Love the post...Need to check that area out sometime
Thanks everyone! And yea the desert species can be so difficult to photograph because as soon as they see you they take off so that one let me get a little closer than expected haha.
4 Day High Desert Trip - Ojai to Alabama Hills *Very Pic Heavy*
- Thread starter inv3ctiv3
- Start date
Thanks everyone! And yea the desert species can be so difficult to photograph because as soon as they see you they take off so that one let me get a little closer than expected haha.
Traveling 2gether Journal
Adventurer
Beautiful pics.
When we get back into the USA we plan to drive a lot of this area. Visiting family in Mammoth Lakes then driving to my home town of Ojai.
You have me feeling a little home sick
When we get back into the USA we plan to drive a lot of this area. Visiting family in Mammoth Lakes then driving to my home town of Ojai.
You have me feeling a little home sick
Beautiful pics.
When we get back into the USA we plan to drive a lot of this area. Visiting family in Mammoth Lakes then driving to my home town of Ojai.
You have me feeling a little home sick
Thanks guys! And I'm from/live in SB so I'm in ojai all the time, may end up buying s house there too.
Traveling 2gether Journal
Adventurer
Nice. It's a beautiful area. I think we will end up settling in there when our trip is over, but that's not for another 10 months-a year.
Thanks man and you're in luck I just did a week across Utah and the trip report can be found here: http://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...iles-of-Off-road-across-Utah-*Very-Pic-Heavy*
Ashton
Newbie
Just made me +2 to my snake recognition skills next time out on the trail. Thanks for the consciousness boost.
One of the coolest animal, desert and life experiences I've ever had was when I was weeding the yard at a property in Gila, NM and I reached down to wrap my fingers around a bunch of that patchy range grass that grows at higher elevations in New Mexico, and I hear a short burst of a rattle. I stop short and notice a rattler, not more than 8 inches long, curled up looking. I didn't feel threatened, despite the stories and the lessons you hear of about avoiding snakes (baby rattlers in particular). I did feel thankful though, as I didn't get bit nor struck at, and I got to watch the little one slither off to another patch of grass, where he happily curled up next to one of those day glo scorpions we also have in the desert up there. I was pretty much in awe at that point - two of the deserts deadliest creatures, sitting under the same small bunch of grass, completely unassuming and completely not threatening. I would never think to pick up either of them, so I decided it was a better day for cerveza than for weed pulling.
We also used to have a 6ft rat snake (bull snake?) on our property in the Gila River Basin. S/He (I never did sex it) was always welcome and was often found slithering along the driveway on warm winter days and curled in low tree branches in early morning sun. We hired a person to do some grounds-keeping, they had recently moved there from some city out east. I remember the guy excitedly coming up to the house to tell me he had just killed a huge rattlesnake that he had almost stepped on. I was furious, it was like I had lost a pet. I agree that snakes are to be respected, not feared, and are highly misunderstood. Great post.
One of the coolest animal, desert and life experiences I've ever had was when I was weeding the yard at a property in Gila, NM and I reached down to wrap my fingers around a bunch of that patchy range grass that grows at higher elevations in New Mexico, and I hear a short burst of a rattle. I stop short and notice a rattler, not more than 8 inches long, curled up looking. I didn't feel threatened, despite the stories and the lessons you hear of about avoiding snakes (baby rattlers in particular). I did feel thankful though, as I didn't get bit nor struck at, and I got to watch the little one slither off to another patch of grass, where he happily curled up next to one of those day glo scorpions we also have in the desert up there. I was pretty much in awe at that point - two of the deserts deadliest creatures, sitting under the same small bunch of grass, completely unassuming and completely not threatening. I would never think to pick up either of them, so I decided it was a better day for cerveza than for weed pulling.
We also used to have a 6ft rat snake (bull snake?) on our property in the Gila River Basin. S/He (I never did sex it) was always welcome and was often found slithering along the driveway on warm winter days and curled in low tree branches in early morning sun. We hired a person to do some grounds-keeping, they had recently moved there from some city out east. I remember the guy excitedly coming up to the house to tell me he had just killed a huge rattlesnake that he had almost stepped on. I was furious, it was like I had lost a pet. I agree that snakes are to be respected, not feared, and are highly misunderstood. Great post.
That's a real bummer to hear about the dead snake, I don't know any other animals besides spiders and snakes that are just blindly killed for being what they are it's such a shame. Most rattlesnakes (and any snake for that matter) just wants to be left alone and they are terrified of people, they much rather go un-seen than rattle or make themselves known. Another thing to know is baby rattlesnakes are not in anyway more dangerous than an adult, a lot of people think babies have more potent venom (which is slighty true in some species due to their prey items as babies but it changes as they grow) and that they can't control the amount of venom they inject which is also false. And the other thing about it is that an adult snake has a much higher venom yield than a baby, they have much bigger fangs and much bigger venom ducts so in all cases and adult can inject much more venom than a baby! Good on you for respecting the wildlife, they need all the help they can get from fearful people.
Christian Schrader
Observer
So rad! Bama Hills is one of the best!
You ever make your way up to Cerro Gordo?
You ever make your way up to Cerro Gordo?
Thanks man - I actually haven't yet I always end up skipping it but I'm sure I'll get there soon as I'm in the area all the time.