Yes, that about sums up our recent hiking trip in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. We hit a semi-rigorous trail in the Alum Rock Park on about three Saturdays ago. It was a very dry, HOT Saturday afternoon. The ascent up the side of the steep hill wasn’t too bad given our stop-and-go pace! Ha! It was Connor, Allie, and myself on the climb. We did happen to see a few signs – something about watching out for rattlesnakes which had been spotted on the trails – or something like that. Yeah, yeah. I had seen the mountain lion, wild boar and various other ferocious animal warning signs, never actually spotting one – or encountering one myself. I felt nearly invincible – ha!
Just off on a daydream or a ramble, I suddenly saw Connor, leading the group, freeze dead in his tracks and extend both arms back in a wide arc, signaling us to stop. What? I didn’t see anyth…. And, just then … I saw it! AHHH! He was well camouflaged – blending right into the surroundings. A giant adult snake coiled up in a huge ball sat on the corner of our trail. He could not have been more than 10 feet away from Connor. I was so freakin’ scared! I very slowly began taking big steps backward, looking behind me for brothers or sisters of this slimy beast! The snake was HUGE. He slowly began uncoiling himself and little by little and then began slithering his long thick body up the side of the grassy hill back into the wood. He was long. VERY long. At the end of his trunk, probably about 10 feet long, we spotted his identifying marks – a large rattle was sticking up in the air at the end of his tail. HOLY PETE, Sweet Mary! We watched until he had completely slipped away.
Just then I think it was Allie who turned to say, ‘You know, he’s really more scared of us than we are of him.’ It was too late for me. I had already taken off high-speed down the trail. I hollered back over my shoulder, ‘Fat chance!’
That is one encounter I will not forget. And, I think I’ll pay attention to those wild animal warning signs now too!!
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