Arizona - Part 1 of 3
By: Mark Tovar
Don’t rent a car, I have to take you guys off-road to reach our hike points; Chris told me as Justin and I prepared for our flight to Phoenix. We would only be in AZ for about 48 hours, but had planned this whirlwind tour for almost 3 months.
We would be guided by conservationist and friend, Chris Meachum. Chris is also the head of JKR Gear Field Testing and Development, making sure our field equipment stands up to real-world rigorous testing. If anyone could maximize our time searching for some of Arizonas most illusive herps, it was Chris!
Excursion #1 - Sonoran Desert
Target: Gila Monster, Speckled Rattlesnake, Black Tail Rattlesnake
It’s called Desert Pin-Striping, Chris said with a smile as creosote bushes and palo-verde trees scraped into the side panels of his truck. The views went from spectacular to unbelievable as we ascended further into the desert mountains. 
In his constant fight to preserve this unique desert ecosystem, Chris has made it a point to befriend many land owners in the state in his role as the President of “Friends of Saddle Mountain.” We would truly appreciate this by the end of the day.
110 degree heat at 1:00 in the afternoon would not normally be considered great conditions for hunting, but Chris knew that the heat would drive the herps to the exact spot we were hiking. Just when getting tossed around from the uneven road lost its fun, we stopped and continued on foot. After a steep climb, we arrived at our target.
Stooping into the entrance felt like stepping into walk-in cooler. “I’m going to lead, but watch the walls… they can climb up and sit at any level,” Chris informed us. 
Five feet into the cavern, we were greeted by a our first rattlesnake, a subadult Blacktail. 20 seconds after that we realized that we had stepped over another Blacktail “chilling” under a rock at the entrance. The smell of bat guano was strong and the bats up ahead took flight to avoid us. 
Another 15 feet in, we were snapping pics of our first Gila Monster of the trip. An adult Specked Rattlesnake was our next find, sitting about three feet off the floor. In the first cave alone we found 5 Blacktail Rattlesnakes, 2 Speckled Rattlers and the Gila.
We spent more time hiking and finding our targets at each spot we stopped while being treated to facts and theories about each species, great stories about the years of discovery, and conservation. We asked Chris, “What other animals will we be looking for?”
“Atrox, Sidewinders, and Mojaves tonight, Leps, Willys, and Tigers tomorrow.”
I knew this was going to be a great trip.
