[pct-l] Rats in water tanks

[Jim Bravo]

That brings up another good point. Hikers sharing food should always check 
free burritos for a pair of beady eyes, or a tail, often found in the last 
bite.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "dsaufley" <dsaufley at sprynet.com>
To: "'AsABat'" <asabat at 4jeffrey.net>; <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 2:26 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rats in water tanks


> Burritos.  They make burritos with them.
>
> On a serious note, and not meaning to be a fear monger, rodents can carry
> the Hanta Virus as well as the Bubonic Plague. These diseases make giardia
> seem like a cake walk.
>
> I just cringe whenever someone (like my husband) elects to not treat their
> water.
>
> L-Rod
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of AsABat
> Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 6:31 AM
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] Rats in water tanks
>
> Last year I received several reports of dead rats and mice in several 
> water
> tanks, new for me in the 6 years I've been keeping the water reports.
> Whether this is a new occurrance, an increased squeamishness by hikers 
> about
> dead critters, or someone trying to make a point about water hole
> maintenance, I don't know. As noted, in the desert you take what water you
> can get. Personally I carry a filter in these areas because I am skittish
> about gross looking water.
>
> On San Jacinto in front of the Round Valley Ranger Station (not a location
> PCT hikers pass, but close) there is a water faucet with a sign to treat 
> the
> water. For decades I have heard two things: 1. When the spring source box
> has opened dead critters have been found. 2. The rangers and most regulars
> on the trail drink the water without treating it.
>
> With water scarce in So Cal, critters are drawn to water, and most of the
> smaller sources are hard or impossible for them to get out of, so I 
> wouldn't
> be surprised to see dead critters in a spring or tank.
>
> I just post the water reports the way I get them, usually verbatim. If I 
> get
> conflicting reports I post both versions and let the reader decide until 
> the
> discrepancy is resolved. I'm not sure how I'll post dead critter reports
> this year as last year the stories seemed to self-propagate, and I usually
> never learned the final fate of the critter (still floating, no longer
> there, or tasted good roasted over the fire).
>
> AsABat
> http://pct.4jeffrey.net
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/