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Driving out to Peralta TH this afternoon, I met an ambulance and Sheriff's patrol Oh,Oh, something's not right.... When I arrived at the Trailhead, I talked with Mike, the Volunteer on duty and he told me that an elderly gentleman was bitten by a rattlesnake a short distance up along the Peralta Trail. He didn't have any information on the status of the snakebite victim, but when I met the ambulance it didn't have on it's lights or siren so presumably, the person is okay.

WOW! Just a reminder that with this unseasonably warm weather, the snakes are coming out early.... remove those headsets and pay attention

A friend of ours was hiking down by Tucson and sent photos of the four he ran into on Saturday....

Today I encountered my first rattler 2015 while wandering in the Bulldog Canyon Off-Highway Area and yes, I got it on video. Now if I can just get caught up on my video editing...

Is it just me but it seems when they first are out and it's warm they are exceptionally pissy

no one likes to be interrupted from good sleep

joe bartels wrote:no one likes to be interrupted from good sleep

And be hungry at the same time....

@mnlumberjack Ok with you if McDowell Sonoran Conservacy uses the quote in weekly email to stewards? This sentence. WOW! Just a reminder that with this unseasonably warm weather, the snakes are coming out early.... remove those headsets and pay attention

I just wanted to know if the snake is okay.

@Sun Ray
Quote to your hearts content.. glad to get the caution out.

@azbackpackr
Couldn't find it...... bite n run (slither)

This reminds me of a recurring nightmare in which I'm walking through a landscape so thick with snakes that I can't take a step without landing on one. It's weird, because I'm not too bothered by snakes in my waking life. (I still would rather see them in small numbers from beyond striking range).

Anyway, I hope it was a dry bite.

Guess who will be hiking Peralta Trail tomorrow afternoon... this guy!

@gummo T-hank-S for the picset warning ;)

azbackpackr wrote:I just wanted to know if the snake is okay.

He made it home safely and is sharing his scary encounter with those scary two legged creatures to all who will listen...

Just sayin.. ;)

A good rule of thumb is that if it hits 80°F at Sky Harbor then it's warm enough for snakes to be active on your desert hikes. Doesn't matter if it's December or February. Arizona's reptiles don't go into a true hibernation where they completely disappear for 4-5 months. (Nor do Arizona's black bears.)

@chumley
I once heard if there are ants on the trail it is warm enough for snakes, not sure how scientifically sound that is :roll:

I've always believed that having snow on the ground was a safe bet that there would be no snakes. Then a friend of mine was up at a ruin on Perry Mesa and saw a rattler sunning itself with snow around it.
This photo was taken on 11.29 in the 50's...
http://hikearizona.com/photo=168001

My coldest encounter was in mid-November 2007, on the Safford-Morenci Trail. I was a little above 5000 ft, still pretty early in the morning, and the air temperature was 36F. I was pretty surprised to get buzzed, but there it was, waiting in ambush near the rodent holes.

Alston Neal wrote:I've always believed that having snow on the ground was a safe bet that there would be no snakes.

I built a snowman.
http://hikearizona.com/photo=220126

Then about one mile down trail.
http://hikearizona.com/photo=220129

I trudged through plenty of overgrown trail on Cavalry Trail and Boulder Canyon along flowing water this weekend and the only snake I came across was 1/2 mile from the First Water trailhead on my way out smack in the middle of the trail at about 3PM on Sunday.