Posted by Tom Kloster on June 28, 2007 at 11:37 PM
This isn't really an artful image, just an interested snapshot from a couple weeks ago. I posted this on PortlandHikers last week, but thought I'd include it over here, too, since most of you have probably hiked up to Tamanawas Falls. I found this guy while doing a little trail tending about halfway up from the highway -- he was under beachball-sized rock, right in the middle of the trail.
He waited in sort of a folded position while I was getting my telephoto lens on my camera (the only lens option I was willing to try!) and set up the tripod. But as soon as I snapped the camera on, he bolted for the brush at the edge of the trail. I flipped him back onto the trail with my hiking pole, and he landed on this rock. Then he went into defensive posture, which was cool... and a little freaky!
I'd only seen tiny scorpions in Oregon before - the size of a potato bug, and decidedly not scary. This one was not tiny! After several shots, he abrupted jumped off the rock and RAN very quickly down the trail TOWARD me and into some brush. That part startled me a bit, too: though my left brain knew that he was really trying to get away from me, my right brain was conjuring up images of him running up my leg!
Nevertheless, I survived this harrowing encounter...
These guys are no joke. I was stung in my lower leg by one in Saudia Arabia, my calf looked to be the size of my thigh (a slight exaggeration, but it felt that way), I it was extreamly painful to walk for several days. The pain is a little hard to describe. I didn't realize they got this big here either.
Posted by Tom Kloster on June 29, 2007 at 12:57 PM
I wasn't sure how unpleasant a sting would be - this one was about the size of a green darner dragonfly, if curled the tail up and added pinchers. Big (and fast!) enough that I kept a respectful distance..!
Tom
Posted by Tom Kloster on June 30, 2007 at 12:56 AM
Here's my other claim to venomous fame - this rattlesnake was curled up in the lupine and balsamroot at Dalles Mountain last year - about 30 feet off the road. Another photographer nearly stepped on him, and he turned out to be a very patient subject (the snake, not the photographer - the photographer actually got in his car and SPLIT!). I would guess he stayed in this position for at least 10 minutes before finally sliding into a hole.
Tom
Olympus E-300, 40-150mm lens at 150mm, 1/50 sec... SUPER twitchy shutter finger...
Well, that's a good thing, Mark! I've lived in Portland my entire life, and this was the first live rattlesnake I've ever seen (and first "real" scorpion, for that matter). I'd be happy not to see either again..!
Well, since I've got my list going, I've seen 7 or 8 black bears in Oregon/Washington, 1 lynx (right in your backyard, on Red Hill Road, about a year ago), couple of foxes, several coyotes... and NO cougars. I'm happy to never see a cougar in the wild, too!
Discussion
6 repliesHe waited in sort of a folded position while I was getting my telephoto lens on my camera (the only lens option I was willing to try!) and set up the tripod. But as soon as I snapped the camera on, he bolted for the brush at the edge of the trail. I flipped him back onto the trail with my hiking pole, and he landed on this rock. Then he went into defensive posture, which was cool... and a little freaky!
I'd only seen tiny scorpions in Oregon before - the size of a potato bug, and decidedly not scary. This one was not tiny! After several shots, he abrupted jumped off the rock and RAN very quickly down the trail TOWARD me and into some brush. That part startled me a bit, too: though my left brain knew that he was really trying to get away from me, my right brain was conjuring up images of him running up my leg!
Nevertheless, I survived this harrowing encounter...
Tom
Olympus E-300, 40-150mm lens at 150mm, 1/100 sec... twitchy shutter finger...
Tom
Tom
Olympus E-300, 40-150mm lens at 150mm, 1/50 sec... SUPER twitchy shutter finger...
Well, since I've got my list going, I've seen 7 or 8 black bears in Oregon/Washington, 1 lynx (right in your backyard, on Red Hill Road, about a year ago), couple of foxes, several coyotes... and NO cougars. I'm happy to never see a cougar in the wild, too!
Tom