We stopped at Holter Lake (near Helena, Montana) hoping I could do a hike-and-fly. I found this spot by chance several years ago. The hill is only 350 m (1000 ft) high so it's a short flight, but it's a nice hike and the wild flowers are nice in the spring. Another attraction is that there is a nice small quiet campground (Log Gulch) just near the hill. I photographed a few birds around the campsite.
Early the next morning I hiked up the hill although I had a feeling the wind wasn't going to work. Sure enough it was too strong and too cross. (You want to launch facing into the wind.) Despite not flying, I still got some adrenaline. I was near the top when I spotted this snake. I couldn't make out the head or tail, but it looked like a rattlesnake. I got my phone out and took this photo. Then something disturbed it and it started rattling at me. It was actually more of a loud buzz than a "rattle" but it definitely woke me up. iNaturalist confirmed it was a Prairie Rattlesnake. I back away and took a different route to the top. There's no trail up this hill and it's rocks and tall grass. I was paranoid that I'd step on (or too close to) another rattlesnake. I was just starting to relax and stepped up on a large slab of rock. I heard loud rattling, but I couldn't see the rattlesnake this time. I assume it must have been somewhere around the edge of the rock. I jumped back a step and just about fell off the rock. Hoping that it wasn't behind me, I backed up and again took another route. Needless to say I was quite nervous on the hike down, but luckily I didn't have any more encounters.
Apparently rattlesnakes are one creature that may benefit from climate change. Hopefully that doesn't mean I'll be seeing more of them!
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