Yosemite, a friendly reminder to watch your step

[ghaag]

My daughter and I just made a trip to Yosemite, and I thought it might be worth passing this along. We were hiking the trail to upper Yosemite falls, there was a reasonable amount of traffic on the trail so I was not really thinking about snakes. I was headed downhill stepped over a ledge on the trail and the people behind me said I had just stepped over a snake. We sure enough I had, so just a friendly reminder to watch your step.

[Overstreet]

I walked right past one and didn't see it. Looked back and wife was taking a picture of the curled up rattler on a stump 6" from the trail. It was chilly that morning so we both were a little sluggish.

I was looking more for roots, rocks and drop offs.

[ghaag]

Originally Posted by Overstreet

I walked right past one and didn't see it. Looked back and wife was taking a picture of the curled up rattler on a stump 6" from the trail. It was chilly that morning so we both were a little sluggish.

I was looking more for roots, rocks and drop offs.

Oh wow!

[Stephen Mick]

And I just read this article the other day…

https://www.outsideonline.com/231543...ttlesnake-bite

[ghaag]

Originally Posted by Stephen Mick

And I just read this article the other day…

https://www.outsideonline.com/231543...ttlesnake-bite

Very interesting article, thanks for sharing.

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the great article -- he is lucky to be alive!

Life is short.

[Leilanisteve]

Great article. I’ve never seen a rattlesnake in the wild and don’t desire to. A few weeks ago I was alone on a hike in the Eagle Cap Wilderness in Oregon. I stopped at a bridge partially crushed by a fallen tree. I stood on a log to observe the rushing creek and heard a sound I’ve never heard before. My neck hair raised and I froze scanning for a rattlesnake. I slowly backed away and kept on up the trail. I grew up in the land cottonmouths down in Louisiana. Those are aggressive beasts. No warning. The ER medical director/toxicologist I used to work with ran a snake bite service. His goal was to reduce the unnecessary deforming and scarring fasciotomy procedures that the author almost underwent. It takes lots of antivenin. Maybe someday it won’t be so expensive.
Steve