[pct-l] Poison oak

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On Jan 25, 2009, at 2:14 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> Ever hear voices in the water?
Yes, I hear them all the time. It always sounds like singing. Like a  
choir. Freaks me out.
> All I am worried about is the poison oak in N.Cal.
Most of the poison oak people were in holy terror of was not poison  
oak at all. It was squaw bush. I mentioned that to someone and he  
dared me to prove it by rubbing it on my face. Well, he had vanished  
by the time I found some squaw bush to rub on my face, but Cuddles,  
if you're reading this, I actually stopped and rubbed it on my face!  
It was not poison oak!

I have a web page with pictures of poison oak, if you are interested.  
It has many different looks. I ought to have a picture of squaw bush,  
too, but I don't. Ray Jardine has an illustration in his PCT Hiker's  
Handbook (don't know if it's in Beyond Backpacking or not.)

Here's the link: http://www.santabarbarahikes.com/gorp/poisonoak/

Poison oak isn't something to be too terribly concerned with. Learn  
what it looks like and watch where you are going. If you're unsure,  
just don't rub up against it.

If you get it, it's just a rash, not a death sentence. Don't scratch!  
If you scratch the first time, you'll know it's poison oak because it  
will feel orgasmic and painful at the same time. This is a signal to  
stop scratching. No matter what, do not scratch. It WILL subside and  
go away. HOT HOT water applied to the skin will bring you relief  
enough to fall asleep. Benadryl can help, too, if you don't mind side- 
effects. But the best thing is to not scratch. The itchiness WILL  
subside.

By the way, some may not know this, but poison oak has an escape  
clause. If you are ever so lost and tangled in the brush you have to  
climb through it to get out, it will let you off without a rash. This  
won't help you on the PCT, though.