Startled by a Snake on Sky Walk in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
With an afternoon forecast for rain, Bob and I made plans to get the first scheduled gondola ride up the mountain in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. Spectacular views from the Sky Tram were promised, but the big surprise was being startled by a snake on the Sky Walk.
Sky Tram is an aerial tramway with open air gondolas. The gondolas are suspended over the tropical forest during their mountainous ascent.
There was a huge lineup of people waiting for their turn to ride up the mountain evidenced by the numerous buses in the parking lot.
A good many people planned to zipline down the mountain and were appropriately geared up with helmets. We were allowed to precede a lot of them since we would be hiking down to the base of the mountain.
Everyone on the gondolas was very excited including me.
The gondolas float above the rainforest for the 30-minute ride. That allowed us time to appreciate the panoramic views from the Sky Tram.
At one point, a hanging bridge that makes up part of the Sky Walk materialized out of the tangle of jungle vegetation. It would figure into our hike on the trail system back to the Sky Tram Station at the base of the mountain.
With an elevation gain of 745 feet, the gondola ride gave us a different perspective on Lake Arenal as we ascended to the highest point on the mountain.
Lake Arenal is a natural lake in the northeastern highlands of Costa Rica, however its natural size was tripled in 1979 with construction of the Presa Sangregado Dam at the southeastern end.
Bob and I had driven around sections of Lake Arenal over the previous week while taking in various sights.
Seen from above, the vastness of Lake Arenal’s surface was easier to discern despite the veil of mist that obscured it.
Lake Arenal is the largest lake in Costa Rica with a surface area of 85 square kilometres. Beyond Lake Arenal, Bob and I could distinguish the rolling hills around Tilaran, but Arenal Volcano remained hidden behind low-lying clouds.
All riders disembarked from the gondolas at the Miguel Angel Observatory. The observation deck is at the highest point of the reserve. Again, views of Lake Arenal were appreciated.
A sign pointing Bob and me in the direction of Sky Walk had us making haste. A light drizzle had began to dampen our clothing and camera gear.
Bob and I are always interested in the flora and fauna. The winding path was bordered by many interesting plants that saw us pausing for a look and a photo.
Crowding the edges of the trail in many locations were these plants with oversized leaves, not such an unusual trait of plants in the tropics.
These particular plants are called Mickey Mouse Taro since the leaves resemble the large ears of the famous cartoon character, Mickey Mouse.
Having the trail all to ourselves, Bob and I could really immerse ourselves in the peaceful surroundings. It was also easier to distinguish bird calls when not surrounded by people chattering.
One bird we were happy to zero in on as we peered through masses of vines and green leaves was a Collared Trogon. It blended in with the flickering shadows making it difficult to pinpoint.
Dwarfed by the trees as we were, there was good reason that any available sunlight had difficulty illuminating our surroundings.
Bob and I were extremely cautious as we nosed about especially watching for snakes since there are a number of venomous species in Costa Rica. We did not want to be startled by a snake on the Sky Walk!
A Wide-bordered Satyr took us by surprise where it flitted in some dappled shade and finally settled on a sunlit leaf.
It was only moments later that I got to stroll across a hanging bridge that conveyed us to the other side of a wide valley. We had already experienced the sensation of swaying and undulating on a series of hanging bridges days earlier.
An expansive view from the hanging bridge had Bob picking out in the distance a structure where people get equipped for their zipline experience.
Using our sealegs acquired from years of sailing, Bob and I felt quite at home on the hanging bridge. Defying gravity as it hangs between two end supports, a hanging bridge provides an exhilarating experience.
With Bob’s long lens, he was able to capture this distant image of a zipliner ready to set off on their thrilling ride towards the bottom of the mountain.
Continuing our own descent, Bob and I appreciated the warmth of the weak sunlight now dodging the foliage of the canopy. A few flowering plants were encouraged into bloom by the increased light.
A dab of red on the end of a thin limb caught my eye. I believe this is Columnea Purpurata.
Columnea Purpurata is an evergreen shrub native to Costa Rica. The colourful calyxes usually attract hummingbirds.
Marking our proximity to the end of the trail was a well-positioned trail sign.
For the last couple hundred yards of the descent, the trail merged onto a gravel lane. Lots of loose rocks had Bob and me holding hands in case one of us slipped or rolled on a rock.
Suddenly, Bob lurched sideways towards me while at the same time emitting a loud “what the heck?”. I stabilized his movement and then saw that he had been a split second away from stepping on a snake!
Bob’s foot was poised above it when he glanced down and saw it slithering across the uneven surface. Being unfamiliar with the snake species in Costa Rica, we took note of its colouring so we could make inquiries from the local staff.
The photo has been brightened so you can see that the snake was dark brown with a pale yellowish-orange belly. It was about 2 1/2 feet long.
From a safe distance, we watched the snake move off into the leaf litter.
Once back at the Sky Tram Station and showing photos to the staff, Bob and I were assured that the snake was non-venomous and was probably a Salmon-bellied Racer.
Having since submitted our photos to iNaturalist, it seems more likely that the snake is a Degenhardt’s Scorpion-eating Snake. Either way, being startled by a snake on the Sky Walk was quite a way to end a memorable morning. It sure got Bob’s and my hearts racing for a good few minutes.
Frame to Frame – Bob and Jean