Dbs, I am also a dw that is terrified of snakes, can't see them on tv, I make my dh tear out those pages in a photography magazines i get...you get the idea. In this case, my dh would probably go ahead and if safe, get the snake out of the path. I would then probably tread very cautiously along the path keeping close watc but if there were more obstacles, I'd be done.
Other than that, i don't know what to tell you. I'm an amateur photographer who spent 2 wks in the SW and luckily didn't come across any snakes, maybe I was lucky. I truly understand your wife's fear, but in this case, patience from my dh is truly a blessing.