drink but I had my camera (short zoom..) because there were warnings in the group shelter about snakes.
Franco
Actualy I did tell the other two guys because they also used that tank…

[Andrew Baxter]

This is the #1 reason I switched to Hammock Camping. My hammock weights 18oz. It gets you off the ground from snakes that want the body heat, mice, bugs and wet ground if it rains. Small tarp over it if needed to block the rain. The only bad thing is in bear country you could be a human pinata.

[David Thomas]

I did this on my own for mild claustrophobia when I started caving and got over it. I talked to a very good psychologist about my son's more severe phobia of fire drills.

Here's the routine: Stay calm. Don't take it far enough or fast enough to get anxious. If you do, back off.

Find some level of exposure (across the room?, in a cage?, 50 yards away in the zoo or pet store?) that is NOT fearful for you. Hang out there, do whatever is calming for you (yoga, conscious breathing, read a book, get a massage, whatever works for you).

You will be desensitizing yourself.

Wash, rinse, repeat at that level of exposure. Get closer only if you're calm about it. Go for repetitions, lots of duration and repetitions. Slowly increase your exposure while shifting into that calm mode you've practiced.

With time, you can beat down most phobias as much as you want. Often, once to a tolerable level, people stop practicing, but even then the beneficial effects can be long-term.

[Roger Caffin]

Of the world's ten most venomous snakes, guess how many live in Australia?
All ten.
Doesn't seem to worry our walkers though. We just let them be. No, we do NOT pick any of them up.

Mainland Tiger Snake, Notechis scutatus, Vize Spur, April 2012

Very pretty fellow I think. Yes, potentially fatal. We walked around him and he ignored us. But I did get some good photos!

Actually, it may have been 'her' as Sue thinks she saw a baby one nearby. Also pretty.

Cheers

[Franco Darioli]

I can never tell if the snakes I am looking at are male or females but also don't ask.
Don't ask, don't tell..

A funny one was a river walk I used to do.
That involved walking in the river off and on because of the overgrown sides and or steep sides.
(Lerderdurg Gorge)
Anyway at some point I was made aware that there were snakes (brown snakes) in the water, never knew that they could or would swim.
And fair enough on a nice hot day (about 100f) there they were in the ,shallow, water with me…
Franco
(the one in the pic is probably a male. They curl up like that when courting, the female just lays there waiting for something to happen. Or at least that is the way they seem to behave to me…. Very common snake )

[Luke H.]

Thanks for all the helpful feedback! Lots of great tips on getting over my fear and it helps to know there are others out there that have this same problem when hiking. I have to admit all the snake picture scare the hell out of me, but I'm forcing myself to look at them. Gotta start somewhere right?

[Inaki Diaz de Etura]

absolutely, look at the pics, look at the snakes calmly and try to think of them as beautiful, pacific animals that will make you no harm if they have the choice. It's the way to re-program your mind.

[Roger Caffin]

They ARE beautiful!
And silky smooth too.

Cheers

[Greg Mihalik]

This is about creativity, but for those of you fearing snakes it has an interesting message.

Start at 2:50

[BlackHatGuy]

Ah, TED. One of my all time favorite websites. Thanks for the link! The entire presentation was fabulous.

[BlackHatGuy]

" What scares me most is just seeing a snake or being in close proximity to one."

Stay away from the Capitol……

[Jason Torres]

Luke,

I know how you feel. I don't know that I have a phobia but there is no doubt seeing one terrifies me enough to paralyze me.

I almost stepped on one in spooky canyon not long ago. The walls were no more than a foot apart in the area so there was nowhere to go. I stood there for five long minutes. My buddy stepped right over it no problem. I was so terrified I chimneyed the canyon walls until I was 15 ft up then moved along. I didnt come down until I couldn't see it anymore lol.

The idea of saving weight on my shelter is great but much like you, I would not get much sleep. I believe in going light so long as it does not ruin the experience and the spirit of being in the backcountry. If i cant enjoy it then what's the point? This is my line. Everyone is different and must dial in what works best for them

Full disclosure: I sleep sound in my msr ZOID 1. This just means I really look closely at the rest of my gear for weight savings. I've slept where I could visibly see 5 or 6 deadly scorpions crawling within feet of me no problem. Ive stepped over a steaming pile of bear scat in AK in early spring while staring down a fresh tunnel 6 ft wide through a dense berry patch no prob- but snakes..nope. Hahaa.

Not allowing your fear to stop you from doing that which you love most- that's conquering your fear. Now, just dial in your system. You've got it

[Steven Scates MD]

Hi Luke,

I just got back from the Pine Valley area of Ventana three weeks ago. We were on a Boy Scout hike.

I agree with you about the snakes there. I came across five on the overnight route, with two actively rattling at me. No doubt many more were near and just left me alone. It would have been a mess to be bitten there, as it was quite a hike back without cell access. Th bad part is the trails are narrow and the grass is tall up to the trail edge.

I'll think twice before going there with young scouts again in the spring, not sure it is worth the risk to them.

Thanks, Steve

[Bob Gross]

Just take along a California Mountain Kingsnake on a leash. They kill and eat rattlesnakes, yet they are harmless to humans.

–B.G.–

[Simone Zmood]

I think snakes behind glass are quite beautiful and the 'safe' ones brought out at kids’ parties are pretty amazing, but in the bush they give me shivers. As Roger pointed out, all ten of world's ten most venomous snakes live in Australia. That's a very good reason for behaving with a healthy respect for them here and staying well out their way.

My first encounter in the wild, when I was a teenager, was a huge snake dropping out of a tree between my brother and a family friend. The screams were loud, and both boys ran away from the snake and each other. The memory still gives me goosebumps.

Since then, I've been lucky and not seen a single snake in a few decades. Either that or I am a very noisy walker and I scare them away!! Anyway, I saw another snake in the wild a few months ago in Tasmania. I was walking along watching my footing when something moved. I yelped (ok, it was probably a screech!). It slid away from me pretty quickly so by the time I grabbed my camera and zoomed I couldn’t get a shot which would help identify it. It looked pretty small at the time, thin and probably 1-2 feet long. My first thought was that it was a baby snake, but then I remembered taht one of the three Tasmanian snakes only grows to that size. Irrespective, all Tasmanian snakes are venomous.

I'll stay well away from any snake I see, but people have been bitten in some interesting places when taken by surprise. (I'll say no more, use your imagination!) I don't think my fear of them will ever go away. We ended up getting a PLB (120g=42oz) to improve our chances of getting proper treatment and reduce our fear of the consequences of being bitten.

I have wondered what it would be like to walk in a place with snakes that are not venomous. Would I still jump if I saw one?

PS. Franco, I think I would have preferred not to have known about brown snakes swimming in a place I like walking :-( We went there last summer.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Out here in the Mojave Desert I worry mainly about the Mojave Green Rattlesnake because not only does it have BOTH hemotoxin and neurotoxin venom (umlike other rattlers with only hemotoxin)but it is an aggressive snake that may decide to chase you.
(Must have some South American Fer de Lance aggressive genes in it.)

[jacko vanderbijl]

Here in Western Australia snakes are just part of the experience. I saw only 8 snakes (all tiger snakes) on my Bibbulmun end to end last year. This guy was the fattest. The upper body was very olive green near Pemberton while I am used to them being more black.
I am very cautious with snakes but my only fear is treading on them unseen, especially on a midnight toilet call as they are active on warm nights.
Like Franco I will always use a tent that is fully enclosed because of bugs (our spiders and ants are nasty too) but snakes alone would still keep in a fully screened tent as I have heard too many stories of them seeking body heat during the night.

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