Deer Springs trailhead to SJ peak and back

[PatrickSupra]

Great, scenic hike I did about a week ago. Didn't have anyone to go with, but I liked traveling by myself. Covered 20.6 miles and gained around 6000 feet of elevation before reaching the peak. I left the trailhead in Idyllwild at 7am exactly and returned at 2:06pm but my actual hiking time was 6 hours 36 minutes (spent 30 mins. eating a sandwich at the peak). Came within inches of stepping on the biggest rattlesnake ever on my way back. Never ever seen a Western that big, nor have I ever been so close. I dropped from a rock and landed with it between my feet.

Start - 7:00am
Strawberry junction - 8:30am
Marion Mt. Trail - 9:12am
Fuller Ridge trail - 9:27am
Little Round Valley - 10:10am
Peak sign - 10:42am
Ranger station - 10:49am
Peak - 10:56am

Decent - 11:18am
Ranger station - 11:20am
Peak sign - 11:24am
Little Round Valley - 11:46am
Fuller Ridge trail - 12:12pm
Marion Mt. Trail - 12:24pm
Strawberry Junction - 1:00pm
Suicide Rock split - 1:29pm
Finish! - 2:06pm

[PatrickSupra]

[HH8]

so who was more upset by the meeting - you or the snake?
How close were you to the car at that point?

[PatrickSupra]

I had gone like 18 miles, I was practically jogging the last 2.5 miles back to the car. I was really looking forward to getting back. There was a fallen tree on the left side of the trail and a big rock in the middle that I must have had to kinda scramble on my way up. Now coming down I figured I'll just plant a hand, swing my legs over, and drop down a couple feet and continue. When I landed, the snake was between my feet. It stretched the entire width of the trail and had its head in the tree trunk. As soon as I landed it started slithering into the tree and I just watched it as it slowly disappeared. I literally had the snake between my two feet and his body extended about four feet behind me. As I was watching it slither I could tell I would not be able to wrap my hand around the largest part of the body. Way too big and way too close for comfort. If I had landed a foot further or a foot shorter, one of my feet would have landed right on it.