DENVER (KDVR) — Some Colorado hikers were traversing through Castlewood Canyon State Park when one of them almost stepped on a rattlesnake, they said.
Chelsea Chamberland told FOX31 in an email that her husband, Darren, almost stepped on the snake last Saturday around 9 a.m. on the Rim Rock trail.
“He definitely upset the snake because it immediately coiled up and started rattling,” she said.
The snake was in disguise, blending in well with its sandy surroundings on the path of the trail.
Darren Chamberland, of Parker, was hiking with his neighbor, Chris Armstrong, who told him to “be careful, he’s ready to strike.”
Chelsea Chamberland said her husband, who had never seen a rattlesnake in person before, was luckily paying close attention.
“My husband recalls stating, ‘Whoa! Rattlesnake!’ as he skipped and jumped to the right and past the snake,” she said.
Armstrong was not yet past the snake on the trail when it coiled and rattled.
Chelsea Chamberland said her husband and Armstrong ended up tossing some rocks to distract the snake.
“Luckily, that worked. Chris was able to jog past the area when the snake moved a little off the trail,” Chelsea Chamberland said.
She described the snake as huge, clearly an adult, and the rattle was loud.
“It really amazes me how many coils that snake had lifted off the ground,” Chelsea Chamberland said. “Clearly, his strike would have been several feet, and its head was quick to change direction in the air.”
She said they will always pay close attention to their surroundings when out hiking because they don’t know what they might run into.
“One minute you’re talking and laughing, and the next you’re tripping over an incredibly powerful and potentially deadly snake,” she said.
She said it is a good reminder to know the dangers when hiking, as well as knowing what to do if you are bitten by a rattlesnake or what to do if you encounter one with your pets.
Fortunately, she said they knew to stay calm and “treated it with the respect it deserves.”
According to the University of Colorado Boulder, there are 29 snake species that call the state home, including a couple of varieties of rattlesnakes.
