Safety out on the Trail

Getting out and about on The San Diego Sea to Sea Trail isn’t a dangerous activity, but there are some precautions you should take to make your adventure safer.

Cacti

Only once did I back into a cactus while pitching my tent in the dark. Day or night, give any prickly plant a wide berth. While in the Anza-Borrego Desert, watch out for the cholla ('jumping') cactus, and for the agave plant (also known as century plant). The agave plant consists of a rosette of fleshy leaves, each tipped with a rigid thorn containing a mild toxin.

Make sure you pack a pair of tweezers to remove any spines.

Some extra advice from hiker Dave Capron as well: “I have been attacked several times by the famous ‘jumping cactus’ and found the most important item to carry is a long tooth comb - preferably, one that’s 7 to 8 inches long. The comb is used first to quickly remove the large clumps of spines and the ‘pear’. Then, use the tweezers to remove individual and broken off spines. Most combs are made of such cheap plastic that they break in your pack or while you are trying to use them. I’ve found it’s worth paying a little more to purchase a nylon (or flexible) comb with long teeth and some length overall, in order to give your ‘operating’ hand a little clearance."

Dehydration and the Sun

Never underestimate dehydration - it can kill you. Water is probably the most important item on your survival kit list. And add a hat and sunscreen to that as well. It pays to remember the little ditty the Kiwis use: Slip, Slop, Slap – Slip on a long-sleeved shirt, Slop on some sunblock, and Slap on a hat.

Don’t ration your water – drink it – too many people have been found dead in the desert with water still left in their water bottles. Even mild dehydration will slow down your metabolism as much as 3%, and a mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory. For a full day out, carry at least one gallon (4lt).

Don’t forget that not all sunscreens will protect you the same way, even if the SPF ratings are equal. Most over-the-counter products offer basic protection from only one type of ultraviolet radiation, known as UVB. For more complete protection, you should be using a sunblock that protects against both UVB and UVA, a second type of ultraviolet radiation.

For sun protection, baseball caps just don’t cut it. Sorry! You’ll need a wide-brimmed hat that will protect your ears, your nose, and the back of your neck. And if you lose your hat, be like an Arab and wrap that spare t-shirt right around your head and neck.

Mountain Lions

You may encounter mountain lions (cougars) on the Trail, particularly in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. What should you do? The following suggestions are based upon studies of mountain lion behavior.

• Stay calm when you come upon a lion. Talk firmly to it - any language will do. Move slowly, never run away or turn your back on it. Do all you can to appear larger – raise your arms and open your jacket if you’re wearing one. Don’t crouch or bend over. Do not approach a mountain lion, especially one that’s feeding or with kittens. Most lions will avoid a confrontation – give them a way to escape.

• Keep children close to you. Talk with your children about mountain lions and teach them what to do if they meet one. Hiking with a buddy is a good idea.

• Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. Blow your whistle, and use your hiking poles, any stick, rocks or even your bare hands.

• Please report any lion encounter to a park ranger at your first opportunity.

Poison Oak

This is a common plant and one you need to know. Learn to recognize it a glance. Poison oak has a triple leaf pattern with prominent veins and shiny surfaces - the center leaf has a stalk. Irritating oils in the leaves can cause a severe rash. Avoid touching it or touching equipment which may have touched it.

What happens is that you spread its oily resin - from your hands to your clothes to your tent, your change of clothes and then your sleeping bag. So bag your contaminated clothes, leave your boots outside your tent and wash yourself with soap and water as soon as you can. REI sells a number of very effective products to combat poison oak, which don’t need water.

For everything you ever wanted to know about poison oak, its effects and how to treat it, check out this Web site.

Snakes

All of Southern California is rattlesnake territory. Rattlesnakes will share the Trail with you, but they’ll also want to avoid you. Amazingly, a large number of snakebites occur because hikers want to see them that little bit better, or put their hands into where they think a snake is, or even try and pick them up! In short, DON’T!

In brushy or rocky areas, let it be known you’re also on the Trail – bang your poles about and tred heavily. Please don’t try to kill a snake. They’re an important link in the environment, helping to keep rodent populations under control.

It’s extremely rare that people die if bitten by a snake, if you get the right medical attention (rattlesnake antivenin) just as soon as possible. Dr. Findlay Russell, a world renowned expert on snake envenomation, once said that the best first aid for rattlesnake bites is your car keys. Instead of trying to perform ineffective first-aid procedures, driving the victim to either a health care facility or to a telephone where help can be summoned is the best first aid.

Ticks

Ticks are a fact of life in wild areas of the Trail. Not all ticks carry diseases - the western black-legged tick (lxodes pacificus, to the right) is the only tick of the 48 species occurring in California that is known to transmit Lyme disease. Unfortunately this tick has now spread to San Diego County. Lyme disease can be contracted any time of the year, but particularly during the first warm spells of the year. It often presents a rash around the bite and flu-like symptoms. If untreated it can lead to arthritis, meningitis, neurological and cardiac problems.

The best way to avoid ticks is to avoid trail edges, brush and grassy areas, and wear light-colored pants (so you can see the ticks) and long sleeves. Check your protected spots regularly, and if you feel the slightest itch, you’ll usually catch a tick before it bites.

If you did miss it, s-l-o-w-l-y pull the body of the embedded tick out using tissue or tweezers. Don’t twist it. Don’t use any of the folklore remedies (matches, cigarettes, pins, gasoline) that will irritate the tick. They increase the likelihood that the tick will ‘spit up’ in you, which increases the risk of disease. Be sure to tell your doctor a tick bit you if you develop symptoms. If you can, keep the tick to show your doctor.

Ticks can also transmit tularemia, or rabbit fever. Symptoms of the disease include fever, an ulcer at the bite area, inflamed eyes and swollen, painful lymph glands. Early symptoms almost always include the abrupt onset of fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough and progressive weakness. See your doctor immediately for the appropriate antibiotics.

Let us know

If you do experience an interesting encounter with any of the above, let us know. We’ll publish on the Web site any anecdotes that could help others have a safer trip, or maybe even give a smile or two! Photos are also appreciated.

For more information on what gear to take out on the Trail, click here.