Posted by David A. Wright on March 09, 1999 at 10:24:15:
In Reply to: Snakes posted by Gregg Lampf on March 09, 1999 at 09:25:26:
I presume you mean Silver Lake north of Baker? If so, then if you're traveling there March 16, I doubt seriously that any snakes will be present. If the weather is particularly warm that day, you may see them sunning themselves on rocks and possibly the dry lake surface, quite visible. By all means, they would probably be rather sluggish as it is still cool on the desert.
I was born and raised on the Mojave and have lived in snake country most of my life. I've yet to encounter a snake at dangerous range (I'm 43 years old).
One thing that does seem to help with snakes (as well as any other undesirable critter) is to have a dog with you. As they orbit your position in their wanderings, other animals seek shelter from the dog and give you that much more breathing space before you inatvertantly step into their space and become a possible target.