Snakes on a Trail

After an intense dressage lesson yesterday, I decided to hit the trail for a leisurely walk today. Guess who I came across? Yep, this guy. Luckily he was the road right where it meets the trail, and I was able to hightail it onto the trail ASAP and avoid a close encounter. I actually took this photo from about 12 feet away and zoomed and cropped it once I was safely back in the comfort of my snake-free city dwelling.

This appears to be a garter snake from what I could research on the internet, but rattlesnakes are very common on the ranch property, so I don't get too close to any of these slithering creatures, just to be on the safe side.

The other times I've come across snakes on the trail they are usually sunning themselves or slithering across the trail into the brush. When this happens, I just politely turn around and leave them to their lounging and slithering.