Saturday, August 15, 2015 Ankles and Snakes

 

 

 

EARLY AUGUST ON OLD RAG

SATURDAY AUGUST 15, 2015

 

Flowers along the roads.

 

 

 

 

 

PREVENT SEARCH AND RESCUE

 

An ankle injury is loaded into the ambulance for transport.     Old Rag has many ankle injuries across the spectrum of severity.   After you leave the summit it is not unusual to relax.   The challenge is over.   It is time to think and talk about what fun stops you might make on the way home.   This is also a good time to remind yourself you still have a long hike out.  A good time to remind yourself that your body is tired and that you are apt to be less focused on the task at hand.  Climbing up meant gravity kept your speed and momentum more controlled while heading down means the opposite.   This is why the percentage of ankle strains and sprains is MUCH! higher for hikers going down the mountain than for hikers going up the mountain.    Reminding yourself of these thoughts before leaving the summit might be a good preventive measure.   The

best recues are the ones that never need to happen.

SNAKES MOVING AT NIGHT

The following two shots of Copperheads crossing the fire road were taken  forty minutes and two miles apart.   The first one was taken during fairly bright dusk conditions near PO Junction and the second was taken in night conditions about a half mile from the upper parking lot.    I had been looking off through the woods at a campsite and did not notice the first one until my lead footfall was about four feet from him.   The end of my next pace had a likelihood  of landing my foot on this fellow.  From his coloration it looks like he may be getting ready to shed.   Snakes can be a little bit grumpier when they are in this condition.     It is not a good idea to be walking around at night without some type of light when SNP snakes are active.   Make sure you are watching were you put your feet, hands, or other body parts when in the SNP backcountry.

Copperheads

Copperheads

Old Rag has both Rattle Snakes and Copperheads.  I have often seen Timber Rattlesnakes during the day but I have almost never seen a Copperhead during the day.  I often see them at dusk, twilight and early evening.    They are very pretty and are nothing to worry about as long as you do not get too close to them.    Please do not hassle or hurt them as they eat rodents which are reservoirs for many  tick bourn diseases and tick bourn diseases are arguably the most dangerous things in the park.

Spot the Copperhead


Photo came from following link:

 http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nativetreesociety.org/forestecology/photos/copperhead1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nativetreesociety.org/forestecology/can_you_spot_the_copperhead.htm&h=476&w=613&sz=79&tbnid=k9KaPj_ISth9_M:&tbnh=111&tbnw=143&zoom=1&usg=__mZgpJWZ11zYo3VjwcV5rh-r3gtM=&docid=CHJ7cciv72dVyM&sa=X&ei=hps8UrjnFIiS9gSLl4DoCw&ved=0CC4Q9QEwAA



While generally not life threatening for an adult, Copperhead bites can be very serious.   Check out the following pictures of a Copperhead bite injury.





If the pain and tissue damage are not enough to get your attention Google for the cost of snake bite treatment.    The following is one such search result:

I was bit by a Copperhead on 8-8-13. The hospital (LNRMC in Mooresville, NC), kept me overnight, administered 4 units of anti-venim. Total cost of treatment= $89,226.86.The anti-venim alone was $81,159.16! That equates to $20,289.00 per vial- I think that there is a mark-up going on somewhere... Going to the news about this one; I hope that they like the "free advertising"!

Eric Ferguson of NC 2:22PM September 19, 2013

LONG TIME SINCE LAST POST

Crazy me with a mountain cabin that I sometimes enjoy renting in the background.

A group of Trail Patrol trainees.

Robert Kim fresh back from Everest helping on National Trails day.

 

 

Louise, my better half, plant biologist, naturalist, lab manager, adjunct professor, .......



 

Mr. Copperhead.   I seldom see these during the day but see them quite often in the early evening as they begin to move about to hunt.

This is the same Copperhead a few seconds after the first shot.   Notice the tip of my hiking pole in the bottom right.   It is holding a leafy plant out of the way so as to expose a better picture of the well camouflaged Copperhead.

Mrs, Bear  just off Old Rag Saddle Trail had a cub with her but they  wandered out of sight before I could get a picture.

A hollow road leading to the cabin I like to rent.

Mountain Laurel in bloom.

Sunset and rain clouds.

Downpours over Nicholson hollow seen from Old Rag summit.

Rain falling into Weakley Hollow from Old Rag summit.

Enjoy the following pictures from Old Rag summit.   A kaleidoscope of changing views.    Over the changing seasons and changing moments I have been continually profoundly nourished,

 

 

 

Sat Sun Mon Memorial Day May 26,27,28, 2012

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

A REVERENT THANKS TO ALL WHO SACRIFICED

FOR OUR WAY OF LIFE

WHAT DO THE BLAZE NUMBERS MEAN?

The numbers are there to help the park know how to quickly find you, the number and skills needed of incident response team members, as well as what types of equipment will be needed in the event a hiker has an injury.   If you need to report a hiker who needs help it is very helpful if you are prepared to let the park know the nearest R (for Ridge Trail) or S (for Saddle Trail) number and how far above or below the hiker is from the marker.  The are not even close to being evenly distributed.    On open trails they can be thousands of feet apart and then their are places in  the rock scramble where they can be only 100 to 200 feet apart.   

After all our rain the plants were looking really healthy.

The Mountain Laurel blossoms were still very pretty but you could start to see signs that it will soon be gone for 2012.

WE ARE DOING BAD WITH TRASH FOLKS

I am not sure why but the cold weather hikers are much better about both not trashing the mountain up and also about picking up and taking out trash that is not theirs.

Once the warm weather arrives things seem to go from almost pristine to sometimes looking like a garbage dump in places!    By the way folks just because you throw something off a high cliff it does not mean it will not be seen.   Climbers and other backcountry visitors will see your trash sooner or later.  If you pack it in pack it out.   If you have some room and feel like a good samaritan take some trash out that is not yours.   Be polite and respectful but spread the word.

LEAVE NO TRACE! 

Of late I have had numerous hikers complain to me that the mountain is becoming disgusting to hike becasue of all the trash along the trail.  Folks nobody likes to see your old Orange peels, toilet paper, water bottles, egg shells, nut shells, power bar wrappers or anything else.   Whether you are a new hiker or old experienced pro please make sure you learn appropriate outdoor ethics and practice them.

Leave No Trace Link:  http://lnt.org/

Looking back on the First False Summit from near the cave.

A large Mt Laurel in bloom on the summit.

SUNSET

Another great sunset from the summit.   Make sure you have a good headlamp and a backup headlamp if you are going to hiking in the dark.

VENEMOUS COPPERHEADS AND RATTLESHAKES

ENJOY THEIR NATURAL WONDER BUT BE CAREFULL!

I almost never see Copperheads during the day but I see them on or next to the trail a lot during the night.   They are nothing to worry about as long as you do not step on or near them.  Please make sure you have a good light and that you never place your hands or feet near or under anything that you have not visually checked to make sure there is not a venomous snake that might fear bite.

On my walk out in the dark I saw two Copperheads of almost exactly equal size just 200 feet apart on the road to the parking lot.   The first one scurried off into the grass before I could get my camera out but I did get these two shots of the second one.    If you keep your distance they are a wonderful part of nature to be lucky enough to come across.    Please do not disturb or hurt them.    They keep the rodent population down which in turn helps keeps the infectious tick population down.

Sat.&Sun. September 10&11, 2011

Awesome days and wonderful night hike under the moon.

The following shows the Byrds Nest build out with the padlock in  place.

This was one of those weekends where the clouds were big gorgeous broiling puffy white cummulus clouds which while pretty in static pictures can be mesmerizing to watch as they constently change.

Saturday night and I hiked down the Ridge Trail under a beutiful almost full moon.

On Sunday I was back at my reading/living room and it was another gorgeous day.

Got lots of reading and contemplation done.    It may just be my imagination running away with me but I have a very strong sense that Old Rag is a nexus of spiritual energies.

On Sunday night my co-hiker came within two feet of stepping on this Copperhead as it crossed Weakley Fire Road.    Pretty little guy who wanted only to go about his business but surely would bite and envenomate you if you happened to step on him.