Arizona Desert Beauty
So we moved from Portland to Phoenix in March. It’s a great time of year to be in Phoenix. While other parts of the country are cursing the remaining winter, Arizonians are out hiking some amazing terrain. And since we knew summer comes quickly, we wanted to get out and explore as much of the area – as soon as possible. Being avid hikers and this being only our second hike in this part of the country we were cautious and made sure we had maps of the trail system. We had plenty of water for Taos, our trusty four legged companion as well as ourselves. We also made sure we had snacks, sunscreen, protective clothing and hats, trusty worn-in hiking boots for ourselves and the bark’n boots that Taos had been breaking in since we’d moved.
So after going through the gate that sectioned off the area we were off. The area was beautiful, not red rock terrain, but arid brush with some flowering vegetation. We not only found some dried cactus remains, that had this intricate design of what looked like veins, but there were also these trees that were black as coal yet didn’t look as if they were burned. It was the oddest thing, but the contrast was amazing. We had hiked a few miles and were enjoying the solitude of the dusty, rocky path until Taos bee-lined it off the trail. Even with his boots we were so worried about what he might step on, run across or get into in this terrain. We ran down to the area where we’d last seen him and as we made it past some large rocks, there he was ankle deep in probably the only water that could be found for miles. We decided this would be as far as we’d go today; it was getting really hot. But before we headed back we took a little rest and took in some of the creek-bed area. Everything was fine until we ran into that rattler.
We had had a pretty uneventful day hiking until we were about 100 feet from our truck. Taos was walking ahead of us and had gotten through the gate. My husband and I were talking and somehow as we were approaching got a glimpse of it and stopped dead in our tracks. Of course this was my biggest fear, a snake but not just any snake a RATTLE SNAKE. And I have to say I don’t even know how we noticed it because they are very difficult to spot against the dirt trail.
So here’s the situation, my husband and I are on one side of the fence – Taos, our dog, is on the other side of the fence – and this rattler is right in the middle. To make things worse the gate is attached to what looks like a very sharp bar-wire fence.
So what do we do? We have no idea. There is no one around; Taos is getting inpatient and we think might try and make his way back to us; and the fence looks really really sharp.
We decide throwing a rock in the general direction of the snake might make him move enough to let us pass. What we don’t anticipate is Taos thinking that the rock is a ball and that we want to play fetch. So that plan is ditched immediately.
At this point the rattler is aware of us, and making that very distinctive sound. We decide we should take our chances with the bar-wire. But as we make our way a safe distance away from the rattler the only thing that keeps going through our heads is – there could be more anywhere in this brush.
When we told friends about our encounter they were amazed that we’d run into a rattler. Some of them had lived in the area for years and had never come across one. We of course did not feel fortunate to have had this unique experience. And I started to looking for snake training classes for Taos where they teach dogs to detect and avoid rattlers using sight, sound and smell.
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