Poor snakes!! It's a good thing you're there to at least save some... Good luck on your next trip!

WOW, Northwesterns really do have incredible variation, don't they? I used to live on the coast of Washington, in the northern Willapa Bay/Valley area. Pretty sure the only garters native to the area are Northwesterns, and they ranged from very yellow, to very brown (much like the younger, duller snakes in your picture), to very dark, to "silvery" and even patternless powder-blue! (Yeah--I'm still really PO'ed at my brother for NOT catching those last two for me, lol!!!)