Hi Jobe,
Nice image - definitely a Gopher Snake. They get big out here in the desert! Harmless, non - venomous, and not aggressive unless you pester it or try to pick it up. They may bite if you try to handle them; the biggest risk from this is infection. One of a Gopher Snake's defense strategies is to hiss and shake their tail rapidly in dry grass or leaves to try to convince you that they are a rattlesnake.