Monday, April 30, 2007

Guess what I saw on Da Verm today!!

I stopped at the Verm on my way home from work today. I picked up my boat and started towards the put in above Triple. Wellllll when I got to the trail turn off I noticed a very big snake...yes snake... sitting (yeah as if snakes actually sit) on the corner. He wasn't happy to see me and vice versa. Looking closer I'm thinking...Damn!! That's a rattlesnake! Well he crossed the trail in front of me and I had a good look. He stopped when he got into the grass on the other corner and I moved a little closer to get another look...not believing my own eyes. That's when his tail came up and started rattling. OK I backed off and debated with myself. How bad do I really want to paddle today? Well I crept a little closer to see where he'd gone and he must have either slithered into a nook there or really booked it someplace else...he was gone. I slowly followed the trail past and was REALLY carefull about every rock and craney on my way down. Put into the water...the Verm still has some speed so there's still some features to play on. But hey...I didn't stop until I got to Donut and then I checked out each rock on shore...coast was clear so I got my play in. I will have my camera tomorrow so if I see the critter again I will get pics.
On another note...It's Morel season. With the warm weather and rain today Tuesday would be a great day for hunting Morels. The rule of thumb is to look for them when the Lilacs bloom.
One more note...When I was carrying back up rain drops started to fall. The sound of rain drops hitting dry leaves sounded amazingly like that snakes rattle...yes I was spooked!

1 comment:

Bryan said...

That's crazy. I didn't think that they lived this far North. On the upside, compared to the walk to the put-in and the water quality, a rattlesnake seems kind of petty ;).

Have a good week.