Snakes on the trail

I was quite interested to see a snake once in Epping Forest, sunning itself beside the trail.

I live in Australia now – the snake I saw today didn’t provoke my interest, more of an aaaaaaARRRRGH!

Admittedly it was just a tiddler at about a 1M long, but I was quite sure it was a brown snake, which are a bit poisonous. And I was by myself and ~45mins from nearest help.

I had previously thought that if I saw one on the trail I’d pull my feet up, zap by and hope the thing didn’t flick up from the tyres. Today I was on a slow uphill switchback going at walking pace – and in the panic of the moment I didn’t manage to clip out. Fortunately I came closest to its’ tail and the head was facing away from the trail.

Anyway, there seem to be a few Australian-based folks on here. Do you guys come across snakes often, and what do you do? The best I could think of was that an inner tube would make a good tourniquet.

Admittedly I should be posting this on an Australian forum, but I’m sure I’ll just get told to MTFU.

MTFU ya flamin’ gullah!

Saw a couple of snakes on the trail in Texas, think they were Rat/Corn snakes.

The one with the most attitude on the trail was a young Adder, here in the UK.

What would Steve Irwin have done?

This came up sometime ago, someone posted a video of a cobra taking a swipe in Kerala at a bike…

gives me the heebie jeebies..

Snake Safety Oz

Laid my bike down against a dry-stone wall a few summers ago, while I took some photos. Picked it up again and there was an adder coiled around the grip.

I put it down again. Calmly and smoothly. 😯

Day two of a multiday hike on the very wild and remote Wilson Prom in Australia and I nearly stepped on an Eastern Tiger Snake on the trail, would have been **** if it had took a bite, no roads for at least a days hike.

I remember riding one of the more remote routes at Forrest in Vic and wondering what all the S-like slithery marks in the sand were. Then, oh. That was when I invented the ‘snake or stick’ game. Simple rules: when you see something suspicious ahead you say ‘snake’ or ‘stick’ (to yourself if you’re alone, as I usually was). If you’re correct you get a point. If you say ‘snake’ and it’s a stick you lose a point; if you say ‘stick’ and it’s a snake you have to run away going ‘aaargh’.

What wouldshould Steve Irwin have done?

EFA

Stayed out of the water.

Saw a lovely coloured adder locally to home this year, which the only other one I had seen was in the road squashed. Decent size, about 1 mtr long and just watched it meander back into the undergrowth.

Seen adders a number of times at the bottom of the labyrinth run in Swinley

About 6 tiger snakes in my first 2 months in Tassie, 1st one of the season couple of weeks ago, brown snake in eagle park in Adelaide which reared up and me, couple on Maria Island including one about 2m across the trail. The locals will tell you how lucky you were to see them….

You will also become scared of sticks.

Read the safety advice, don’t provoke them they mostly run away.

Welcome anyway which part of the colony are you in?

You will also become scared of sticks.

This, and the ones the size of branches/logs.

Used to see loads of red bellied blacks and the occasional brown snake in my ex’s mums place in Logan Village in QLD. I’d find them hiding under the ride-on mower’s cutting deck, in the loft or in bits on the car port, having been torn to shreds by the cat.

Didn’t see so many out on the trail as they’re pretty shy and like to scarper off – think my bear bell helped here. Much more scary than the snakes were the spiders – particularly the white tails which were supposedly not dangerous*, but liked to jump at you.

*My ex’s dad, will at some point have his left leg removed thanks to a gone wrong white tail bite that keeps ulcerating.

I have had it with these mutha…..

repost but just a baby one – only one I have caught on film

Not many rides go by here in New Mexico that I don’t see a snake on or crossing the trails. Mostly Western Diamondbacks and bullsnakes. The largest diamondback I have seen was about 6 ft and a body girth about the size of my forearm. I have ran over a couple of bull snakes, but fortunately haven’t hit a rattler yet.

Out is Spain years ago, road riding, I was doing about 40mph on a lovely descent in the mountains, dead smooth tarmac.
Then ahead of me I saw what I thought was a crack in the road so I moved right to avoid it then realised the crack was also moving right. It was a big grey-black snake, about 1m long. No idea what it was/if it was poisonous but fortunately it was making a dash for the undergrowth and I was swerving back over to the left.

Mandatory image for snake threads…

Of course you wouldn’t have this problem tubeless.

I’ve had encounters while visiting Australia – which is funny as I know people who live there and have never seen one.

Scariest was at Mt Stromlo at the end of a 24hr race, the guy riding just ahead of me rode over a massive 2m+ brown snake (he didn’t see it?!) which pissed the snake off somewhat and he went to strike just as I was passing by with no time to stop. Poo’d myself.

Also rode over a red belly black, but only a tiddler and startled another big brown at about 3-4m distance – thankfully while I was going uphill.

I hate snakes.

I have one of these in the house as we get a few snakes in our garden,you simply push the plunger in then hold it tightly over the puncture hole and the plunger moves out on it’s own then a lump of skin gets sucked up hopefully removeing the poison.
Very light to carry and could save your life.

I thought you were not supposed to suck anything out?

Thanks for the replies everyone. It seems that I’m not alone, but none of you sound too dead, so perhaps MTFU is the right thing to do — as my wife told me when I came home (not the response I was expecting!)

corroded – I’d have ended up with a ‘snake or stick’ score well into the negative 100s by the time I made it back to the car. Snake, argh! Oh, just a stick. Over and over and over.

mikewsmith – am in Canberra, which only seems to make sense to live in if you have kids and ride a bike. result!

Actually very jealous of you living in Canberra. Such a great place to live.
Quite possibly the best place in the World to be a XC mountain biker – except for all the snakes!

If you are near Fyshwick, the guys in Pushys are ace. Shane the owner is a top guy.

fangin – Member
…Anyway, there seem to be a few Australian-based folks on here. Do you guys come across snakes often, and what do you do?…

Used to come across lots of snakes, mainly browns, the odd death adder, and once memorably a cranky Fierce snake* on the edge of the Simpson Desert.

We used to regularly get browns in the house which always guaranteed wifely hysterics because of our foolhardy children who wanted to follow me while I was catching it. (Nothing spectacular, just the usual pin the head, catch the tail, trying not to hurt it, and then chuck it back into the neighbour’s long grass from whence it came.)

The golden rule is don’t hassle a snake unless you have to. There’s two reasons
1. It might not be poisonous
2. It might be poisonous.

Took me years living here to stop scrutinising every twig on the tracks. Never liked running over them, it doesn’t do them any good.

*Like a Taipan on steroids.

Suffolk UK these are about a metre long and seen quite often.

My advice give the snake a wide berth in the first place mate but if you do get eaten alive well….born a biking warrior, die a biking warrior!!

Seen a Adder years ago. But was walking rather than riding. Got 12 snakes in our house 10 Royal Pythons a corn snake and a BCI Boa.

Seen two out on the trails, what I think was a tiger snake and more recently had an spd moment right next to a sunbathing dugite. Seen a few at work as well up in the pilbara. Its all the ones I don’t see that give me the heeby jeebies as I know they’re really common around Perth. We had a girl at work nearly get bitten by a king brown which was pretty scary.

Its cool having them around but when i’m walking through long grass or scrub at work its always at the back of your mind.

it’s only a problem in the morning when they are dopey and can’t get out of your way.

other than that, bunny hop.

Do enjoy riding in Canberra, my biggest problem was the families of roo’s on the trails early morning at stromlo.

Saw a black snake last weekend while hiking the Great ocean walk (along the coast in Victoria). I’ve seen brown snakes swimming in the Yarra just near our place, worrying when you are also swimming, and had a snake go for me while riding, think it connected with the back tire, I didn’t stop to look.

Pretty much my first ride in Denver, I saw a snake, I think it was a bull snake but there are signs in the area warning about rattlesnakes so I bid a retreat. Not seen one since nor could say for certain which snake it was after looking at pictures.

Very timely thread! Am currently on holiday in Oz with the bike and had a close encounter with a brown snake whilst riding in the You Yangs yesterday.

First and hopefully last one I’ve seen. Snake wasn’t the only thing that was brown when I realised I’d ridden within a foot of it!

Looks like a good one, where you off to next? Hope you got the stockyards side of the You Yangs done. Forrest is worth a look too.

Thanks for the tip, be happy for any other recommendations within a reasonable drive of Melbourne.

So far I’ve ridden:
Gap Creek / Mount Coot-tha (QLD)
Bunyaville Forest (QLD)
Eagle Park (SA)
Belair NP (SA)
Lysterfield Park and Commonwealth Games track (VIC)
You Yang’s – Stockyards (VIC)
Wombat at Woodend (VIC)

Highlights were YY stockyards (photo is the climb back up no.4), Eagle Park and Gap Creek.

Cheers

Forrest is worth the trip, plenty of cheap accommodation there for the night, going out to race it at the end of the month.
Buller, Beauty, Bright, Beechworth and Mansfield. More than a 1 day trip but worth it. Kilngsporn at Buller is good.

Tassie has lots

http://flowmountainbike.com/flownation/
trail Guide

Great thanks, will check them out. I’ve been using the Flow website and Trailmate.com.au which have both been really helpful for info, maps etc.

I’m a little restricted as am travelling with young family but would be very keen to get to Buller if I can wangle it! Can you ride there anytime (conditions permitting) or do you have to wait for the opening of the season?

[edit] conscious I’m hijacking this thread about snakes but guess most people are asleep right now!

It’s open now but Stonefly and Klingsporn are not cleared yet I think.
http://www.thedirtydozen.com.au/
http://www.mtbuller.com.au/Utilities2/Utilities/Site-Map/Summer2

There is a bunch of stuff up from Newcastle near the Hunter in NSW, Awaba and something else.
ACT Stromlo and Kowen are great (stromlo has a more UK feel)
Tas has the Mehan Range in Hobart & North South on the mountain, lots of stuff that you can ride from hobart CBD.
North Tassie has a great new spot at Hollybank 30 mins from Launceston and some other trails along with some more out there stuff in the NE and NW.

Edit – Snakes available in all locations