Kiyama and Tempaizan trail running: Watch out for snakes! 基山・奥天拝・天拝山

Busy May so I am trying to use any opportunity to get out. I cancelled my plan to go to Itoshima today because it was too cloudy and Itoshima looks best on a Sunny day. So instead I went on a trail run. I haven't used this full route for a while so it felt fresh and well as familiar. However i forgot how wild the other side of Kiyama can be. As I was running down listening to rock music I came centimetres from stepping on a large snake! Luckily it wasn't a Mamushi but instead a tiger keelback, Rhabdophis tigrinus. Although it is venomous I could still have tried to bite me or more likely sprayed me with a Toxin which is its first line of defence and it did make me scream. The rest of the run was pleasant with no more drama. Hopefully I can get out more before rainy season!