Slithering, Scampering….Cycling

The no-shouldered friends have been more active recently on the backcountry trail where I ride but today they were hogging the paved trails. Seriously snakes! My feet are clipped onto my pedals and I don’t want to squish you. I have seen several water snakes that have a very similar pattern to the Cottonmouth but they have a small head and are longer and leaner..and non-poisonous. But if I’m moving at 12 mph through dappled, shaded pavement there is a distinct possibility that my first reaction is…OH, SNAP!

I don’t mind them taking up one lane of the trail but today one got really greedy and took up two lanes of the paved trail so I had to brake and hit the grass and get back on the trail without unclipping my feet. Thankfully it was a successful maneuver for both of us.

Later, a black racer lounged on the right lane so I veered left to avoid him or her and there was serious slithering as the beautiful snake raced back into the marsh grass. But I’m afraid I might have run over the tip of a garter snake’s tail.

Traveling in the live oak forest on a high (that’s a relative term in coastal Alabama…33 feet elevation is high for the beach) ridge, a small garter snake was nearly invisible in the shade. I tried to avoid this sweet snake but I think perhaps the end of the tail was nipped by my back tire. Should be okay though as no vital organs were crushed.

Squirrels were in psycho mode today as they played chicken with my bicycle. What the heck fuzzy goobers? Numerous squirrels were definitely risking a nasty encounter with a bicycle…or perhaps they were entertaining themselves by seeing if they could make me run off the road. Regardless, it was insane!

Cycling in the state park is like an 18 mile meditation with wildlife and beautiful marshes, forests and swamps. Today I listened to whale songs as I pedaled…and sang along. At one point I stopped mimicking the whale’s beautiful song and laughed. If anyone heard me belting out whale song or saw me dodging snakes or squirrels they would wonder what I had for breakfast. After that brief laughter-filled pause, I continued my singing and pedaling…my meditation. Not a bad way to begin the day.