The Day I Saw a Rattlesnake
Sabino Canyon, August 2013, by Jessica Jorgensen
We knew it would happen sometime, the question was when. How long could I live in Arizona, spending as much time outdoors as I do, without seeing a rattlesnake?
The answer? Exactly 9 months and 2 days.
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, today, May 19, 2014, around 7 pm, I saw my first rattlesnake out in the wild.
Curtis was with me at the time. He attempted to aggravate the serpent, and risked our lives just to hear the rattle. If it weren’t for my stern commands to get back and shield me, we might not have made it.
The sighting took place at Sabino Canyon, the same place where I saw my first javelina and tarantula, also untamed and running free. We have enjoyed visiting Sabino many times to letterbox, hike, or jog, and are disappointed that we can no longer visit such a dangerous wildlife refuge.
Unfortunately, the event occurred while we were jogging, and we were unable to document the event with photographic evidence.
“I think it was a diamondback,” Curtis comments, “could have been worse. Could’ve been a mojave.”
Other survivors of the rattlesnake incident include friends Mitch and Roxy, along with everyone else who was hiking the trail this evening.
