PORTLAND, Ore. — A group of hikers got quite the surprise when they stumbled across a rubber boa.
“He wasn’t threatening me,” said Karen Meier.
Meier and several others were hiking along the Clackamas River when they made the discovery.
“I’m not sure how long he was cause he was all wound up,” said Meier. “I’d say he was probably three feet.”
“I was pretty amazed to see it,” said Trudy Hussmann.
Hussmann and Meier watched the snake from a safe distance.
“I noticed it starting to unwind and they move so stealthy,” said Hussmann.
“It started unwinding and coming down,” recalled Meier. “We decided it was time to move on and let him make his escape.”
Meier posted photos of the snake on Facebook. A neighbor shared it on another Facebook page catered to hikers. There have been a lot of comments since.
“About half of them are like, 'Oh my God a snake,'” said Meier. “The other half are like, 'How cute.'"
Rubber boas are not uncommon in Oregon. They tend to hide during the day and explore during the evening.
Meier said she will never forget the chance encounter. She is hoping for another special sighting on her next hike.
“Wouldn’t mind seeing a lynx," she said.