Vitaliy M wrote:

Day Hiker wrote:

Dougb wrote:Be careful when sleeping on the ground in Josh...there are scorpions, but usually only in spring summer or fall, winter is generally to cold for them.

Here is a critter that might appreciate your warmth at night:



This one was in the Movie Road area (Alabama Hills) at about 4600 feet a couple Sundays ago (12 Sep).

They're slowing way down in the cool fall nights. But your sleeping bag might be just the cure they're looking for!

These are gopher snakes, right? They are not known to attack humans and are not poisonous, right?

Did you bother to check out what's on that bad boy's tail-end? It's not a gopher-beacon.

The Chief wrote: That is the difference between sackless wanna-be city folks (that's right dude, city folk, as Hemet is only 15 something miles from three real major 5 lanes plus each way highways, and 100K plus people) as yourself (and a teacher at that) and myself...

Nice.

Hemet and teachers-- into the flames!

Dingus Milktoast wrote:Rattlers aren't known for attacking humans either. DMT

Exactly!

I have put my hand next to em on several occasions and nothing. The latest was this one last spring. I actually put my hand over his head not knowing that he was there till my partner very calmly notified me of where my hand just landed.... This 3' Mojave Red on Pine Creek Secret Spot trail.


KLK... don't take this shit seriously. BTW, you & Sackless doing it?

Vitaliy M wrote:

Tanngrisnir3 wrote:Did you bother to check out what's on that bad boy's tail-end? It's not a gopher-beacon.

Obviously not..
But in general it seems to me as most of snakes in Sierra wouldn't attempt to crawl in a sleeping bag with a human in there. Seems as most are afraid of humans, no?

Afraid? I'm not sure if attributing human emotions onto reptiles is justified, but I grew up w/a lot of rattlers in Monterey County, and they didn't seem to have any desire for interaction with humans, if it could be avoided.

But them, Big Sur is nowhere near as cold as, say, the east side, so I don't know how attractive a warm bag would be on a cold night.

The Chief wrote:KLK... don't take this shit seriously. BTW, you & Sackless doing it?

heh. just nice to see my adopted hometown in bright lights.

sp's glbt crowd is going to love that postscript.

it's not quite 9 a.m.: you should be able to get to the jews and blacks by lunchtime.

Vitaliy M wrote:These are gopher snakes, right? They are not known to attack humans and are not poisonous, right?

The snake in the photo is a sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes). The raised supraocular scales help to identify it. It is venomous.

As pointed out, they do not attack humans. Their most predictable direction of travel will be directly away from wherever you are standing. In fact, I got a short video of him or her sidewinding off the sandy road into the bushes. It's a really cool movement to watch, so I'm glad I had grabbed my headlamp out of the car for lighting. (He or she was in the road as I drove by.)

Here is a still photo, since I can't post the video:



Again, no, they do not attack humans. Neither do scorpions, but I suppose it's possible to get stung if one winds up in your sleeping bag. I doubt it's very likely for a snake to wind up in or near your bag, but as pointed out, it's not unheard of. They crawl (or sidewind ) away really fast from awake, moving humans. But a sleeping, motionless person might not be recognized as a threat.

And again, no attack, but they (and scorpions) do bite (and sting) humans defensively. And he or she might just take offense to you trying to crawl out of your bag with him or her next to you.

Whether that very slim chance of an encounter is worth considering is up to each person to decide. I have slept on the ground in the desert and didn't worry about it. But there are maybe other times in the desert where I might have it as a remote possibility in the back of my mind as I try to fall asleep. I would consider the possibility of a snake much less likely than a scorpion based on their relative population densities.

The Chief wrote:

x15x15 wrote:

mrchad9 wrote:Most folks who talk about guns have a small penis.

it aint the size that matters, big dicks are big dicks... and they still get none!

Comes from your first hand life experience huh SACKLESS.
BTW SACKLESS, never mind. Not worth it.....

let me get straight RAG MAN?
i talk about guns and am told that folks who talk about guns have a small penis. (cool)
i say the small penis still get laid, big dicks don't.
you infer i get none, therefore i am a big dick.

you are correct RAG MAN, it aint worth it. you are just a headache waiting to happen.

but i must stay On Topic, and even a small penis will get laid at the trail head, which would make this a moot conversation on sleeping.

The Chief wrote:

x15x15 wrote:

mrchad9 wrote:Most folks who talk about guns have a small penis.

it aint the size that matters, big dicks are big dicks... and they still get none!

Comes from your first hand life experience huh SACKLESS.
BTW SACKLESS, never mind. Not worth it.....

let me get straight RAG MAN?
i talk about guns and am told that folks who talk about guns have a small penis. (cool)
i say the small penis still get laid, big dicks don't.
you infer i get none, therefore i am a big dick.

you are correct RAG MAN, it aint worth it. you are just a headache waiting to happen.

but i must stay On Topic, and even a small penis will get laid at the trail head, which would make this a moot conversation on sleeping.

Thank God the new version of phpBB 134.784 still allows people to snipe at each other.