Can barely get a ride in without seeing one of these

[richie_rich]

This one on Wood Canyon road the other day...almost too quick for me to stop and get the camera out.

[mtbchip]

Taken last week.

[HELLDOG]

Who is the guy with the jumbo pliers squeezing the crap out of a pissed off snake? What is the point of that??

[bigdmtb]

I've rode past a snake but did not see it,my dad said there was a snake but I didn't belive him. None got hurt. I do and don't want to see a snake. Do because it would be exciting, don't because there is always the fear of being bit.

[JoeTruth]

Almost ran over one this morning. Well, I would've if I hadn't fallen right before.

Solitude, mental cleansing and bizarre ironies...

[DirtymikeTDB]

I have seen more than a few RAttle snakes at noth Box springs, and ANgelous oaks as of late. Be carefull out there guys, give them respect, both go mukin with them.

[mscalepic]

I saw a gopher snake yesterday on the El Toro/Aliso Creek trail and a rattle snake on the El Morro Trail today. Lots of snakes around in the morning.

[guero]

Originally Posted by HELLDOG

Who is the guy with the jumbo pliers squeezing the crap out of a pissed off snake? What is the point of that??

that is adam/jamr, and he probably knows alot more about the wildlife and habitat in the orange county region than most of us here combined. he is very involved in our mt. bike community and wouldn't voluntarily harm any wildlife.

i highly doubt he was 'squeezing the crap' out of the snake...most likely was moving it out of harms way.

cool pix adam.

Originally Posted by mfoga

That one was pretty small but yeah it was just chilling.

Now the one in that pic looks a lil pissed off.

not sure if you saw the same one we did, he was about 3 feet long and had a decent sized gut...he was off to the left side of the s/t as you first rode in from the main fireroad.

[RacinJason]

He wasn't squeezing it he was cutting it in half .
( Hedge Trimmers )
Didn't you read the memo. By cutting them in half you get 2 snakes how fun is that. Isn't 2 better than one?

No J/K He was moving it off the trail.
He is a pro normal people don't carry snake tongs.
When they are that fat it take a little squeeze action to pick them up.

Originally Posted by HELLDOG

Who is the guy with the jumbo pliers squeezing the crap out of a pissed off snake? What is the point of that??

[SIK SD]

Yeah we got this little guy on Noble, that bulge in the middle is my buddy and his bike... It was morning, seem to be more at that time of day.

[boludo]

http://www.venomousreptiles.org/pages/rattlesnake

[Rascal]

My usual MTB route is Nix, then LCWP/CC and finally Aliso.

Without fail, I always come across some garden variety snake on Stagecoach, a rattler on the fireroad that goes back into Nix, and at least one rattler on the fireroad that starts from LCWP. CC always has a one or two rattlers and Aliso often has some wildlife - usually on Cholla.

I did a hike in Limestone a couple weeks back and mistakenly stepped on a snake - fortunately not a rattler. We saw a small rattler further in the trails but he moved off quickly.


I don't ever remember seeing this many out.

[mfoga]

Originally Posted by guero

not sure if you saw the same one we did, he was about 3 feet long and had a decent sized gut...he was off to the left side of the s/t as you first rode in from the main fireroad.

There was an older couple taking pics of it as we cam up to it. It was on the left side. Still small compared to the ones I am used to from working at a golf course with lots of them in the mountains.

[sdyeti]

Ha! sounds like an almost identical experience I had on Tuesday night at LPQ...except I almost ran over the ass end of the rattlesnake and THEN saw the TWO skunk butts facing the trail about 30 feet later!

Maybe they work as a team?!

Originally Posted by chumbacabra

Saw a baby western coiled up on the side of the trail last night.
This was right before my riding buddy missed a skunk by 2". Of course I was right behind him. Now there is this pissed off skunk 5' in front of me and heading toward me. Once he sees me he swirls around, sphincter staring me in the face, and runs toward the other rider. He rides down the trail. It then took about five minutes of not too close following that vermin before he bailed off the trail.
I am more nervous about running into skunks than snakes.

[DirtymikeTDB]

Originally Posted by HELLDOG

Who is the guy with the jumbo pliers squeezing the crap out of a pissed off snake? What is the point of that??

That is probably one of the best ways to handle a snake like that. keeps you out of strike range, and doesnt harm the snake. You would be suprized how much you can squeeze a snake without hurting them.

Bottom line, dont Muck around with them if you dont know what your doing.

[bobzrag]

Finally saw a snake on my ride last night (before the tire flats!)... It's hard to tell from the pic but this puppy is 18' long!
snake600.jpg


ok, ok, would you believe 18"

[JamR]

Originally Posted by DirtymikeTDB

That is probably one of the best ways to handle a snake like that. keeps you out of strike range, and doesnt harm the snake. You would be suprized how much you can squeeze a snake without hurting them.

Bottom line, dont Muck around with them if you dont know what your doing.

That particular snake tong is called the Gentle Giant, and it's the best one I've used so far. They come in real handy this time of year.

I just needed to move that guy off the trail so they could get the vehicles by. We don't drive in the brush because it would widen the roads, (plus we're quickly approaching fire season). And if we did drive around the snake, there's a pretty good chance that we would run over others that may be hidden in the trail edges.

Moving them off the trail is pretty much a daily occurence this time of year, and quite often I relocate ones that are hanging around the staging areas where kids congregate and bring them deeper out into the wildlands.

They are one of my favorite critters out there!

Enjoy them whenever you see them......just give them a respectful distance.

[G-Ride]

Originally Posted by HELLDOG

Who is the guy with the jumbo pliers squeezing the crap out of a pissed off snake? What is the point of that??

Everyone including JamR failed to mention in their posts that Adam (JamR) is an OC Park Ranger at Aliso, so it's kind of his job. P.S. great pix Adam.

[Shu]

Originally Posted by strobelite

i wanna ride with you!

i never see snakes!

I'm w/ you on that....been riding now for 4 years and have never seen a rattler....UNTIL a couple of weeks ago....I love snakes and am not scared of them BUT I was on Dripping Cave in A&W when I came around a s/t corner and there was one sunning himself....24"-30"....startled the crap out of me....the rest of teh ride I was jumpy...every stick poking out of the bushes was a rattler...same w/ the lizzards...

Can't wait to see another.....