ASPEN TIMES (Colorado) 30 January 06 Wrestling the snow snake (Peter Davis)
Dear Editor:
Snowmass Village: Having skied in the Aspen area for five years, and loved every minute of it, I had an unusual experience last week. Numerous times, more than I would like to admit, I have fallen and scattered my gear all over the slope. More than once, the snow snake was to blame, but I had never seen one.
While skiing on the Naked Lady run and following a friend, I saw this white head appear suddenly through the packed powder. Its jaws opened in a flash and grabbed the side of my friend's right ski; stopping it immediately. The skier launched into the air shedding skis, poles and helmet.
Before the head could retract into the hole from which it protruded, I reached down and clutched it around the throat, just under the head, thinking it would slide from its hole. To my amazement, it gave no ground. I was jerked from my skis, almost dislocating my shoulder. But my grip held.
As I rolled over, I was face to face with a snow snake - a rather angry reptile. While his head was but two inches high and about three inches long with two coal-black eyes, the mouth ratcheted open like channel-lock pliers lined with sharp pearly white teeth, perfect for attaching to the edge of a ski.
In an instant I recognized it as the head of a Tyrannosaurus, and I knew I was in trouble. Thinking I could rip the snake from his hole proved impossible as it had inflated itself to where it was immovable.
The mouth opened and spit a green liquid towards my eyes, fortunately intercepted by my goggles which started to melt. Terrified, I was afraid to release my grip on the snake for fear that it would rip into me with those sharp teeth, but I desperately wanted to flee.
As my goggles distorted my vision, a long black tongue erupted from deep in the throat of the snake and danced across my face leaving holes as if I had been attacked with an ice pick. Defeated, I released my grip on the snake and rolled over expecting to be devoured. To my delight, the snake retreated into its hole.
I looked around to see who else had seen the battle, but I was alone.
Snow snakes are out there, just don't try to grab them.
Wrestling the snow snake