Rattlesnake On My Hike

I was hiking and exploring a rocky outcropping when I instantly spotted a familiar pattern among the rocks.....a rattlesnake! A Northern Pacific Rattlesnake; crotalus oreganus. I presume it was sleeping because it didn't respond to my approach and footsteps at all. Just sat there chillin', poised to strike. I demonstrate how rattlesnakes don't always rattle when you approach them, which highlights the importance of ALWAYS watching your step, looking around, being aware, never sticking your hands or feet where you can't see when you're outdoors in rattlesnake territory, in reptile season. It also highlights the perks of wearing snake-bite-proof boots when you're hiking or exploring the outdoors.

[@billriordan1489]

They blend in so well

[@NickandRachel]

Awesome video!

[@edwardeddie2677]

Very scenic hiking you have! I'll be doing some of my own hiking in SoCal too it turns out. So much to explore in California in general.

[@bettinablock-franzo2736]

How you even spotted it is beyond me. Cool boots.

[@bwelmhouse1]

According to my dad I have a lifelong knack for spotting snakes from afar. When I was 3 years old I was just hanging out with him when he was rebuilding the bottom steps of an outdoor staircase at the rural house we lived in. Once he got the bottom step dismantled he went to stick his hands in the cavity and I spotted a rattlesnake coiled up in there that he didn't see. I don't remember any of this, but he said I saved him from getting bit and said I had to have eagle eyes to spot the snake since it was very hard to see. In this case of the video, I came around that giant boulder and instantly spotted its pattern camouflaged among the other rocks from 12 feet away. I do think the average person would've missed it. But I grew up in rural California where rattlesnakes are very commonly seen and I became adept at being alert at all times and training my brain to instantly spot the snake's pattern among a complex background/foreground.

[@ViperJay5]

That certainly would've been freaky to come up randomly to. But at least he was just chillin!

[@bwelmhouse1]

I've seen so many snakes now I don't get surprised anymore. We don't have any aggressive snake species other than the California Kingsnake is a bit snippy and likes to lunge and strike at people. Fortunately the rattlesnake is not aggressive and is very chill.

[@DebateLiveStream]

Happy Independence Day

[@bwelmhouse1]

Thank you! I hope you had a fine 4th as well!

[@cristianabennett8124]

And I followed ya

[@Christopher-Lenz]

Do you still go to the park where that old man was harassing you? Have you ever seen him again? How is your wife's startup working out? Thnks.

[@bwelmhouse1]

I don't go to that park anymore due to getting bored going to same place for too long. Nope, never saw him again. After the police talked to him he never bothered me again. We also stopped seeing him around town, so we think he may have died. Her startup is going slowly. We had issues with wildfires nearby, almost getting evacuated again, which pretty much traumatized my wife and then we had floods. Now with the Coronavirus stuff, it's further hampering her efforts. She's definitely not given up on it at all, it's just really slowed her down for the last year. She is currently working on an awesome dress and I'm in the process of filming it. Hopefully in the next month or so, we'll have a video up on her fashion channel showing this latest piece. Once we get a vaccine and we're not stressing out so much, she plans on getting fully back on track with her venture.