Mule vs. Snake on the Iron Mountain Trail
I, Bernie Harberts, did not use generative AI to write or illustrate this article. Spell check and grammar check, yes. AI, no.
A while back, Julia and I spent six weeks traveling with two saddle and one pack mule from our farm in western North Carolina to Virginia and back. We posted a lot of stories on this trip but here’s one I never got around to sharing with you.
Julia was riding a mule named Dusty we’d borrowed from our friend Ronald Hudson. I was riding my mule Brick. As we traveled the Iron Mountain Trail from Damascus, Virginia to Grayson Highlands, we came across a black snake. My mule Brick had to poke her head down for a look. The snake reacted as you might expect.
No, I would have never let her sniff a poisonous rattlesnake or copperhead.
If you didn’t follow that mule ramble here’s a great summary you’ll enjoy. It’s called About the First 100 Miles and you can read it right here. Or, if you ever get a snake in your kitchen, here’s how I removed a 4-foot rat snake from our stove.
Julia’s side of the ramble at Saddle Under the Stars:
More about riding out the front gate.
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2 Responses to Mule vs. Snake on the Iron Mountain Trail
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Oh, and we know that Brick will never sniff another snake. If only I could avoid making the same mistake like all mules do.
It was exciting, fun filled, and a great pleasure to meet both of you at Thermal Valley Hang Gliding. Bernie, I enjoyed your POST- FLIGHT answer to Craig’s question (“What was your most enjoyable part of this flight?”) more than any I have heard in seven years! You two are some of the most impressive and enjoyable people I have ever met. Thank you for following up with this information. I so wanted to stick around and visit with both of you, but was pledged to be with my sweet wife that evening. This link you sent will allow me to get to know both of you much better. Thank you!