C-Forum

Y'all got water to paddle in and watchin the videos, can see the absence of snow. So that must mean u have snakes, spiders and those kind of tiny critters that could be hazardous to ones health.

How do you deal with them? anyone have stories of close encounters or being bite by them?
I ask since I am going to Mexico and need to be ready.

We dont have snakes or anything poisons up here. But we do have 1000lb grizzly bears and momma moose with babies that get very aggressive. I have had me and my canoe charged by both moose and bears. But u usually see em coming and really hard to step on em.

I am still watching tooo many canoe movies

Hi,

never ran into something "dangerous" whilst scouting so far, exept:
-- Poison dart frogs in Costa Rica
-- Grizzlies in Alaska
-- Cars in Europe
-- Barbed wire in Chile

Florian

Don't forget trains.
We had a couple killed years ago while scouting from a train trestle. Hard to hear the train over the river and those suckers move pretty quick away from road crossings.
Even though most everyone knows where it happened I still see folks up there on the trestle from time to time.

I work professionally for an organization that has a large paddling contingent in the New England and Mid-Atlantic area. We compile all sorts of statistics on our trips.

One of the most interesting statistics is that by far the most injuries while whitewater paddling occur at lunch. I forgot the exact percentage, but its well over 50% of the injuries. Just a reminder to be safe out of your boat, don't take wet rocks for granted, be careful in and out of your boat, etc.

I usually carry my paddle with me to keep the Rabit Geese away.

markzak wrote:One of the most interesting statistics is that by far the most injuries while whitewater paddling occur at lunch. I forgot the exact percentage, but its well over 50% of the injuries. Just a reminder to be safe out of your boat, don't take wet rocks for granted, be careful in and out of your boat, etc.

Yes! Heard the same thing and I feel some people are pretty quick at leaving their helmet in the boat when out for a scout or break on a wet rocky bank.

Usually it is my own clutsy nature that is the greatest danger to life and limb. Out west, the USFS and BLM recommends that boaters wear their PFD when scouting or stopping for short periods of time. They say that most accidents happen at these times and PFDs provide some cushion if one were to fall.

As for snakes they don't bother me. I just move them out of the way so no one kills them or gets bit. The year before last I was down on the Grande Ronde with Oopsiflipped and came across a couple of snakes close to the put-in. Just pick them up with a paddle and move them on.



You can't let the snakes disrupt the fun (Oopsiflipped at Hole in the Wall - Grande Ronde):



Marc

The thing is I have almost zero experience with snakes and little thing that u can step on, or move a log and distrub them or put your hand in the wrong place. It is not my second nature to do the safe thing like it is to be bear or moose aware. Once i got between a cow and calf moose on a canoe trip and boy that cow was mad, i was happy the water I was in was deep enough the cow had to swim otherwise I probably would not be here.
Here we can walk anywhere we want to, mind u last year was a bad one for hornets. For fires I pick up what ever wood I want and never take a second look.

it not that I am scared of snakes and such it just no experience and no place here to get it. When I went to Africa I spend a day at Snake world to learn more about them. We did almost step on a cobra on a hike.

anyone ever have a snake drop into their canoe? or something like that?

We have rattle snakes around here.
One friend came within one step of stepping on one about an hour and a half into a hike to a put-in.
Another friend got struck while scouting. luckily he had good shoes that covered his ankles and it didn't break the skin.
We found two in our camp on the middle feather last year. Or I guess it was their camp.

I try to keep my eyes on my next step and try to listen for the little guys.
I won't disturb one if I see it. I'll just take a detour.

Did a flat water canoe trip a long time ago with a bunch of friends from the Infantry Officers Basic Course. A water moccasin dropped out of a tree into our canoe. The "gentleman" with me pulled out a .45 cal. and started shooting. I bailed out of the canoe and he got to buy it from rec services. Funniest thing you ever saw.

ESP; lmao!!

Yukon; I share your concern. Ever notice the further south you go the smaller and more dangerous the critters get.

Happy scouting!!
Geoff

I also live in an area where rattlers are abundant. Just common sense stuff, looking where you put your hands and feet works as well as anything. Actually my closest calls have been at my house, not the rivers.

I spent a few weeks in Costa Rica, never saw a snake although we had iguanas sunning themselves on branches over the water. They would dive in when startled resulting in us being startled as well.

Scorpions may be an issue there. They like to hide in damp dark places so shaking out your pfd, shoes etc before putting them on in the morning is a good idea. They are also nocturnal so walking around at night barefooted without a flashlight is not good as someone on a grand trip I was on found out.

Not trying to flip you out. You are probably in more danger cutting cheese with a sharp knife at lunch. Just use good sense and enjoy yourself. Sounds like a really fun trip!

If you will be camping putting bounce dryer sheets in you tent will keep a lot of the bugs out. Mosquitoes are one of the biggest dangers out there.

Wear shoes everywhere and watch your step. Avoid walking through ground covering plants/brush when possible.

Watch where you put your hands before you put them there.

Shake out and check your shoes, paddling gear, boat, tent, sleeping bag, etc before use.

Most importantly if you do find any of the above creepy crawlies you should panic, shriek like a girl, and run blindly into the nearest tree.

I'll second the idea that iguanas are scary. A few years ago I was chasing after a couple of guys with warrants and followed them into a yard when a five foot long iguana came charging out of a bush at me whipping his tail and hissing. I already had my gun out and almost shot him. The last thing I thought I would see coming at me in the North Cascades was a large, tropical lizard. It turned out he was an abandoned pet. One of the neighbors got a good laugh over it!

Kyle

Wiggins wrote:
Most importantly if you do find any of the above creepy crawlies you should panic, shriek like a girl, and run blindly into the nearest tree.

Kyle

Sound advice. Seems like the voice of experience.

Its also a good to know what your paddling companions are nervous about. Watched my wife run railroad wall on the Noli backwards and without a paddle her first time down after putting her hand on the smallest water snake I've ever seen. Also have a good buddy that, while allergic to bee stings, never seems to be carrying an epi-pen on the river.

duck...

nawh the other kind. On my Mexican adventure I had a encounter with some sort of vine hanging over the water. It looked rather innocuous, but caught then tore a corner of a lip. A leafy one that didn't look like any familiar brier.

Have Fun - and don't drink the water.