There are rattlesnakes up in them Orange County hills (Aliso Viejo: scorpions, most dangerous)

[jacobwilliam77]

So not too long ago I decided to go out on this full moon night hike near Thomas F Riley Wilderness Park by Coto de Caza. It was dawn around 7:00 pm, pretty much dark but with some light still in the sky. I decided to go hiking on this singletrack trail that goes up into the hills. I get up onto the trail and about 100 feet from the road on the side of the trail I came upon a rattlesnake. I couldn't even see it since it was dark all I could hear is its loud rattling. I figure I got within a few feet of it. So I back off. After a minute the rattling stops. So I go up again and figure just to climb the hill a bit to bypass the part of the trail. Then the rattling starts again even louder. The snake clearly wasn't happy at all with me being there. So I go back down the trail. Eventually the rattling stops again. So I go down the side of the hill and back up it again to bypass the part of the trail where the rattlesnake was. But I ended up completing my full moon night hike. But that freaked me. I never saw the snake, only heard it loudly. Luckly I didn't get bit because its usually a $100,000 hospital bill with at least 2-3 days in the ICU with lots of pain. My first ever time encountering a rattlesnake in OC.

[BRinSM]

"There are rattlesnakes up in them Orange County hills"

fact!

there are rattle snakes in most open areas of southern california. there are also bobcats, mountain lions, and even black bears in some areas. many of these animals are nocturnal, so going out at night alone is probably not the safest idea.

Also, this just in: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...ge-county.html

[Ol' Wanderer]

Oh yeah, there are a lot of rattle snakes up on the hills in OC. My husband encountered them all the time when he mountain-biked. In the winter, you can find them hibernating in caves and such, but they are a very common sight in the summer.

[DinsdalePirahna]

I would be REALLY concerned about the Mountain Lions in that area. Probably would not do any night riding in that area at all.

[jacobwilliam77]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

"There are rattlesnakes up in them Orange County hills"

fact!

there are rattle snakes in most open areas of southern california. there are also bobcats, mountain lions, and even black bears in some areas. many of these animals are nocturnal, so going out at night alone is probably not the safest idea.

And I've seen scorpions and tarantulas while hiking in that area.

[Fontucky]

Yes, they've all been there for eons. Humans are the new intruders. Wait until you see the tarantulas engaging in lemming behavior. It's quite a sight, and if you run over them while they're crossing a road, it's quite disgusting.

[Coldjensens]

A few years ago, a mountain lion pulled a lady off her mountain bike and killed her. She was not alone. Her friend could not do anything. It was not at night.

You are always taking a risk when you go out into the wild.

Some people bring a gun, but it is of little use most of the time. In a panicky situation even a person who has lots of experience on a range cannot hit anything. Guns are fine for pointing at something from a distance and killing it, but if something is on me, please use a stick to beat it off, don't start blasting away at random. If the mountain lion lady friend had a gun, he probably would have ended up shooting the lady by mistake (maybe that would have been merciful, but he would have gone to jail). I stepped on a baby rattle snake one time, by the time my friend got his gun out, it had already bitten my boot twice and slithered off. Good thing, my friend probably would have shot off my foot. Luckily I have heavy boots and the snake did not get through them.

[VeronikaW]

My brother and nephew were riding their bikes along the river bed in Aliso Viejo and saw a rattlesnake. There are lots of them out here. Freaks me out.

[Charles]

The most dangerous animal in Orange County is someone else's dog.

[jacobwilliam77]

Originally Posted by VeronikaW

My brother and nephew were riding their bikes along the river bed in Aliso Viejo and saw a rattlesnake. There are lots of them out here. Freaks me out.

I've seen full grown deer in Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park.....and skunks.