Theres a Snake in My Boot!

Rattlesnakes are really easy to spot…at the visitor’s center…behind the glass.

I always think that I am going to go out into nature and find whatever it is that is out there to be found. The more dangerous the better! In Florida, I was always gator hunting. In Virginia, I was always looking for a bear just over the rise in the trail. And in the Arizona desert this weekend I was looking for rattlesnakes. But the truth is that gators scared the heck out of me, my fear of bears caused me to wear bells on my shoes, and rattlesnakes…well they put the fear of God in me.

I didn’t have much free time this weekend in Phoenix, but I decided that I would thrust myself into the desert landscape and get the most out of what time I did have. I found a park operated by Maricopa County that I thought would be what I was looking for. It certainly was! The ranger told me about one hiking trail in particular that was very popular. I drove to the trailhead and got ready to enter nature. I wasn’t very prepared to hike through the desert. I was wearing a pretty thick tee shirt, and some heavy shorts. Oh…and my designer sandals.

It was a 2.3 mils round trip hike. The path was wide and well marked. I was in awe of the 15 foot tall cacti that dotted the landscape. Not far down the trail was a message board with a big bright yellow warning sign. Mountain lions had been spotted in the area recently and it warned that they were not afraid to approach the trail. Great. And I thought I only needed to worry about a snake bite. I had my cell phone with me and my passport in my pocket. I left my wallet and driver’s license in my car. That way they would know whose car was in the parking lot after the mountain lion dragged my body back to its lair.

I decided to keep going. I was determined to experience the desert. I walked on and the path started to be not so well marked. As the path narrowed and the rocks and plants got closer I started to become incredibly nervous about finding a rattlesnake. My eyes were glued to the ground. I stopped. I looked around. There were no sounds, and the parking lot had disappeared behind some bends in the trail. I was completely alone…in the desert.

It happened with the next step I took. That sound! Unmistakable! My heart was beating out of my chest and for a split second I was frozen. But it didn’t take long to realize that I had only scared a small group of birds from underneath a Joshua tree. Once my heart returned to normal, and I was able to breath again I continued walking. The trail was getting smaller and sandier. In fact, sand was starting to get flipped up into my sandal. As I walked I shook my sandal trying to get the sand out. That is when I realized that the sound of shaking desert sand out of one’s sandal is very similar to the sound of a rattlesnake! I scared the heck out of myself!

As I continued I was becoming less paranoid about watching the ground and I started to enjoy the beauty around me. It was stunning. And for being 115 degrees, it was pretty comfortable too. Then I had to laugh at myself…I realized that I was singing the theme song to “Hey Dude.” Out loud. Alone. In the desert.

The hike was incredible. I could have gone on some other trails in the park to continue my quest for a rattlesnake, but I didn’t. Instead I decided to drive to a nearby zoo where I could find desert animals while eating dippin dots.

Oh! This is hysterical! While I was at the zoo I walked past one of those big colorful parrots. You know, the kind that talk. Now, I am not a fan of birds but I decided to stand in the shade and admire this one. The parrots looked at me and said… Okay, are you ready for this? The dang parrot looked at me and said, “QUACK!” That pretty much made my day.