Had the pleasure of finally getting to join in one of the AHS field trips.  So much fun, and I was honored to get to herp with these folks!

I am a "fly by the seat of your pants" type, so I really hadn't made up my mind whether I wanted to camp Friday or not.  Finally Friday afternoon I got it together & rolled out to Hide Away Campground near the Rocky Branch area on Beaver Lake.
The area at the campground was really promising and the kids were finding little toads the whole time.

When I arrived, I met with Jodi & her son, Cash.  Several of the other folks were already out herping, having arrived earlier in the day.

I fired up the grill, Serenity & Cash hit it off immediately, and I made a wonderful new friend in Jodi.

A short while later, everyone returned from herping with a juvie Box turtle, Western Worm snake and a nice Hognose snake:

Tobin:

I think I just figured out where all my beer went:

Little Boxie:

We all hung out around the fire swapping stories, playing pyro, and laughing.  I crashed around 2AM, the wind woke me up at 4, reminding me why a tent needs tent stakes. 

Brad headed out early to pick up Marc (Morris) so we could hit our first spot looking for target species: Sonoran (variable) ground snakes.  We headed out through Eureka Springs to an area North of Berryville.
Naturally it was Corvette weekend in Eureka.  At least we had some great scenery while we were cruising along at 20mph in a 45mph zone. 

Finally, around 10:30-11A (after getting separated a few times from the convoy) we all arrived and set out to herp Marc's suggested spot.

Jeremy & Marc working the initial area:

One of my new local herping buddy's, Russ, found our first find:
Scolopendra heros (Red headed monster)
(Eric being a braver man than I..if I were a man...lol  These things creep me out a bit.  Cool, but creepy)

Eric said he could feel the pressure from the bite through the glove..Yeah..that's why HE'S holding it, and I'm takin' the pics!

Found a few of these Striped bark scorpions (Centruroides vittatus):

Going up our first ridge:

View from top of first hill

Second ridge...Was it me? or was this whole area UPHILL somehow??

JACKPOT:  Sonoron (Variable) ground snake:  Sonora semiannulata

Eric w/ his awesome find!

Brad's son: You can tell they do this A LOT.

Jodi's son, Cash, for a 1st timer, he held his own, even touched the Sonoran, this was the look on his face right afterwards

Ashley, Jeremy's daughter

End of the Sonoron Ground snake photo session..you can tell because Glenn and Brad are both looking UNDER the rock ledge..lol  OOPS!

Moving on....

Third of 3 ridges we climbed

The view was awesome:

Little Twerp on the Prairie
Serenity had a great time.  She's worn out today

Few Rough Earth snakes (Virginia striatula) Marc found:

2nd Jackpot: Sonoran Ground snake

Serenity & Cash had enough by the 2nd ridge.. I was about 1/2 way up it, to give an idea of distance..lol

Flipped tin down the hill, saw a couple of Garters, which I didn't manage to catch  
Russ and I flipped a truck hood..lol  Just so we could say we did it..LOL!!

Russ and I hiked back up the hill because we didn't want to get in trouble for jumping the fence..Then I watched the other guys crawl over the fence!   Also they flipped in the same area and found a Speckled King and a Ribbon snake..lol

Glenn had to catch the UofA game, Jodi was ready to head back, so was Serenity.  I was prepared to return to camp and rest, until Brad said "Are you sure you don't want to go? We're going to check out a Timber den."        Said the magic words, and I was GONE AGAIN!

We headed out to a rugged and remote area in Berryville known for Timber Rattlesnakes.
It was all downhill on the way, which killed my knees.  I think at one point I actually sat down and said "Heck with it..I'm gonna end up on my rear end anyways!" and slid down..lol
Stopped at a spring to rest for a few, and then headed further in:

Marc picking out his tent site:

Marc found a nice little (I think he said) Oklahoma Salamander (Eurycea tynerensis)

Death Roll

We came back by this spot on the way out and checked out the cavern and found a couple of cave sallies and a slimy:

Cruddy pic, but I'm assuming this is also a Cave sally?

Slimy Salamander:

Timber habitat climb...Straight up..big rocks..Cash and I stayed down at the trail.

I don't think he minded too much..You measure the success of the herp trip by the number of smiles you get.. (sorry for quality  was losing light and camera skills..lol)

Thanks for all the smiles guys! Great to meet you all, and I am not the least bit sore and ready to rock again!