Making a west coast trip.

[Hybrid]

So far not much luck. A few very black with thin yellow stripes. Belly scales black as the top though. That's neat. Gonna try one more day. Really hard to hunt as most good ideal locations seem locked in by private homes. It's been a bummer. If nothing else maybe after tomorrow my luck will change as we spend two days in benton county Oregon looking for high red red spotted.

Wish me luck

[Albert Clark]

Way to go ! I wish you much luck. Those really black ones with yellow stripes could be yellow phase pugets. Hybrid, take a picture of those if you see them again.

[Tommytradix]

they also could be ordinoides.

[Hybrid]

I'll post up pictures when my girl emails me them. Lense on camera of phone is cracked. No good pictures using that.

I'm in benton county Oregon. Went anywhere I could get near water and only glimpsed a single "normal" juvenile. I need a tip for spotting the elusive red spotted Oregon garter. I'm exhausted from 4 days of hiking and hunting.

I'm heading to Cali tomorrow if I can't spot something in morning.

[Tommytradix]

you need to go near vancuvor WA for red spots

[Hybrid]

I have been basing my trip off californiaherps dot com. Pictures and the counties they found them. This is insanely more difficult than I remember as a kid. But I'm chasing beautiful morphs over the standard black snake with yellow stripes in Illinois.

Update, drove the entire coastal highway 1 in California. Stopped at several locations. Crescent city. Spotted 3 very bland California red sided. These guys are black with a yellow orange dorsal stripe and very weak red spotting. But that was 20 minutes of looking about 300 feet from the ocean. Literally across the street from ocean side parking.

I have yet to see anything from Mendocino, Sonoma and now in Marin counties. I spent all day looking for and tromping in marsh areas and lagoons. Nothing seen.

[Tommytradix]

you are less likely to find any garters past 10am. it is too hot for them. you have to go between 7am and 9am.

[Hybrid]

It's been insanely cool outside. Very foggy. I dunno how much cooler it could be. One more day of trying and I gotta return to the desert. Wish me luck