Ophidiophobic and yet going hiking

One of the best things about living in Phoenix is going hiking in the mountains in the middle of the city. At the top of Camelback or Squaw Peak you get a 360 degree view of the valley. The best time of the year to hike starts now and runs through May.

In February the cactus and wildflowers start to appear, and they will be in full bloom by the middle of March. It's cool yet, and the days are getting longer. If you brave rush hour traffic and find a parking spot near a good trail, you can still hike for an hour before dark.

So I'm going with my friend Amy in a few days. Normally I would have been going all through the fall and winter, but I haven't been since last May. On a really hot day last May Bella and I hiked a trail up behind Squaw Peak that looks like Hobbiton, with vivid green grasses and a wild array of flowers. There's even an old wooden bridge that spans a wash - just perfect. Halfway up I heard a sound like a cicada, and didn't think much of it. Half an hour later we were coming back down. Bella was walking ahead of me and I heard the sound again, on the other side of the trail. Louder this time - I looked down just in time to see a small rattler about 6 inches away, heading for my left foot with its mouth wide open.

Now, I am very afraid of snakes. Afraid as in, see snake - legs may not work properly. Maybe even, see snake - pass out. If you live long enough in the desert, you're going to see a snake or two. I had accidentally run over a snake on my mountain bike. I had swerved to avoid rattlesnakes while driving up the desert roads to Crown Junction and Apache Lake. Earlier last spring, I was hiking with some friends in Cave Creek when we heard a sound so loud it may have been a jet engine. 5 minutes into our hike my dog and I must have startled a snake, which then started rattling so loudly the sound was unidentifiable at first. But when you hear something like that, you don't stop to investigate; my friend pushed her husband out of her way and ran. We all ran. We ran all the way back to the car.

But I had never seen a rattler, up close, already striking. At me. I didn't even scream - no time. I just leapt forward down the trail, and luckily, Bella started running when she heard me lunge - she was getting out of the way... We ran down the trail to the car. She thought it was great fun. I thought I was going to be sick.

Two close encounters in one season inspired a very lengthy break from hiking. But there is just nothing like the mountains in the spring. Wish me luck.