[pct-l] Poodle Dog Bush in San Gabriel Mountain Burn Areas

[Doug Prosser]

Last week hiked through San Gabriel Mountains up over Mt Gleason to Agua
Dulce.  The burned out mountainsides & PCT is covered with these beautiful
purple flowers that grow 6 to 8 ft tall.  They are all over the trail.  We
walked through 20+ miles of them with their resin stuck all over me from top
to bottom.  My hiking poles were black from the resin.

Finally I came across a PCT trail maintenance crew witch told me that the
purple flowers were Poodle Dog Bush and not to get it on my skin because it
causes a poison oak/ivy type of reaction.  Yikes.!!!!!!

I have spent the last nine days suffering.  I have been on IM steroids as
well as a tapering dose of oral steroids.  My left hand & arm still itches,
has pitting edema, still with vesicles breaking out.  It bothers me to wear
socks & shoes. Hopefully this resolves in the next week because I have
another section to do.

So be very careful hiking the burn areas because the fires activate the
seeds of the Poodle Dog Bush.  Wear long pants & long sleeves with gloves.
 I was wearing shorts & short sleeve shirt.  :-((((

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turricula_(plant)

Stay away from this plant.  I still have not yet been able to sleep thru the
night with the itching.

Doug Prosser