I hiked Iron Mountain last Saturday. Iron Mountain is one of those mountains that does not always allow me to summit, sometimes I make it to the top, sometimes I don’t. I have turned around because of too much snow, too little water, too much rain, and too little sleep. I always hike alone and enjoy the solitude of this trail. I did not see one other person the entire day. It was hot and dry and long and …it was wonderful!
Saturday started ominous, there were two different detours on the freeways to Azuza and an accident on the highway 39 which delayed me an almost an hour. The hike was uneventful and about a mile from the top I saw swallowtail butterflies, took it as a good omen, and made the summit around noon.
On the long return ridge I was eager to make the big turn at Bonita peak and get some afternoon shade and on the turn a rattlesnake startled me, rattling its tail off. I always said I was not afraid of getting bitten by a snake (I keep an eye out) but I am more likely to get surprised and jump off a cliff. At this point there is a steep drop off to the right and the snake was on my left and I turned towards the sound and hopped back, lost my balance and started to fall backwards down hill. I should point out that I am almost 60 and not as agile as I use to be and a fall down a steep hill would probably hurt. As I fell backwards I remember thinking “where is the snake?” Then a minor miracle happened. I fell into one of those gigantic yucca’s that grow along the trail and the fronds bent in and then bounced and pushed me back up onto the trail like a big spring. I popped up like I was in a toaster. I spotted the still rattling snake moving away and continued the hike a bit relieved and amazed that I did not fall. I had only one little bloody wound on my arm from the yucca; I guess my backpack deflected the rest. No problem though, when you hike Iron Mountain a bloody yucca wound is a badge of honor.
It was amazing how gentle that yucca was as it deposited me back onto the trail.
My safety rule on that trail was no IPod/head phones when hiking alone in Mountain Lion country, I guess I need to add another, repeat over and over as I hike, “don’t jump if a snake rattles”. That will be my new mantra as I hike…that plus my other new mantra, “I love yuccas, yuccas are my friend”.
