Snakes

[Emerson Bigills]

I cannot refute what you said, but I was having lunch on a crag near the summit of Mt Craig in the Black Mtns a few years back. Three hikers came along and shared the view with me for their lunch. As we talked one of them mentioned that the other guy had actually hike almost half of the AT some years ago. When we struck up some conversation about his hike, he casually said that he and his wife had gotten well into VA. They were going throught some tall grass when his wife felt some bee stings on her calf. She assumed it was bees, as they had seen some bees earlier. The pain got severe and swelling followed. Long story short, they went to an emergency room in Charlottesville, where she was diagnosed with a Copperhead bite. She recovered and decided their hike was over.

The guy seemed pretty credible and seemed to be a knowledgable outdoorsman. Take it for what it is worth.

No one has ever been bitten by a venomous snake while hiking the AT.

[Sidewinder]

snakes are not evil. snakes are just snakes. you leave them alone. they leave you alone. they eat rodents, not people. i have pics in my gallery. ive almost stepped on rattlers without being bitten, and ive probably been within a foot or two of many i never saw. they know where you are. just watch your step, and your hands on rocky ledges. theyre usually just layin around in the sun and passive. if theyre pissed , theyll let you know theyre there. theres no mistaking the sound of the rattle.its cool.

venomous snakes are limited to just rattlers...my hiking boot was struck by a copperhead, I was not messing with it in anyway, didn't step on it, didn't poke it with a stick, just felt something hit my boot and looked down to see the copperhead coiled and ready to strike again, it was coiled about two feet away from my feet.

[brian039]

I came real close to getting bit by a copperhead around Chattahoochie Gap. I was up hiking just before sunrise and didn't see it on the trail and almost stepped on it. It struck but missed me somehow.

[10-K]

No one has ever been bitten by a venomous snake while hiking the AT.

Last year or year before last a hiker got bit by a copperhead walking to the privy at night.

Bears now... that's another story.

[hikerboy57]

venomous snakes are limited to just rattlers...my hiking boot was struck by a copperhead, I was not messing with it in anyway, didn't step on it, didn't poke it with a stick, just felt something hit my boot and looked down to see the copperhead coiled and ready to strike again, it was coiled about two feet away from my feet.

I came real close to getting bit by a copperhead around Chattahoochie Gap. I was up hiking just before sunrise and didn't see it on the trail and almost stepped on it. It struck but missed me somehow.

and thats why its a good idea to pay attention to where your putting your hands and feet in rocky terrain, over tree logs,ledges,etc. the biggest danger to getting bitten is stepping on one, and chances are pretty good it wont be a venomous bite. its a defensive bite, they need their venom for hunting.
if they feel threatened,like most critters, theyll strike.

[HikerMom58]

venomous snakes are limited to just rattlers...my hiking boot was struck by a copperhead, I was not messing with it in anyway, didn't step on it, didn't poke it with a stick, just felt something hit my boot and looked down to see the copperhead coiled and ready to strike again, it was coiled about two feet away from my feet.

OMGosh... I was walking behind a hiker going into Erwin. I saw a copperhead's head right at his boot as he picked it up to move forward. I screamed (like a girl ) and came to a screeching halt. Good thing I did b/c that copperhead just kept on moving right across the trail, right in front of me. The snake was fine, everyone was fine. There seems to be a lot of snakes in that area. A lil bit earlier we came across another one that refused to get off the trail. Let me just say, things didn't end well for that copperhead....we tried everything to get that snake off the trail. We ran out of options.

[Cookerhiker]

In section hiking the entire AT plus lots of additional hikes on the AT in Shenandoah, I've never seen a rattlesnake. I haven't always hiked in snake season but did most of PA when they were out. Nary a one. I've seen 2 copperheads on the AT - one in Shenandoah, one in PA near Wind Gap.

Like others, I've seen rattlers on other trails.