On the road to Big Bend
I’m off on another road trip, this time through Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, inter alia. First stop was Big Bend National Park on the Mexico border. On the way there, I had a little excitement with a snake bite, and later, a collision with a deer.
Snake!
The snake bite happened in Arizona as I walked through the bush on a hot afternoon, wearing only short pants with sandals, and not my usual long pants and boots, looking for a suitable vantage point for taking a photo. It felt like a thorn had jabbed my lower leg, and it was only when I got back to the car that the increasing and unusual pain made me inspect the wound, which was when I discovered the two puncture marks that signified a bite. Arizona is the capital of snakebites in the US, with about 400 bites annually (reported and unreported). I began experiencing symptoms like dizziness, nausea and restricted breathing, so I raced back to the nearest town (named “Superior”), which ironically turned out to have no medical facilities. Luckily the bite appeared to be a “dry” bite. Adult rattlesnakes, when biting humans, give dry bites, so as not to waste venom, about 40% of the time. Thankfully I’d only received an infinitesimal dose of venom, just enough to cause my symptoms. Older snakes tend to dry bite more than younger snakes, and from the 2.5cm distance between the fangs, it was clear that this was a large adult snake. I cannot imagine how bad it would have been if I’d received a full dose of venom. I have a whole new respect for snakes. As my friend Mike from Houston said “Shit happens. You got lucky. Next time wear boots.”
Deer
A few days later, just south of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, a medium-sized mule deer ran out into the road ahead of my vehicle and I barely had time to brake before hitting it at around 50 mph. After the impact, the animal skidded across the road on its side, sliding on the tarmac, and I drove on in shock, eventually turning around and going back. The vehicle had some damage (broken grill in several places, and collision sensor not working), but when I got back to the location of the accident, the deer had gone, so apparently it survived. Once again I was lucky as this was a smaller deer, perhaps a juvenile animal. Each year in the United States, deer–vehicle collisions result in at least 59,000 human injuries and 440 human fatalities (2025 stat). Phew!
Cacti and landscape
Coming up will be blog entries on Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, White Sands National Park, Rocky Mountains National Park, Black Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park and the Grand Canyon. Stay tuned.
