Hiking Encounters of the 3rd Kind

At home in the desert

Just yesterday I was talking to my friend Jimmy about not having any rattlesnake encounters this summer; he's had quite a few.  So, as fate would have it this morning, I found my right boot just two feet away from the young whippersnapper pictured below.  Becca had passed safely by when I stepped off trail to take a photo of a fruiting Finger Cholla.  No sooner had I walked back to the trail when "Hello!"  Both the rattler and I recoiled, but its recoil turned into a coil as it assumed the potential strike position while rattling a serious warning to me.  Naturally I put more distance between myself and the young Western Diamondback, at the same time commanding Becca to "Stay!"  She knows enough not to be curious in such situations.  Counting rattles is not an exact science in determining the age of a rattler, but you can guess that the one pictured here is not very old from observing the small number of rattles.  By the way, the young rattler calmed down as I gave it more space; it stopped rattling at me and ceased flicking its black tongue.  I like to think it was the soothing words I spoke while taking pictures--"Not to worry, I don't want to hurt you"--as I tried desperately to relax my puckered sphincter.

Late crop of Allthorn berries

Moseying along the flank

Long view across a high-desert grassland

Keeping a watchful eye

This way to the lower desert

Sun through a cloud on the west side of Tortugas Mountain

Fruit of a Finger Cholla

Meet young Ms./Mr. Rattler

Western Diamondback

On the trail back up to Tortugas Mountain

Hairy False Goldenaster at our place

Hairy False Goldenaster