Advice for an East Coaster Travelling West for the First Time (Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM area)

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FastSnake17
Posts: 60
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 10:55 pm
Location: Blacksburg, VA

Advice for an East Coaster Travelling West for the First Time (Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM area)

Post by FastSnake17 »

It's been a long time since I've posted on here but figured this was a better option than facebook.

Long story short: My girlfriend and I were going to attend a wedding in Albuquerque this coming weekend, but it's been postponed till at least next September. Since I've never been west of Texas (and never done any herping outside a state that doesn't border the Atlantic), we decided it'd be fun to go anyway since flights and lodging were so cheap. We will be in the area Friday (9/4) through Monday (9/7). Considering options to explore in town are limited, I should have some wiggle room to get out and look for herps. Hiking (probably more geared towards touristy monuments and well-travelled areas) will factor into our itinerary heavily, though I should be able to roadcruise a bit here and there.

While I'm not looking for specific locations, any tips and advice in regards to strategies for the area, time of year, weather conditions, species I'm likely to see etc... are greatly appreciated. Snakes are at the top of the list but everything out there will be completely new to me and I'll be excited for anything I find, so I don't have any major targets. That being said, whipsnakes and patchnose snakes would put a smile on my face, Lamps, and any rattlesnake (WDB, prairie?) would be exciting. I'm not holding my breath for anything particularly uncommon, so unexpected species will just be a bonus. My current plan is to spend the mornings hiking (and maybe flipping cover here and there before things get hot?) and cruising late late afternoon into the evening whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Our Air B&B is right at the western border of the Cibola National Forest, so we can literally walk out the back door and up a hill into it.

We are both pretty excited about the food, so any takeout suggestions are also welcomed.

I've been meaning to make a multi-year post documenting grad school, the before, and after but that'll have to wait. In the mean time, here are some highlights from this year for attention.

ImageSpeckled king snake (Lampropeltis holbrooki) by Billy Moore, on Flickr


ImageFlorida Pine Snake in situ by Billy Moore, on Flickr


ImageCoral Snake by Billy Moore, on Flickr

ImageSouthern hognose snake by Billy Moore, on Flickr

Thanks for any advice y'all can offer!
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nhherp
Posts: 128
Joined: August 10th, 2010, 11:25 am
Location: southwest US - NM

Re: Advice for an East Coaster Travelling West for the First Time (Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM area)

Post by nhherp »

PM me if you want.
I live south of ABQ

-N-
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herpseeker1978
Posts: 1139
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:05 am
Location: Albuquerque

Re: Advice for an East Coaster Travelling West for the First Time (Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM area)

Post by herpseeker1978 »

Wow, sorry I missed this man! We were out of town that weekend, how did you end up doing?

Josh
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