• COVID-19 Park and Trail Closures
  • Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
  • Shop
  •  

SoCal Hiker

  • Find a Hiking Trail
    • All Areas
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
    • Oregon
    • San Francisco Bay
    • Washington
  • Trail Guides
  • Six-Pack of Peaks
    • Colorado Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Bergen Peak
      • Rocky Mountain
      • Birthday Peak
      • Horseshoe Mountain
      • Grays Peak
    • New England Six-Pack of Peaks
    • NorCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mount Umunhum
      • Mount Saint Helena
      • Mount Tamalpais
      • Mount Diablo
      • Mount Sizer
      • Rose Peak
    • Oregon Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Tumalo Mountain
      • Black Butte
      • Black Crater
      • Maiden Peak
      • Mount Bachelor
      • South Sister
    • SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mt. Wilson
      • Cucamonga Peak
      • Mt. San Antonio (Mt Baldy)
      • San Bernardino Peak
      • San Jacinto Peak
      • San Gorgonio
  • Backpacking
    • High Sierra Trail
    • John Muir Trail
      • Overview of the John Muir Trail
      • Training
      • Day-by-Day Itinerary
      • Resupply Addresses
      • JMT Discussion Forum
    • Lost Coast Trail
    • North/South Lake Loop
    • Rae Lakes Loop
    • Red Peak Pass Loop
    • Theodore Solomons Trail
    • Trans-Catalina Trail
    • Wonderland Trail
  • Gear
  • Forums
    • Latest Topics
    • Ask a Question
    • Campfire
    • Trails
    • Trail Reports
    • Gear Wisdom
    • Classifieds
  • Login

San Bernardino Peak Trail – mama rattler warning

Home › Forums › Trail Reports › San Bernardino Peak Trail – mama rattler warning

  • This topic has 8 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 5 months ago by Natalie CNatalie C.
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • July 25, 2017 at 6:46 pm #389678
    R WR W
    Participant

    We came across a big, mean, and we and ranger think pregnant mama rattler around 9000 ft 6-6.5 mi up the San Bernardino Peak trail on Monday, June 24, 2017. It was super aggressive – coiled, hissing, spitting, and rattling up a storm as it made its nest apparently under the rocks right next to the trail. It took several attempts to throw rocks in the vicinity to cause vibrations to scare her (but not near her) from my hike partner who is knowledgeable about snakes to get her to even budge and retreat slightly down the hill, at which point we RAN past with her still making all sorts of noise.

    Talking with the ranger, he agreed as snake looked “thick” and was behaving so aggressively she probably was pregnant with eggs so was hyper-reactive. It may have been all show, but her behavior and coiling sure made it look like she was ready to strike. As this was so far up the mountain, it would have been for sure a MedEvac situation and a tricky one at that.

    The other member of our team had gone ahead of us at that point; when we caught up to him, he said he also stumbled upon the snake and she exhibited the same behavior. So it appears she is quite committed to that trailside spot.

    I did file a ranger report and will call fish and wildlife to see if they can relocate the snake to a safer spot for her and hikers. But for now, exercise extreme care in that portion of the trail. It was when we went around a “corner” of the mountain to the left and we stumbled quite suddenly on her.

    Other than that, trail was groomed really well and mostly soft sandy dirt with just a few easy rocky spots, more so at the highest elevations. A beautiful hike, and even with a light rain falling the last half of our descent, the trail surface absorbed the water nicely and no ponding or runoff issues.

    July 25, 2017 at 8:05 pm #389700
    R WR W
    Participant

    Sorry I meant Monday, JULY 24.

    July 28, 2017 at 11:08 am #389851
    Natalie CNatalie C
    Participant

    What trail did you use RW? I used Vivian Creek on 7/22. Some friends and I may be going up on 8/12 via a different trail(not one I’m familiar with yet) so I’m wondering at what point the two merge and how likely we are to cross this area from a different direction.

    July 28, 2017 at 3:30 pm #389856
    Philip YPhilip Y
    Participant

    Natalie,

    You did Vivian Creek to Gorgonio? RW did San Bernardino Peak from Angelus Oaks. Her and I will do Gorgonio via the South Fork Trail to Dollar Lake and then across the San Bernardino Divide Trail to San Gorgonio on the 19th. We are doing a recon (pre-hike) from South Fork to Dollar Lake on Aug 5th.

    I’m curious about what you want to know about trails merging. There is a point on Vivian Creek Trail, about .3 miles from the peak, that turns left (north) on the San Bernardino Divide Trail. That will take you to San Bernardino Peak, but it is a long, long haul.

    July 31, 2017 at 3:14 pm #390056
    R WR W
    Participant

    Yes the trail where we encountered the rattler was the upper reaches of the 8.5 mi each way out and back San Bernardino Peak trail (to bag San Bernardino, not San Gorgonio). The snake was at about 9000 ft around 6-6.5 mi up the trail. First rattler I have ever seen in CA on a trail as most run at the sound/vibration of hikers. But ranger said this definitely is the “nesting” season for pregnant moms, so be careful no matter what trail you are on.

    We zoomed back down as a t-storm rapidly developed over San Gorgonio and was thundering away. BTW the upper 2/3 of the trail is a lot of manzanita bushes and some dead, old pine trunks from likely a fire years ago, so we were pretty much the tallest things. We did not even notice the snake spot or even the Washington’s Monument sign we were going so fast to get into more shelter, but no sign of the snake. I am a native Midwesterner and was keeping a REALLY close eye on the clouds, and that t-storm developed out of nowhere super, super fast…be warned if you are hiking the mountains in this active monsoon season.

    July 31, 2017 at 9:30 pm #390093
    Natalie CNatalie C
    Participant

    Phil and R W, thanks guys my bad! Obviously I was merging trails in my head lol! That’s what I get for skimming here on a quick break! You two are awesome trail reporters 😉

    Now about the alternate route to San G via South Fork-I’m trying to get there on the 12th with a group who is using what sounds like this same trail. Vivian Creek was awesome and something new will be a great day as well, I’m sure.

    August 2, 2017 at 2:00 pm #390224
    R WR W
    Participant

    South Fork is different from the San Bernardino Peak route I did when I saw the mama rattler. The San B trail did not appear to have any branches other than one lower down by a campground. I am doing South Fork and Dollar Lake 8/5 to check out conditions of South Fork as it just reopened after a 2 year fire closure and will be posting a trail report later in the weekend fyi. Hope your hike on the 12th goes great!

    August 3, 2017 at 7:04 am #390246
    Philip YPhilip Y
    Participant

    Natalie, Between RW and myself, you and your group should get a pretty good idea of what to expect, as you hike up to Dollar Lake Saddle. RW and I are only hiking up to the Dollar Trail and then down .5 miles to Dollar Lake. So we will be about .7 miles short of Dollar Lake Saddle.

    Once you hit the Saddle you will start to head south and east on the San Bernardino Divide Trail. You are only 3.5 miles from the peak at his point. I hiked up a few weeks back from the Momyer Creek trail and got caught in a thunder and hail storm on the San Bernardino Divide Trail, so make sure you watch the weather everyday during the week leading up to your hike.

    Good luck and be safe! 🙂

    August 8, 2017 at 8:13 am #390619
    Natalie CNatalie C
    Participant

    Thank you so much R W and Phil! I’m heading over to revisit a C2C2C thread you also contributed to. I’m hoping to give this a go in the fall and I’m sure I recall correctly that you had very knowledgeable detail there as well. You two are awesome!

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Log In
Log In
Register Lost Password

Forums

  • Introductions
  • Ask a Question
  • Backpacking
  • Campfire
  • Six-Pack of Peaks
  • Challenger’s Forum
  • Trails
  • Backbone Trail
  • Condor Trail
  • High Sierra Trail
  • John Muir Trail
  • Lost Coast Trail
  • Theodore Solomons Trail
  • Trans-Catalina Trail
  • Gear Wisdom
  • Trail Reports
  • Classifieds
  • Wonderland Trail
  • Most popular topics
  • Topics with no replies
  • Topics with the most replies
  • Latest topics

Recent Topics

  • How to deal with accidents while hiking in the winter?
  • Warm Tips for your hiking in winter
  • Some tips for hiking.
  • Keep your body warm in the winter hiking
  • The benefits of hiking, more than you can imagine!

Recent Replies

  • JMT hygiene questions – poop dirty toilet paper & soap
  • All about permits for newcomers
  • 1st overnight backpack trip with my son
  • JMT NOBO from Red Cones to Happy isles – how many days?
  • 1st overnight backing trip

Featured Trail

Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mount Washington Wilderness

Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mountain Washington Wilderness

Hiking this out-and-back route up Belknap Crater you'll traverse an other-worldly … [Read More...]

Latest Posts

  • Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mountain Washington Wilderness October 20, 2022
  • Hiking to the Simpson Reef Overlook on the Oregon Coast Trail August 25, 2022
  • Join Team SoCalHiker at the Climb for Heroes August 23, 2022
  • Hiking the Welch-Dickey Loop in the White Mountain National Forest August 18, 2022
  • Hiking Turtlehead Peak from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area July 15, 2022

Recent Forum Topics

  • How to deal with accidents while hiking in the winter?
  • Warm Tips for your hiking in winter
  • Some tips for hiking.
  • Keep your body warm in the winter hiking
  • The benefits of hiking, more than you can imagine!

The Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series

Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge SeriesThe Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series gives you an opportunity to explore your world while supporting a great cause. There are eleven challenges around the country. Hike or run them at your own schedule.

Flex your adventure muscles!

Learn more here.

 

Search

Tags

3-6 miles 6-8 miles 8-10 miles 11+ miles Arizona Backpacking coastal dog-friendly easy family-friendly High Sierra Trail hiking Hiking The John Muir Trail hipster inspiration JMT John Muir John Muir Trail Kings Canyon National Park LA County moderate Mount Rainier National Park Muir Monday National Park Orange County Oregon out of bounds Pacific Crest Trail peak peakbagging quote scenic Sequoia National Park Sierra Nevada Six-Pack of Peaks State Park strenuous Thru-hiking Utah vista Washington waterfall wilderness Wonderland Trail Yosemite

Copyright © 2023 SoCalHiker.net · Metro Theme on Genesis Framework with WPEngine Hosting · Contact SoCal Hiker · Sitemap · Privacy Policy