This is definitely the most existential experience I've had while herping. It may sound wierd but it is as it happened.
June 4,1993 I was herping Hwy. 277. There was a small rounded rock cut a couple miles S. of Loma Alta. For a while I had shined the cut but, owing to the fact that it was basically just a rounded rock with no fissures or holes, and it was in narrow 2 lane with no place to safely pull off and was on a slight curve so wasn't really safe to spotlight, I'd stopped shining it weeks before.
On this night I was heading south from Loma Alta and was going past the cut when a voice from nowhere said "Shine your light on the cut." Without thinking and without hesitation I reached for the spotlight, stuck it out the window and saw a beautiful light phase blairs on the rock.it was 2:30 AM. I went a few feet to where I could pull off the road, ran back to the cut and there was nothing there. I searched and searched, saw nothing. I thought perhaps I was hallucinating.
I continued driving and after a while I ran into Tommy and Snooks Yarborough of Eastaboga, Alabama. They were the only other herpers out that night. I told them about the incident and asked them if they would please avoid that cut as I wanted to check it out later. They said they would. BTW, for those of you who weren't around to meet Tommy, there are a lot of good stories there.
Anyway, at 3:30 I passed the cut again, shined it and saw the snake again. Once again I made a mad dash for the rock only to find NOTHING. There was a large cap-rock on the top and I thought "What the heck, they are going to be blasting this part of the road soon so it won't upset things to move the cap." I found something to pry it with and it slid off into the grass. There was nothing under it but some dirt. There was no place for a snake to hide. At this point I was positive I was hallucinating.
Two nights later I was headed up 277 again and was near the top of the hell coming into Loma Alta when something made me turn around and head south. There were two slow moving vehicles heading south; I waited for them to pass and pulled in behind them and followed them down the road. When I got to the domed rock I shined it and the snake was there again. This time I got it. 2204, 83F, female
