[pct-l] Yellow jackets and EpiPens on the PCT

miles brown e.milesbrown at gmail.com
Mon Sep 10 22:27:36 CDT 2012


Wow.
Frightening stories, really.

I find bees, and such, calm down if you just give them a little tickle
under the chin. Helps.

Actually, I don't mean to make light those traumatic experiences.
Hope you never run into them again.
They sound horribly vicious.

On Mon, Sep 10, 2012 at 9:16 PM, Lindsey Sommer <lgsommer at gmail.com> wrote:

> I too have wandered into a nest. They went up my pants, into my shirt etc,
> resulting in some painful bites. I wasn't aware they were that prolific in
> southern California, but I know they are very common in northern California
> around this time of year. I recall that I often run into them picking
> blackberries, which are also ripe right around now.
>
> You're well advised to stay away when they can be avoided. I did a section
> of the AT a few weeks ago (for AT trail day) and had to cut my trip short
> because someone was stung by a bee and didn't have an EpiPen, knowing they
> were very allergic. You are ahead of the game if you're wise enough to be
> carrying one just in case! Though, I learned something from that experience
> (other than to carry an epipen), which is that after doing the epipen, you
> should then ALSO take an antihistamine (such as Benadryl). The epipen
> blocks the nasty reaction you get from an allergy, giving the antihistamine
> time to work.
>
> Good luck!
> Lindsey
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Sep 10, 2012, at 9:48 PM, Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <
> diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:
>
> > I don't have any real wisdom except to say that here in So Cal I
> > mostly see them in late August to September.
> >
> > I have had enough really bad experiences with them that I'm scared to
> > death by them. Once I stepped into a nest and was stung multiple
> > times in about 20 places. They burrowed under my hat and stung my
> > hairline. They stung me on the arms, I would scrape them off and
> > they'd come immediately back and sting me some more. They burrowed
> > under my day pack and stung me down my back. They are like ticks the
> > way they burrow into tight spaces. I have been irrationally afraid
> > ever since.
> >
> > This weekend while hiking on a local trail, we saw a hole next to the
> > trail and some gray, old comb next to it. I was too afraid. So I
> > backtracked about a quarter of a mile and hiked down a creek instead
> > until I was able to rejoin the trail beyond the bees.
> >
> >
> > On Sep 10, 2012, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> >
> >> Subject: [pct-l] Yellow jackets and EpiPens on the PCT
> >>
> >> About two years ago I was stung 6 times by yellow jackets who had
> >> established a nest in my front yard. The stings were painful but
> >> that was
> >> about it. Two months later I was stung 3 more times. That second
> >> incident
> >> resulted in a severe allergic reaction and I now carry an Epipen
> >> with me as
> >> a result. The yellow jacket nest was also removed shortly after
> >> that (so
> >> much for "live and let live" ).
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> I'm currently doing the planning for a possible PCT hike in 2013. I've
> >> continued to do hiking, backpacking, trail work, etc. during the
> >> last two
> >> years but always carry the EpiPen and back off if I think that I've
> >> gotten
> >> close to a nest. This approach has been successful so far.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> I'd be interested in any wisdom that people on the list can provide on
> >> yellow jackets on the PCT; e.g. which sections are more likely for
> >> encounters,  strategies for replacing Epipens, etc.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Thanks.
> >
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-- 
Miles

*Find your passion.  **Pursue it with fervour.  *Have something to fall
back on.
(Like, your ass.)



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