On our recent trip to the US we visited Shenandoah National Park.

Keith and I really enjoy the US National Parks and are on a quest to explore all the big ones. Our first stop is always the information center. There a Ranger told us to be on the watch for two kinds of poisonous snakes. Already I’m thinking this Park isn’t for me! Well, we got indoctrinated on some precautions and headed off. We now knew that copperhead snakes can be aggressive and that timber rattlers are less so. As we headed down the Skyline Drive, pulling off at several look-outs (the air was hazy and visibility was very limited) we decided to get out and walk a short trail to see 600 to 800 million year old rocks. I read the sign at the trailhead which again cautioned us to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes. Great - This didn’t really set well with my expectations for several days of hikes and walks. Well, we walked and walked (I was often on tip-toe, keenly watching each step) all the while looking for these “special” rocks. When we came to a fork in the trail we realized we had gone too far and had completely missed the rocks. Usually, I’m anxious to keep looking as I don’t want to miss a thing. This time, with the snake warning fresh in my mind, I was more than ready to turn back. On our way back we noticed a couple huge boulders that we figured must be the attraction of this hike. They looked so much like all the big rocks and outcroppings in New England, that we didn’t notice them on our trek in. Dusk was approaching and bugs began to appear, we hastened our steps and headed back to the car. Almost at trail’s end we heard a noise and stopped in our tracks. It was a black bear. He was digging for his dinner very nearby. We stood in the path for a minute before taking out the camera, I couldn’t get it to work very well in my excitement. The bear didn’t seem too frightened of us and he meandered closer to the walking path. Finally it occurred to us that we’d better try to remember what we’d been told about bears while at Yellowstone last year. The Ranger we had just spoken to hadn’t mentioned bears while frightening me with snake stories. We remembered that you are supposed to talk and whistle and let the bear know you are there, trying not to startle him. As we had been quietly walking and then froze in our tracks, we started speaking to Mr. Bear. He stopped his digging, looked straight at us and didn’t move (see photo). So we spoke a little louder, all the while trying to get a good photo, and finally off he went. A day or so later, we had the opportunity to ask another Ranger about the prevalence of black bears in the park and she said our sighting was quite unusual. I guess the rocks weren’t the only things we were meant to see.

Artsy-fartsy photo of Mr. Bear:

O.k. I know you’re wondering about the rattlesnake part of the title. After a few days of successful (read no snakes) short hikes and much driving, we found our way to one of the recommended hikes for panoramic views of the Shenandoah Valley - Humpback Rocks. We climbed up and up with an older couple in the heat and humidity that was oppressive that day. When we got to the top, indeed the vistas were really awesome. The trek had been worth our effort. We ate trail mix and drank all our water while resting perched atop an enormous rock outcropping, the height was dizzying at times and the cliff edge demanded attention and respect. When it was time to head down the mountain, I was in the lead and thought I was on the main path we had taken going up. I got a little turned around as the rocks made it difficult to see where the path was. A few steps later I heard a rustling by my feet. I looked down and saw big, brown diamonds on a big, brown snake! I screamed and jumped back up the trail alerting Keith and a young couple who were getting ready to head down that I thought I saw a rattlesnake!! My heart was beating wildly and I had to sit down. Looking from a distance Keith said, “Wow, that really is a big snake.” He always thinks I’m prone to exaggeration when describing my snake encounters. I found only a small amount of comfort in the fact that he was, on this occasion, substantiating my story! The good news about the encounter is that I didn’t get hysterical, I didn’t freeze in my steps and I didn’t even come close to getting bit. I survived my first encounter with a rattlesnake. Hopefully, it will be my one and only encounter. A good friend of mine actually prayed that she would safely see a rattlesnake on her hiking excursion one day and she did. Those of you who know me well, know I would NEVER, in a million years, pray for such a thing! I hope you’ll understand why I don’t have a photo of this momentous occasion.

Vista from Humpback Rocks:

Keith and acquaintance on Humpback Rocks: