mtbMike
iMTB Rockstah
I've seen a lot of rattlesnakes (esp the local San Clemente trails near Pendleton - mostly the gray and black with some dk brown variety) but recently I was climbing Cholla and encountered an intensely reddish-orange rattlesnake and it had very distinctive black and white banding on it's tail before the rattle. I had stopped for hikers coming down on a steep part of trail and couldn't get restarted so pushed further up on the smooth side of trail when I heard the rattle. It was tucked under a bush on the edge of trail about 1.5' from me - way too close for comfort. Didn't get a picture while I was jumping out of the way so the attached is what I could find on internet. I've never seen one like that in my years riding SoCal - are they common in Aliso/Woods Canyon area?
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I'm not sure but I've never seen one that looked like that. Down in San Diego County, I always saw the same type over and over and over. They ae more of a blah brown color. I'm sure @SnakeCharmer knows what they are. I call them rattlesnakes