rattlesnakes!?

[Rob Munro]

I've only been a few times, but Ringwood is my favorite trail system in NJ. however!...last time out we see a Rattlesnake ON the trail...a few hours later a guy stops me, "careful, there's a rattle snake up ahead. I finished the trail at about 3MPH looking for this damn snake. it sucked. do you guys who ride there regularly worry about this? I'm so nervous I'll run one over at speed, or stop for a "health break" and come across a nest under a rock or something. Bam, 5 miles away from the car. Now what? Do you guys carry venom kits? f-ing snakes. made me glad to see the bear. I'd take them any day.

 

[grilledcheeseking]

 

[Soundguy]

I saw this guy on a trail near ringwood. They are usually pretty chill if you leave them alone.

 

[BPaze]

Hope you see them more and more cause the more the rattlesnakes the less ticks. They won't mess with you if you don't mess with them and while it will suck you wont die if they bite you. I have come across a few and it's cool but respect them and move on.

 

[Mtbr222]

After you see one every stick is suspect for the next couple rides

 

[JimN]

Coming down the red Ringwood/Ramapo trail in September 2016. Rattlesnkaes are awesome. I've seen them in a few places, but this is the only one I've ever seen in Ringwood.

 

[Rob Munro]

this is the best and worst thing I've ever seen. I will never ride Ringwood and not sing this again. thanks.

 

[Rob Munro]

Hope you see them more and more cause the more the rattlesnakes the less ticks. They won't mess with you if you don't mess with them and while it will suck you wont die if they bite you. I have come across a few and it's cool but respect them and move on.

I wouldn't mess with one on purpose. but what about hauling down a trail and running over one by mistake. Oh well, I'm as good as dead. Its over.

 

[serviceguy]

Never seen a rattlesnake yet. I almost exclusively ride and hike in Ringwood and try to do as much TM as possible, moving big rocks around being my favorite part of it. I try to look under rocks and stocks before wrapping my arms around a rock. So far we’ve found mice, frogs an garter snakes, all at the same time, in one of the tools cache wrapped in a tarp, so a rattler is a strong possibility.

 

[serviceguy]

I wouldn't mess with one on purpose. but what about hauling down a trail and running over one by mistake. Oh well, I'm as good as dead. Its over.

Maybe if it was still stunned by a sudden decrease in temperature and trying to warm up on the trail, in normal conditions I would expect to quickly disappear at the incoming noise caused by the bike.

 

[ebineezer]

I’ve ridden there a whole lot and never stressed about it. Bu I’m the same with bears and I’ve seen a lot of them too…

 

[Cannonbill]

Neither the rattlesnake nor the bears bother me. The rattlesnakes do seem to be making a bit of a come back which is good to see. I’ve been riding here 30 years and living here for 19, saw my first the second year I lived up here, then none for quite a while. The last 10 years, I see them more and more, maybe 2x/yr, so not frequently, but enough to know they are out here.

As you can see from the shared pics, they can get quite thick, very easy to confuse for a fallen branch. My only major adjustment is that during the time of year they are out, I leave my dog at home.

They are very slow moving, if you see one on the trail, just let it be and either wait it out and enjoy or turn around. They are not aggressive and really don’t want to be bothered.

Also, DO NOT try to get it to move off the trail, don’t poke it with a stick, don’t throw anything. Once it sees you as a threat it will coil up and get defensive, it will not be intimidated to move off the trail.

 

[Kaleidopete]

A handsome Timber rattler in Wawayanda

 

[pixychick]

I ride Ringwood on a regular basis and see rattlesnakes occasionally. From what I have learned, they do not attack people unless they are being threatened or aggravated. They will give you a warning (tick,tick) to let you know to give them space. In my experience, If you run them over accidentally, they will run off and start rattling. Not sure if it is true, but I have been told that snakes prefer to reserve venom for killing a meal and shy away from possible danger (humans).

I read a national snake bite data website and found that there is no record of anyone dieing from a bite in NJ. Also, 90% of bite related deaths in the US were snake handlers or people trying to kill them, not wild encounters. I hope that helps you ride with more ease.

 

[chris12453]

Oh all the years I have ridden in ringwood, I have seen one and that was up on the white trail above Piersons. It was very big, thick and slow and could care less I was there. Now with that said, I almost ran over one in Sterling a few weeks back, but it was stretched across the trail moving slow and never even rattled at me. They are not aggressive at all unless you are in their zone. I say ride and don't worry.

 

[xc62701]

I literally stopped on top of one in Port Jervis. I came over a rise and almost ran him over. It was directly under my BB when I ejected. It never rattled. Just looked at me and slowly moved away. I went to pick up a stick and move him off the trail and it was so heavy the stick broke. Pretty crazy.

 

[xc62701]

I literally stopped on top of one in Port Jervis. I came over a rise and almost ran him over. It was directly under my BB when I ejected. It never rattled. Just looked at me and slowly moved away. I went to pick up a stick and move him off the trail and it was so heavy the stick broke. Pretty crazy.

I omitted the part where I thought I shit my pants and screamed. It’s a good story now. Every time I’m up there I expect to see one.

 

[one piece crank]

Just to address the OP's comment - there are no "Snake Bite" or "Venom Kits". You should take an appropriate First Aid course, relative to your activities and locations, then create a first aid kit to carry with you. Best time-n-money-spent you'll (hopefully) never use.

 

[serviceguy]

Not sure if specifically in Ringwood, but Northern Copperheads are also present in the area. I would probably worry more about them.

 

[Id_rather_be_skiing]

Not sure if specifically in Ringwood, but Northern Copperheads are also present in the area. I would probably worry more about them.

A friend get bitten by one of these in Maryland, she said the pain was up there with child birth. She was fine, anti venom, a few days in the hospital and a cool story