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

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, Don,

It’s difficult to predict where a hiker will encounter yellow-jacket nests
because they are not necessarily persistent from year to year.  At various
times I’ve passed places where there likely were nests but I haven’t seen
them – only an increase in the number of bees.

It probably helps that I almost always hike alone – almost always – because
the first hiker can tick-off the bees who then sting those following.  The
one time I didn’t hike a substantial distance alone I got stung several
times.

I hiked between Etna and the Cal/Or border with SoJo.  She was just head of
me crossing one of the wooden foot-bridges along Grider Creek on the
approach to Seiad, and in the middle of the bridge she yelled and started
to run.  By that time I was on the bridge and I got nailed myself.  I was
just aggravated, but SoJo began to have an acute systemic reaction so she
took an antihistamine tablet, something that’s is good for hikers to carry.
 Her symptoms persisted so I gave her the tablets that I carried.

My totally-unscientific opinion is that yellow-jackets, and any of their
bee cousins, can smell fear and since I don’t particularly fear them I pass
with a minimum of problems.

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/


On Sun, Sep 9, 2012 at 4:50 PM, Don Jack <donaldjack at verizon.net> wrote:

> 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" ).
>