Big Poppa
Well-known member
Colin
I had a bunch of fun on that tour! Post pics!!! I dont have any.........
I had a bunch of fun on that tour! Post pics!!! I dont have any.........
- Thread starter tiffles
- Start date
maddog
Well-known member
Congrats on the new job Tiffles. I hope you're not the type to take your work home with you.
shamus63
Well-known member
phatduckk said:
Beers are mandatory!
shamus63
Well-known member
Shark Valley in the Everglades - is that the trail you went for the ride on? I remember going on fieldtrips there in school.
Shark Valley
The very same trail (off the 41)!
7 miles out to the observation tower, and 8mi on the alternate route back...all on a single-speed beach cruiser.
I'll dig up a few pic's, and post them in a few minutes.
UPDATE: Here we go. Bear in mind that these were taken with my crappy point-and-shoot (no telephoto lens); objects are *closer* than they appear...
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Mobay45
Well-known member
Several years ago, I went bass fishing with my then brother-in-law and a friend of his at the Winnie Bass Club in Winnie, TX. You put your flat bottom boat with a small outboard into the bayou, go down to a point where you pulled your boat over rollers into the swamp. You drove the boat though cut outs in the swamp and that's where you did your fishing. When your "buzzin cuzzin" (mosquitos) paid you their first visit, it was time to head back in.
After pulling the boat back over the rollers and back into the bayou, we headed back to the boat ramp. As we were motoring back, I would hear and feel a bump on the bottom of the boat, about a 12-14 foot flat bottom aluminum skiff. Being the curious sort that I am, I asked the friend what we were hitting with the boat. He proceeds to tell me that "The aligators are heading out into the bayou to feed and that's what we're hitting. But don't worry, they dive for the bottom as soon as they feel the boat hit 'em so they won't get hurt."
Needless to say, that was the first and last time that I did any bass fishing at the Winnie Bass Club.
That guy was one crazy Cajun even though he was in Texas.
After pulling the boat back over the rollers and back into the bayou, we headed back to the boat ramp. As we were motoring back, I would hear and feel a bump on the bottom of the boat, about a 12-14 foot flat bottom aluminum skiff. Being the curious sort that I am, I asked the friend what we were hitting with the boat. He proceeds to tell me that "The aligators are heading out into the bayou to feed and that's what we're hitting. But don't worry, they dive for the bottom as soon as they feel the boat hit 'em so they won't get hurt."
Needless to say, that was the first and last time that I did any bass fishing at the Winnie Bass Club.
That guy was one crazy Cajun even though he was in Texas.
shamus63
Well-known member
To be honest, I loved the rush of being exposed to that environment; absolutely nothing between myself and the gators.
About 3 hours of that, if I remember correctly. I didn't go the last time I was in Miami (1/2003), but I'm getting the itch to hit the Glades again.
I mean, being married and all, there's only so much you can do in South Beach.
Since my wife is there on business, I like to take advantage of the opportunity to see things that she would either care less about...or be scared sh!tless to do.
About 3 hours of that, if I remember correctly. I didn't go the last time I was in Miami (1/2003), but I'm getting the itch to hit the Glades again.
I mean, being married and all, there's only so much you can do in South Beach.
Since my wife is there on business, I like to take advantage of the opportunity to see things that she would either care less about...or be scared sh!tless to do.
maddog
Well-known member
OK, I got one but it ain't gators.
I mountain bike. Been riding for years. My first summer out here in Tucson, I was riding a trail with a friend right after work. We used to get out during the weekdays and ride in whatever daylight was left. Often, we'd be heading back in the last moments of dusk when it is closest to nightime. We're almost off the trail when I notice all these sticks lying on the trail that I didn't remember seeing on the way in. I point this out to my friend figuring it is some trick of the shadows. My friend suddenly grows a cheshire cat grin and simply states, "They aren't sticks."
I mountain bike. Been riding for years. My first summer out here in Tucson, I was riding a trail with a friend right after work. We used to get out during the weekdays and ride in whatever daylight was left. Often, we'd be heading back in the last moments of dusk when it is closest to nightime. We're almost off the trail when I notice all these sticks lying on the trail that I didn't remember seeing on the way in. I point this out to my friend figuring it is some trick of the shadows. My friend suddenly grows a cheshire cat grin and simply states, "They aren't sticks."
shamus63
Well-known member
maddog said:OK, I got one but it ain't gators.
I mountain bike. Been riding for years. My first summer out here in Tucson, I was riding a trail with a friend right after work. We used to get out during the weekdays and ride in whatever daylight was left. Often, we'd be heading back in the last moments of dusk when it is closest to nightime. We're almost off the trail when I notice all these sticks lying on the trail that I didn't remember seeing on the way in. I point this out to my friend figuring it is some trick of the shadows. My friend suddenly grows a cheshire cat grin and simply states, "They aren't sticks."
Now there's a reptile I could do without being exposed to!
maddog
Well-known member
shamus63 said:Now there's a reptile I could do without being exposed to!
Been here for 8 years now. Have run into countless rattlesnakes. I've gotten comfortable around them but still give them a hefty dose of respect. One of the craziest times I've had with a rattler was with a mojave. Beautiful beast. Very distinguished green markings, about 6ft. long and well fed. He was sunning himself at the bottom of a small hill in the middle of the trail. I came over the top, no time to stop, no place to go. I came down the hill, tried my best to yank my bike around him. He went from laid out to coiled up in no time. I got around him and shouted back to my riding partner. He comes up over the hill, yells "What?", looks down the trail, sees the snake and yells "Oh s**t!". The look on his face was priceless and he was in the same boat I was in only now facing a really ticked off snake. Luckily nobody got bit and no animals were harmed.
Also fun when you run across them coiled up asleep on the trail when we are out on night rides. We usually just dismount and stomp on the ground until they wake up and muster enough energy to wander off.
tiffles
Well-known member
Colin said:
Princess Alexandra Hospital at Wooloongabba.
well now my thread has changed to a gator fest i must chime in....
gators?? pffft!!! have you seen a salt water crocodile?! cmon aussies back me up on this. SCARY things. really malicious creatures.
recently i was in far north queensland we were at hopevale, near cooktown.(5 hrs up from cairns) its an aboriginal community and we had a camp at one of the remote beaches right on the reef. there are spring fed creeks and they are the only 'showers' anyway we had bathed there for a day or two before one of the aboriginal kids told us there was a crocodile nest further up. so if they got out of the creek, you ran. i think it may have only been a freshy though.
maddog
Well-known member
tiffles said:
I used to surf when I lived on the east coast. Sharks came around, you just got out of the water. No thank you on the saltwater crocs. Sure you can get out of the water but then they'll just follow you up the beach.
SteveB
Well-known member
I can't resist chiming in on this thread:
1) Congrats on the new job, Tiffles.. I hope you enjoy it. One of my cousins lived in Brisbane for a year while in college (exchange student or something? She lived on her own, though.. with roommates.. so I don't know what the exact deal was).
She really enjoyed her time 'down under'. Brought me some vegemite when she returned! Salty, but not too bad.. I think I was expecting something far worse!
2) I was golfing once at a course called The Gauntlet at St. James' Plantation in Cape Fear, North Carolina. A pro met every foursome at the first tee and went over a few basics. The one thing I remember.. he said "if an alligator comes toward you, run ninety degrees from it because they can't turn fast.. unless it's a small one." Great way to kick off a round..
3) My family has a 'camp' about 90 minutes north of our home area (Pittsburgh). Plenty of snakes stories to be told, but this is a little more frightening. Once, I was hiking with friends and we descended a small path from a main trail in the woods to get to a large stone that protrudes into the Allegheny river. We hung out on that stone for about 30 minutes before heading back to the trail. As we ascended the small path leading up to the main trail, it was dotted with fresh piles of bear excrement that were not there on our way down. Needless to say, we were looking all around with great caution as we continued our hike!
I've seen bears up there a handful of times, but they (blackbears) tend to leave us alone. [Just hope you never stray between a mother and her cubs.] We see them more often these days, because some logging was done on the mountaintop above us, and it displaced a lot of those poor creatures.
Okay, sorry for the lengthy post!
1) Congrats on the new job, Tiffles.. I hope you enjoy it. One of my cousins lived in Brisbane for a year while in college (exchange student or something? She lived on her own, though.. with roommates.. so I don't know what the exact deal was).
She really enjoyed her time 'down under'. Brought me some vegemite when she returned! Salty, but not too bad.. I think I was expecting something far worse!
2) I was golfing once at a course called The Gauntlet at St. James' Plantation in Cape Fear, North Carolina. A pro met every foursome at the first tee and went over a few basics. The one thing I remember.. he said "if an alligator comes toward you, run ninety degrees from it because they can't turn fast.. unless it's a small one." Great way to kick off a round..
3) My family has a 'camp' about 90 minutes north of our home area (Pittsburgh). Plenty of snakes stories to be told, but this is a little more frightening. Once, I was hiking with friends and we descended a small path from a main trail in the woods to get to a large stone that protrudes into the Allegheny river. We hung out on that stone for about 30 minutes before heading back to the trail. As we ascended the small path leading up to the main trail, it was dotted with fresh piles of bear excrement that were not there on our way down. Needless to say, we were looking all around with great caution as we continued our hike!
I've seen bears up there a handful of times, but they (blackbears) tend to leave us alone. [Just hope you never stray between a mother and her cubs.] We see them more often these days, because some logging was done on the mountaintop above us, and it displaced a lot of those poor creatures.
Okay, sorry for the lengthy post!
bovinehost
Administrator
I will just say that anytime you surprise a great, huge, carnivorous aquatic reptile, one that is, say, larger than yourself? You really don't stop to wonder whether it's a gator or a croc.
the with great respect for all of 'em,
Jack
Aussie Mark
Well-known member
Tiffles, Brisvegas is also home to our walking EBMM encyclopeadia Rod Trussbroken. I'm sure he would be able to put you up until you find some digs.
shamus63
Well-known member
I hear those Mojave's are a lot nastier than your average rattlesnake!
Tiffles ~ I'll do my best to up the ante from gators to crocs; a trip to Key West should take care of that.
In fact, last time I was in the Keys, I remember seeing Croc warning signs on the side of the road...changing tires can prove challenging there!
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Colin
Well-known member
There is a lot of forum members here, we should have a get together. I'll see if we can organise some of the newer products as well? I'll ask Pat this week.Aussie Mark said:
Aussie Mark
Well-known member
Colin said:
If you Brissy guys haven't organised a mini-forumfest yet that's surprising. And remember, photos are compulsory at any forum gatherings.
