Saving A Snake

Gopher snake, Natural Bridges highway.

June, and it's hot already, even at 6,500 feet. It's time to go higher. Up into the cooler mountains. Elk Ridge, beyond the Bears Ears Buttes.

But while driving out the Natural Bridges entrance road I suddenly swerved to the right. A fairly big snake was stretched across the centerline. Not a safe place to be.

I just missed driving over it myself. I pulled over to the side of the road, hoping I didn't hit even its tail. It hadn't been moving, and I was afraid it's been run over already, spine broken.

Walking up to it, (making sure it wasn't a rattlesnake), it looked fine. Nobody had run over it. Yet. It was a hot afternoon, but it seemed to be enjoying the heat of the pavement. What, is it not hot enough for you on the dirt to either side of the road?

Move, darn you. I went to its tail end and tried to look menacing. It worked, the snake started to move away. I crowded it some more. It slithered onto the dirt shoulder of the road.

My work there was done. I got back into my car, and within a few moments another car passed going the other way. The one that would likely have done my snake friend in.

Now it was time to drive up into the cool mountain forests.

Photo location: Natural Bridges National Monument, southeast Utah.

© Copyright 2016 Stephen J. Krieg