My husband and I were hiking on the Appalachian trail south of the Nantahala outdoor center in North Carolina. We had hiked about 5 miles south, then turned around to go back to the NOC. After only a couple of miles back, this rattler was stretched out across the trail. As we approached, it quickly curled up and rattled in defensive mode. There was a steep back on the left and a drop off to the right, so we just had to wait it out until it decided to move. It was pretty intimidating!
