Some people scream that everything w/o rattles is a Copperhead, even Garter Snakes!Looks like a milk snake to me... If it was smaller it could also be confused with an immature rat snake. The rat snakes have somewhat similar patterns when young and eventually turn black. Google "immature black rat snake pictures" for examples.
I came across a Garter Snake that got trapped in the fertilized netting they use to grow new grass along the bike path. He tried to crawl through it and his scales got trapped like a fish in a gill net. I grabbed the snake and pulled out my knife but luckily a young couple stopped to help me as I needed 3 or 4 hands to hold the snake, the netting and the knife. We were able to cut it free and let it go unharmed, but if we had not stopped by it would have died a long slow death, it was not getting free.