got down on Sunday Aug. 15th with rain and cool wheather. Left Alpine with the south of 118 only in the 70ties and slight rain all around. That afternoon rain around the Bend and 118 and word of rain up Alpine. We had already thought by looking at the forecast that maybe this was a mistake being there at this time ? Man ! were we wrong ! Sunday night west of Study Butte: 14-15 atoxes, 1 lep, 5 black tails, 1 huge rhino, 1 suboc, several hyps, 1 glossy.
Monday: cool again with rain where we were staying at. Started out going up towards Terlingua Ranch 118. Around low 80. Very slight rain. 5 Monster atroxes ( some females )and some really large black tails. Headed to RR and saw some people out there seeing a few things. More atroxes, more black tails, another small suboc, another gossy, a very few hyps. Lots of owls on road. Cooled down fast.
Tuesday: went up to Alpine to take care of some business. Wanted to hang till dark but rain came in and cool to where some townfolks was wearing coats. Yes, I said coats ! Left daylight still and came on a huge red coachwhip not moving all that fast. Rain on the rest of the way down to SB. Went out to RR and more of the same species and found another big rhino and suboc. Also started to see neonates atroxes. ( Cute ). More owls ( many ) on road and flying around. A few more people coming from the east.
Wed: the best starting out day with temps almost in the upper 90ties with no rain in sight but at times heavy overcast. Tried 118 just a little north of Wildhorse but rain moved in. Went to RR and it was at prime temp with no rain. Saw all the other people out there. We had seen only like 3 species of snakes as far as the windmill with about the same as everybody else. Saw a Bobcat crossing Big Hill and perching on the wall for a few min. and while trying to get our cameras out, I spilled coffee on my bud camera ( video ). The dang cat was like posing for us with raising and lowering its ears but fumbleing around for my camera we spooked it and off the wall it went. After being a little discouraged at not seeing to much in the way of herp species and after talking to the last herper ( Shawn L ) heading back out to the windmill, we decided to give the Tee Pees to Lajitas run a chance. After heading down the Big Hill the temp shot up several degrees and all wind almost died and the humidity went up. You all know the area can do that within the night. Bam, 1 lep ( female ), bam #2 lep ( male ), bam trimorf at the very beginning of wall at west Lajitas. ( who said that snakes are not still there ? ). WOW ! We were very low on gas and in a vehicle that gets about 14 miles per gallon...we thought to run back to the Study Butte cafe ( closed at time ) and get gas by the credit card method. NOPE ! Machine did not work. Even though we wanted to go back out and also confirm at least the leps and trimorf on my digital , couldn't and we really needed to leave early next day due to some heavy news of my brother having to be re-admitted in hospital due to a heart problem.
Totals of observation are approx on some species:
over 30 atroxes
over 12 black tails
over 10 hyps ( what happened to seeing tons of night snakes of past ? )
3 leps
5 subocs
1 coachwhip
1 lyre
3 longnoses
3 gossys
a few spadefoots
lots of red spotted toads
very few tarantulas this trip and not all that many milipedes.

For others: I think 2 more leps or 3 with one getting ( must have ) nipped by a truck ( non-reptile looker ) and died while down. About 5 or more subocs,etc..........

met up with Shawn L from Kansas, some folks from Arizona, New York and Cal.

Man, some of those nights up and around Alpine got down in the 50ties and I heard the Davis WAS at 50 degrees some nights.