While riding a mountain bike extensively in Southern Idaho it is not uncommon to come across rattlesnakes. With my phobia of snakes it's amazing how many sticks look like snakes and will freak the beejeepers out of me while on my bike.
I now have a new phobia, thanks to my recent mountain bike race in St. George. I was about 37 miles into the race, near the top of a steep climb in a rocky, technical section of trail - and in a very oxygen deprived state. I swerved to miss a long flat rock. I looked down at the rock as my pedal went over what appeared to be a multi-colored , rubber lizard iguana looking thing.
My fatigued state of mind helped dull my senses and I then had a 5 second delayed total snake freak out. Then I thought, wow a rubber lizard! What a cool prank to play on someone. I'm thinking who would hike out to the middle of nowhere to place a lizard next to the trail? Whoever it was, was really committed to giving someone a good scare.
Life would probably have continued with me always thinking I encountered someone's rubber lizard iguana thing out the middle of the desert. Unfortunately, shortly after this strange encounter the rider behind caught up to me and asked if I saw the crazy lizard. He then continued to tell me how this supposed lizard was actually very much alive, and hissed at him!
Come to find out this lizard iguana thing was actually an endangered Gila Monster. Yes, they do have a venomous bite comparable to a coral snake.
I've been scarred for life and now I'm going to see sticks that not only look like snakes but also crazy lizard rubber creatures where ever I ride. As I write this, I wonder if it's possible that the one rider was actually hallucinating that the rubber lizard thing actually hissed at him. Yes, I'm sure that's the case.
1 comment:
Rubber snakes, rubber spiders, rubber lizards... I think April Fool's Day is just around the corner. It may be worth making a three hour drive just to hide a few creatures!
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