When I wes 17, me and 2 buddies went to a beutiful swimming hole in MO called Johnsons shut- ins. It was connected on both sides by a small river, maybe 2 feet deep at the deepest and quite rocky, surrounded by thick wooded hills on either side.
We decided to go exploring downstream in search of a mythical nude beach where we expected we could spy on some nude beach babes. After walking at least a mile, we decided we werent going to find any nude beach and decided to turn back.
Just as were turning aropund, a small black copperhead darted btween the legs of my friend. We were in about 6 inches of water. I told him to freeze, there was a snake by his foot.
We wrer dressed in shorts only, no shoes or shirts. We decided we better walk on the rocks due to the fact that there was a poisonous snake in the water nearby. As I looked up to plot a course back to the swimming hole, i noticed another copperhead suning itself on a rock, and another, in fact, every rock that was protruding from the water, (and there were thousands) had at least one snake on it, and the water was even more infested.
I mentioned to my buddy that we need to get to the bank and go back via the woods, to which he replied, "where do you think they are comming from?"
We were living a real nightmare. The whole area was infested with small copperheads. It was strange because there was no, plan or talk or exclamation of fear, we just turned around, in a calm panic and walked very briskly back to the swimming hole. I swear to this day, my friend Mark walked on top of the water. He was petrified with fear. He slipped on a rock and went from walking , to busting arse ona rcok, to walking within one second. Didnt say a word. it was a fall that looked to have surely broken a bone or severe bruise, but no pain, and unbelievably, not so much as a scratch or small bruise resulted.
We made it back ok, and to this day, we talk about this event every time we see eachother. (maybe 2x per year). The other buddy has no memory of it at all, And they are brothers.
Adrenaline is a strange thing.
