Mountain lions

A couple of my running buddies saw mountain lions in our area. With that in mind I would like to post a quick reminder to be cautious out there in the wilderness.

Mountain lions have a distinctive "M" shaped pad, and their claw marks do not show in the track. Walking, the lion's hind foot steps in his fore track, creating overlapping patterns.

Don’t approach a cougar. Most cougars want to avoid humans. Give a cougar the time and space to steer clear of you.

Avoid hiking alone, especially between dusk and dawn, when lions normally do their hunting. Make plenty of noise while you hike so as to reduce the chances of surprising a lion.

Never run past or from a cougar. This may trigger their instinct to chase. Make eye contact. Stand your ground. Pick up small children without, if possible, turning away or bending over.

Never bend over or crouch down. Doing so causes humans to resemble four-legged prey animals. Crouching down or bending over also makes the neck and back of the head vulnerable.

If you encounter a cougar, make yourself appear larger, more aggressive. Open your jacket, raise your arms, throw stones, branches, etc., without turning away. Wave raised arms slowly, and speak slowly, firmly, loudly to disrupt and discourage predatory behavior.

Try to remain standing to protect head and neck and, if attacked, fight back with whatever is at hand (without turning your back)—people have utilized rocks, jackets, garden tools, tree branches, and even bare hands to turn away cougars.

Hike with a good walking stick; this can be useful in warding off a lion.

http://www.mountainlion.org/facts_safety.asp

Snakes in Modjeska Canyon

This was taken in the burn area in Modjeska Canyon - one reason to stay off closed trails:

Both of these photos were posted by Greg on SCTH website this morning.

A pocket first-aid kit for ultras

The scratch I got at the Unknown race is not healing as fast as I expected it to, although it has been 10 days since I got it. I guess it did not help that I could disinfect the wound only over 7 hours later when I got home.

So two doctor visits and two cans of antibiotics later I came up with a short list of things I will always have with me at every ultra or long training run in the mountains:

- Neosporin (or Brave Soldier or any other antiseptic healing ointment)
- Alcohol wipes (individually packed)
- Gauze pads (individually packed)
- Medical adhesive tape (I prefer paper-based ones)

- Tetanus shot (you should be getting one every 10 years):
http://infectiousdiseases.about.com/od/faqs/p/tetanus.htm

Purple poodle-dog bush: beautiful & dangerous

Just found an interesting atricle in OC Register

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/oldar-flower-bush-2001799-people-fire

Purple-flowered poodle-dog bush, growing in burn areas, is hazard to humans.

A pretty purple-flowered bush blooming on the hills of the burned areas in Santiago and Modjeska canyons is a danger to people, according to the Department of Forestry.

The flower, commonly known as poodle-dog bush, is an irritant akin to poison oak, said forester Eric Oldar.

"This time of the year, the floral stalk is brilliant and it's very attractive, especially along hiking trails or roads where people make a stop," Oldar said. "They'll go out and actually pick it and take it home as a flower arrangement, not knowing that contact, for the vast majority of the public, will cause a poison oak reaction."

Symptoms range from itching to a rash or blisters lasting as long as two weeks. George Ewan with the Orange County Fire Authority said the pain is reminiscent to coming in contact with stinging nettles.

"It's like that that except it doesn't wear off," Ewan said. "It goes for quite a while."

Oldar said the bush is typically dormant, but bloomed as a result of the Santiago Canyon fire in October.

"It becomes prevalent after a major disturbance like fire or something that takes the area back to the barren ground," Oldar said. "It will blossom, grow, and eventually be replaced by other dominant vegetation until another disturbance occurs."

Oldar said the prevalence period could last as long as a decade, which is one of the reasons his department is trying to get the word out about the bush. Another reason is because of the attractiveness of the flower.

"This time of year, it can be a greater attracting to the public," he said. "Later in the season, the flowers drop and the shrub will continue to exist, but it has no particular characteristic that would cause the public to come in contact with it."

Oldar said people should go to their doctor if they start to itch. An over-the-counter remedy is calamine lotion or anything that has a cortisone derivative.
Ewan said avoidance is the best remedy.

"If you're going to go out into the foothills or into the burn area, be careful," he said. "There's a cute little flower out there that's purple and if you touch it, it's going to get you."

Coghlan’s Snake Bite Kit: Expert Review

Just found on Amazon a great expert review on one of snake bite kits:

"I work as a tour guide in the outback of Australia. I was recently horrified to examine the contents of this snake bite kit that one of my overseas passengers was carrying. I seriously cannot believe that in this day and age of first aid wisdom, Coghlan's are still selling such a frighteningly wrong product. Do they know nothing about correct snake bite treatment?

No you do not inject antivenin immediately, as the instructions advise. Antivenin can be just as dangerous as a snake bite, if the wrong one is administered. Further, if a snake bite is dry (most are), then the administration of antivenin is terribly dangerous. Only after a victim starts to show symptoms of invenimation should antivenin be given, and then only by an expert who has positively identified the type of snake.

No you should not clean the site of the bite. Leaving the bite alone is crucial to the correct identification of the venom and administration of the correct antivenin.

God no you should never cut into a snake bite with a scalpel. Are these guys serious!? How can they be so out of touch with correct first aid procedures? Not only do you risk introducing the venom into the bloodstream but cutting a patient will no doubt cause much anxiety and heighten the pulse rate... precisely what you are trying to avoid happening. The flowing blood will also wash away the venom which you need on the skin for identification purposes.

No you should not use a lymph constrictor. The lymph system is best slowed down by bandaging with a regular elastic bandage from the bite site down to the end of the limb, then all the way back up to the top of the limb. But then if Coghlan's told people that, they wouldn't make any money from selling these dodgy snake bite kits, would they?

I'm amazed Coghlan's haven't been sued for selling this product. I would strongly advise they remove it from the market, because it is a dangerous bit of merchandise. If Coghlan's were in my first aid class, they would have received a fail."

By Gary W. Topic (NSW, Australia)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B0000AUSKF
______________

It sounds like the only snake bite kit experts recommend is the Sawyer’s Extractor:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AU9PEC

A lot of other "older" kits got negative reviews as they include things you should not use, like a scalpel for skin cuts or a restriction bondage / tourniquet.

Snakes (a quick survival reference)

After a couple of my recent encounters with rattlesnakes on local trails, I did a quick research just to be sure what to do if – god forbid! – we get closer acquainted one day.

I saw how professional actors :) were treating snake bites in various movies and was just looking for some additional instructions on how to do it. The picture I had in my head looked like:

• Cut the skin were snake bit with a knife
• Squeeze some of the venom out by fingers
• Drink some olive oil (if you have it) and suck the venom by mouth
• Apply a tight tourniquet to the limb to make sure venom does not spread

Right? – Absolutely wrong!!!
Never ever do any of the things listed above! All of them are items included in most of DO NOT lists related to snake bites first aid.

Each year in the U.S., there are over 8,000 poisonous snakebites -- mostly in the summer season. Poisonous snake bites are medical emergencies, and they can be deadly if not treated quickly. Children are at higher risk for death or serious complications because of their smaller body size. However, the right anti-venom can save a person's life. Getting the person to an emergency room as quickly as possible is very important.

Prevention Hints
• All snakes will bite when threatened or surprised, but most will usually avoid an encounter if possible and only bite as a last resort.
• Snakes found in and near water are frequently mistaken as being poisonous. Most species of snake are harmless and many bites will not be life-threatening, but unless you are absolutely sure that you know the species, treat it seriously.
• Keep your hands and feet away from areas where you cannot see, like between rocks or in tall grass where rattlesnakes like to rest.
• Even though most snakes are not poisonous, avoid picking up or playing with any snake unless you have been properly trained.
• Many serious snake bites occur when someone deliberately provokes a snake.
• When hiking in an area known to have snakes, wear long pants and boots if possible.
• Avoid areas where snakes may be hiding such as under rocks and logs.
• Tap ahead of you with a walking stick before entering an area with an obscured view of your feet. Snakes will attempt to avoid you if given adequate warning.
• If you are a frequent hiker, consider purchasing a snakebite kit. But do NOT use older snakebite kits, such as those containing razor blades and suction bulbs.

DO NOT:
• DO NOT allow the victim to become over-exerted. If necessary, carry the victim to safety.
• DO NOT apply a tourniquet.
• DO NOT apply cold compresses to a snake bite.
• DO NOT cut into a snake bite with a knife or razor.
• DO NOT try to suction the venom by mouth.
• DO NOT give the victim stimulants or pain medications unless instructed by a doctor.
• DO NOT give the victim anything by mouth.
• DO NOT raise the site of the bite above the level of the victim's heart.

First Aid
1. Keep the person calm, reassuring them that bites can be effectively treated in an emergency room. Restrict movement, and keep the affected area below heart level to reduce the flow of venom.
2. If you have a pump suction device (such as that made by Sawyer), follow the manufacturer's directions.
3. Remove any rings, jewelry or constricting items because the affected area may swell and constricting items will cause tissue death.
4. Create a loose splint to help restrict movement of the area. Keep the bitten area still. You can immobilize the area with an improvised splint made from a board, magazines, or other stiff material tied to the limb. Don't tie it too tight---you don't want to reduce blood flow.
5. If the area of the bite begins to swell and change color, the snake was probably poisonous.
6. Keep the area of the snake bite lower than the heart.
7. If the snake is an elapid species (coral snakes and cobras), wrap the extremity with an elastic pressure bandage. Start from the point closest to the heart and wrap towards the fingers or toes.
8. Monitor the person's vital signs -- temperature, pulse, rate of breathing, and blood pressure -- if possible.
9. If there are signs of shock (such as paleness), lay the person flat, raise the feet about a foot, and cover the person with a blanket.
10. Get medical help immediately.
11. Bring in the dead snake only if this can be done safely. Do not waste time hunting for the snake, and do not risk another bite if it is not easy to kill the snake. Be careful of the head when transporting it -- a snake can actually bite for up to an hour after it is dead (from a reflex).

Symptoms
• Bloody wound discharge
• Blurred vision
• Burning
• Convulsions
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Excessive sweating
• Fainting
• Fang marks in the skin
• Fever
• Increased thirst
• Local tissue death
• Loss of muscle coordination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Numbness and tingling
• Rapid pulse
• Severe pain
• Skin discoloration
• Swelling at the site of the bite
• Weakness

Useful Links
http://phoenix.about.com/cs/desert/ht/snakebite.htm
http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/000031trt.htm
http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/Snake-bite-on-the-finger.htm
http://firstaid.about.com/od/bitesstings/ht/06_snakebites.htm

FM 21-76: US Army Survival Manual

I found a pretty cool online book today:
US Army Survival Manual FM 21-76
http://www.equipped.com/fm21-76.htm

It covers everything from navigation in a wilderness to snake bites to poisonous fishes and shells to eatable plants and other survival stuff.

They have both HTML version of it
http://www.equipped.com/fm3-0570.htm
and a downloadable PDF
http://www.equipped.com/multiservice_ser_manual_1999.pdf

They also have there a separate brochure about poisonous snakes:
http://www.equipped.com/21-76/appe.pdf

A lot of it might be pretty useful for the folks diagnosed with trail running obsession :)

Beware: Poison Oak

I saw quite a bit of poison oak on Mt. Disappointment trails. Here are some hints for those who are not sure how to recognize it.

The leaves are divided into 3 leaflets, 3½ to 10 centimeters long, with scalloped, toothed, or lobed edges- generally resembling the leaves of a true oak, though the Western Poison-oak leaves will tend to be more glossy. Leaves are generally bright green in the spring (or bronze when first unfolding), yellow-green to reddish in the summer, and bright red or pink in the fall. White flowers form in the spring and, if fertilized, develop into greenish- white or tan berries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Poison-oak

Its leaves normally consist of three leaflets with the stalk of the central leaflet being longer than those of the other two; however, occasionally leaves are composed of five, seven, or nine leaflets.
Here is what the skin will look like after a contact with poison oak.
The pictures of blistered skin are as gross as it gets. If you are sensitive about things like that, do not open the links below:
http://www.heywhatsyour.com/poison-oak-blisters-on-my-hand.htm
http://www.poison-sumac.org/rash.jpg
http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Dermatitis/EdMat/PhytoSlides/16to20/images/Poison20Oak20leg.jpg

Some useful hints:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7431.html
http://www.scif.com/safety/safetymeeting/Article.asp?ArticleID=92

Although all the hints are self-evident but it does not hurt to check it all over again. For example,
"If you come in contact with poison oak, wash immediately or take a shower, not a bath, using strong soap or detergent."
This one is evident only when you think about it: bath might spread the poison to other parts of one's body.

Here is what it looks like:
Spring and early summer: green phase
Late summer: reddish phaseFall: yellow phase

And here is where poison oak, poison sumac and poison ivy grow:
http://www.tecnuextreme.com/plant-map.htm

Basically we should expect only poison oak here in California.

Western Poison-oak is found only on the Pacific Coast, where it is common, and ranges from Southern Canada to the Baja California peninsula.

It is one of California's most prevalent woody shrubs but also climbs, vine-like, up the sides of trees. The plant is often found in oak woodlands and Douglas-fir forests. Along the Avenue of the Giants in northern California, the vine form may be seen climbing many feet up the trunks of Coast Redwoods.

It can also be found in damp, shady areas near running water and out of direct sunlight. Any trail leading to a waterfall on California's coast will most likely be home to western poison-oak.