I read somewhere that VK land is home to the largest number of critters that can hurt and kill you. Take care Andrew
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you get use to them Eric. 
Geoff vk3sq
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Spoken like a true brother Down Under. No big deal, right? 
Love that nonchalance.
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Eric,
as Geoff says, you do get used to them and you know they are not the problem they might seem to be.
I have not been bitten by a snake in 73 years. I have not been bitten by a spider that caused any problem. When you know a bit about them, you worry less about them, you work out ways to avoid them or not frighten them. The snake handlers all say “they are more worried about you than the other way round”. Which is probably why we don’t see many, they hear us coming and get out of the way. And may they continue to behave like that!
73 Andrew VK1DA
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Andrew,
That is certainly true of our Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. Something like 95% of snakebite victims are male. It obviously isn’t that these reptiles are whatever the opposite of misogynistic is. Further examination of the numbers reveil that almost all “victims” of snake bites where were either trying to capture of kill the snake. The lesson here seems obvious to me. In over 50 years of traipsing through the chaparral in prime rattlesnake habitat, often deeper in brush than is wise, I’ve never really even come close to being struck.
You are also right about them getting out of your way. I once went hiking with a friend of mine who enjoys reptiles and he said that there were a lot more snakes around than I was seeing because I was warning them off by vibration of my lead-footed stomp. He was a crazy guy that never wore shoes. To prove it, he hiked ahead of me and pointed out quite a few reptiles that I would’ve missed otherwise.
This is one reason I’ve usually hiked with a “snake stick” or trekking poles. To create vibration and as a defensive measure to probe dense brush ahead or, worse case, fend off a strike. (never happened)
However that “they are more worried about you than the other way around” thing has limits. Brown bears aren’t worried about anything. 
Eric KG6MZS
My extensive study of documentaries about the West makes me think that wearing long skirts, petticoats, and bloomers is probably protecting the fairer sex.
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More photos from the ill-fated attempt on Mount Andrea Lawrence:
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Can’t argue with good science
Here’s my biggest fail…NV second highest but a very fun trip despite a self induced fail…,
Paul
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Wow, that is a harrowing tale, Paul. Beautiful but the Basin & Range can be formidable territory.
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Sounds like a trip well worth missing out on 10 points for Paul. Some wonderful country you have there.
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I have done similar. Almost every summit I have activated over 12,000 feet has taken several attempts. Almost got attacked by a grizzly bear on one, rock slides, and severe dehydration not to activate a few. Happy I’m not the only person who experiences this nonsense.
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Hi Matt
It was a very fun trip and that area is known sometimes as “The American Desert” or “The Desert Between the Mountains” but more commonly nowadays the Great Basin. Very arid but that seems to be our story nowadays.
The Western USA really is quite dramatic and I’m glad to have access to bits of it.
Paul
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Hi Eric, I was glad to get off Wheeler without incident.
I think it was a 600 mile drive from our neck of the woods, so not sure I’m about to leap into the Jeep and do it again but it was fun and I’m glad you asked about fails.
My other three are quite boring being Casa Diablo near Bishop and Reversed near June Lake. Eventually got them nailed and better to shrug off failure than do something silly to grab an activation.
Gilbert in that same area is one that I got “lost” trying to find driving around endless forest roads that all look the same and then hiking to the wrong peak. Eventually when I got it right, I was rewarded with a beautiful view of the Long Valley Caldera (volcano mouth) that’s only about 20 miles wide.
Love the Western USA.
Paul
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I think I’ve been lucky. 169 activations and only one complete failure.
A dark December night on Craigendarroch GM/ES-078. Just a short 20 minute hike from the centre of Ballater.
I didn’t forget any gear. I just picked a night with no solar activity. Everything was dead, from 80 m upwards.
Small hill, big torch SOTA mini-adventure - YouTube
Of course, when I did go back to activate it six months later, it was the complete opposite. The hottest day of the year and a solar storm! Great wee hill and great fun on both occasions.
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Around 100 or so activations under my belt & I think I’ve now got most of the problems ironed out. I can recall 3 failures so far.
My first disaster was in the very early days:-
I took on High Willhays G/DC-001 and was completely ill prepared for it. Very poor navigation skills, worse weather than expected, a printed map off the internet which was nowhere near detailed enough, inadequate footwear, inadequate clothing, inadequate experience & inadequate knowledge!
We ended up getting completely drenched. The map got destroyed by the rain & we got totally lost.
The icing on the cake was getting chased out of a field by an angry cow!
My second failure:-
I took on Scafell Pike G/LD-001 and the weather was significantly worse than forecast. I got to about 1k from the summit before turning back. I was ok but unfortunately my dog was suffering as her coat wasn’t adequate for the conditions. If I didn’t have the dog with me I would have pressed on but there’s no way I could have make the poor dog suffer the cold for the rest of the way to the summit & while I was activating.
My third failure:-
Ben Nevis GM/WS-001. I took this on with a friend.
I’ve had an ongoing issue with my left knee but I was convinced that I could make it. Unfortunately my knee gave out at around 3/4 of the way up & I had to hobble back down the mountain in great pain. There’s a video of this failure on my YouTube channel. This might be the mountain that gets away because my knee isn’t getting any better & I don’t think that I could make it now.
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Paul, I’m reading a fascinating biography of Major John Westley Powell right now. Very well researched and written by Wallace Stegner. Now there was a guy that wasn’t afraid to venture into the blank areas of the map here in the old west.
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Are you sure it was a cow James ? 
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Might have been a cow, might have been a bull. My memory is a bit hazy & I didn’t take the time to stop & properly inspect the creature!
It had 4 legs, was making “moo” noises & coming towards us at a speed which made me very uncomfortable. I think it’s close enough to say that it was a cow & it was significantly undercooked for my liking!
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This thread reminds me of an occasion when the climbing club had booked a weekend at the hut in the Newlands Valley, I saw this as an ideal chance to activate G/LD-020 and 021, Dale Head and Robinson. Saturday morning I set out for the Dalehead Tarn path in dull but dry conditions but as I approached the tarn it started to rain. I pressed on hoping it was a shower but it got heavier and the wind started to rise, and as I approached the summit it was blowing a hooley and I was trudging directly into the infamous horizontal knitting needles - wishing (not for the first time) that my specs had windscreen wipers! At the summit it was nearly impossible to stand, and very regretfully I touched the summit marker and bailed out down the steep path to the old copper mine. In the shelter of the old buildings I took off my cagoule and emptied water out of the pockets! As compensation for the failure I found some attractive pieces of copper ore while enjoying hot coffee out of my thermos before heading back to the hut to dry out. Other hill walkers will understand when I say that despite the failure it was a good day!
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