Looks like fun! You wont' likely run into rattlers in the heat of the day unless you get too close to their shady spot. But always wise to keep your eyes open in snake country. They really do blend in and I have been next to a snake that was on some gravel and I couldn't see it until it moved. Fortunately it was only a bull snake!
Yeah, that kind of stuff scares the crap out of me. Michigan only has one kind of venomous snake I think and they are pretty rare.
Most snakes avoid people whenever possible. Usually it's the drunk idiots who mess with them that get bitten, but pets are the most likely to be bitten. Even when I lived in the desert southwest it's rare to find a rattlesnake if you're not looking for them.
Interesting. I wouldn't have guessed that. I really hate them, but they fascinate me too. Like the fact that I keep going back to watch that webcam in northern CO just baffles me.