Encounters with snakes

[Wahoo37]

I was riding earlier today just south the bridge/open field at a steady pace until I turned a corner and there it laid! About a 5-6 foot snake just taking up the whole path. And yes I slammed on my brakes and of course went over my handle bars head first just landing a few feet away from the snake!  And I am not making the 5-6 foot part up either! The body was about 3 in. in diameter.  It was brown and black.  But just wondering if anyone else has had any good encounters with snakes at TR.  This thing scared the living crap out of me!

[fender__bender]

Two years ago I ran over a "stick" that was on the trail and to my surprise, it moved when I ran over it and slithered off the trail.  I think I saw a bigger one with my wife on the BGI side of the river.

[Bhikardas]

The largest snake I've encountered was sunning itself right at that trail entryway at Rangeline...it surprised (actually, scared) me as I was walking into the trail to check the conditions before riding 
Just so you know: it slithered into a large (usually covered) hole right to the left of the trail.

[chuckdlou]

at that size it was likely a black kingsnake, subspecies of the eastern kingsnake...coloration can vary among subspecies but most as you saw are mainly black with some brown...harmless, as far as venom is concerned although their normal flora of mouth bacteria is pretty nasty...not as bad as a cat's mouth but worse than a dog's...they also may carry salmonella, but if you don't handle them you're fine...neat critters, wonderful at pest control and they'll even prey on other snakes (ie copperheads, rattlesnakes) so we always welcomed them around the house when i was in the hills

[honeysuckle_assassin]

Not too long after I started mountain biking, I was riding the old section of TRTP back by Mr. Daugherty's property when I rounded a turn and surprised a smallish black colored snake slithering across the trail.  I came up on it so fast, I only had time enough to steer just enough to only run over it near it's tail.  I seem to have more encounters with chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, possums, and rabbits than snakes.
 
Oh, once I found a turtle on the trail.  I stopped to move it off the trail, and was prepared to move it to the side of the trail it was pointed.  However, he was pointed down the trail, not going across it!  He must have enjoyed the trail also.
 
Dave

[pedalpusher]

Oh, once I found a turtle on the trail.  I stopped to move it off the trail, and was prepared to move it to the side of the trail it was pointed.  However, he was pointed down the trail, not going across it!  He must have enjoyed the trail also.
 
Dave

Must have been before he met the hare.

[Ric]

Oh, once I found a turtle on the trail.  I stopped to move it off the trail, and was prepared to move it to the side of the trail it was pointed.  However, he was pointed down the trail, not going across it!  He must have enjoyed the trail also.
 
Dave

Must have been before he met the hare.

I have seen two turtles on two different trails.
1) VSP this july, it had been hand painted and released. I spotted it on the ravine section of Cliffside heading south.
2) Winona lake trails @ the KCV poverty 12hr race. The poor thing was upside down and "closed" in the middle of a short uphill. It was gone 35 minutes later There was another "turtle" at the race, she was wearing earbuds with the music so loud I had to shout 3 times to get her attention every time I passed her DURING the race. I did, however, feel bad about shouting at her but what was I supposed to do, tap her on the shoulder politely???

Oh, and I've seen a couple snakes too. I just "bunny snake hop" them.

[grayhound]

Two summers ago when I started mt biking, I was on one of my first rides at TR. when I came up on a guy near the start of the trail who was gently prodding a four ft. black snake off the trail.  It left the trail, we rode on.  A day or two later on my next visit to the park I came up quickly on a similar snake ( same area) and braked to a stop and promptly fell over on my side.  Like most newbys, I unclipped after falling!  Naturally I found myself eye-to-eye with this guy laying on my side.  Remembering what I learned from the previous encounter I used a stick to gently prod him off the trail, but I  was repeatedly struck at!  This guy wouldn't cooperate! It seemed like 5 minutes trying to get enough room to put my bike between me and the killer snake to continue my ride!  After three seasons of riding, and reading these posts, I realize that one of the joys of mountain bike riding is that no two rides are alike.  Every one is an adventure of it's own, and I just can't get enough!  My only regret is I didn't discover it until I was in my fifties!  Enjoy your ride!