Week 16: #52HikeChallenge- Rattlesnake

 

Last week, we went to one of our tried and true trails.  It's a lovely one in the spring when the wildflowers start blooming.  And though it has a decent elevation gain, it's only 3 miles or so.  So it's not as long as some, but still gets your heart going because of the hills.  

 

The girls were happily hiking, often side by side by side.  We've had many talks about trail safely, and we generally try to encourage the girls to walk in single file because when they walk next to each other they tend to fool around more and not pay close attention to the trail.  That's usually when someone trips over a rock and scrapes her knee etc.  

 We caught some lovely views and the weather was perfect for hiking.  

The girls were just ahead of Chris, and I was bringing up the rear, when he heard something (he's such a careful trail dad). The girls were chatting happily not paying particular attention to anything except their conversation about butterflies, and Ava tripped and fell.  The noise Chris had heard was suddenly heard by everyone and Chris ordered them to keep going.  Fortunately they all listened.  And fortunately Ava did not lay moaning on the ground, but instead jumped up quickly and ran forward after her sisters.  

 

It was a rattlesnake. 

 It must have been sitting fairly close to the edge of the path when they walked past.  Luckily Ava fell just after they passed it, so her feet were a good 5 or 6 feet from the snake when she fell.  And because there were so many of us, the 3 girls in front of the snake, and Chris coming up from behind and barking orders, the snake was too confused in the scuffle to attempt to strike anyone.  Chris purposely spoke loudly because he wanted the girls to obey quickly and because he saw the snake and wanted to distract it as much as possible from Ava lying on the ground momentarily. 

The girls did just what they were supposed to do and followed Chris' directions quickly and accurately.  And everyone is safe.  Thank God.  

Chris and Sophie were several feet behind the girls and Kolbe and I were several feet behind them.  So in the scuffle, the snake got confused by all the movement and noises coming from several directions, the girls got out of harm's way, but the snake (a baby rattler) was now between the three older girls and us, and was on the edge of the trail and angry.  By now they had figured out what it was (the snake was very angry and was rattling his tail quite loudly) and were scared.  I told them to hold each other's hands and just stand very still.  Chris took some pictures and we waited quietly for the rattlesnake to calm down and slither away.  

It did not.  

It continued rattling angrily. So, from a way's back, Chris tried to throw a few stones just behind it, to attempt to get it to go in the opposite direction and further away from the trail.  No dice.  It just sat there rattling furiously.  

An older couple came from the direction that the older girls were standing on the trail.  They were excited to see the snake and took a brief video before getting out what they called "Snake Off" (it was wasp spray).  They sprayed the snake, who slowly slithered off the trail a little ways, still shaking that rattle with all it's might.  And we all passed by and continued our hike.  (We later looked up the wasp spray solution and found that, sadly, it kills the snake eventually.  Though I think it would be a good thing to have on hand when hiking in rattlesnake areas, we would have just waited longer had we known the "snake off" would harm the snake and kill it within a few hours). 

 

(the remaining pictures are from my phone)

 

 

The girls talked constantly about the rattlesnake scare the rest of the hike.  There was no whining.  No asking a million times for a water break.  Just a lot of "what if" scenarios and "I was so scared, I nearly fainted" type conversations.  

Grateful for our good trail listeners.  Grateful for a husband who pays such good attention at all times and reacts quickly and wisely.  Grateful for God's grace.  Grateful for another lovey hike with our family.  Grateful that "when I am afraid, I will trust in you, in God whose word I praise."