[pct-l] Seirra runs

[edmond at mydogmeg.net (Edmond Meinfelder)]

At 11:40 AM 11/7/2003 -0600, yogi yogi wrote:
>It seems like there is an obvious connection with the early Sierra and 
>people getting sick.  At least in 2002 and 2003.  There's got to be a 
>source for this.  Maybe a water source prior to KM?  And it doesn't sound 
>like giardia.  The people who I know who've had giardia are sick for a 
>long time.  At least for longer than the people we know of who were sick 
>in the early Sierra.

I agree with everything Yogi says. Everyone I knew who took ill was fine 
within a week, myself included. The CDC lists the symptoms for both crypto 
or giardia as lasting at least 2 weeks.

>What about the swallow bridge?  I've always got water upstream from the 
>bridge, and I've filtered the water.  Is there something in swallow 
>droppings that can make us sick for a short time?

You know, that's a very good point. "Don't get Sick" by Tilton & Bennett 
lists enteric viruses as a possible source of diarrhea with latency period 
of 3-5 days. The CDC covers enteric viruses on there web site at: 
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/faq.htm

The quote "Drinking water can also be contaminated by sewage and be a 
source of spread of these viruses," seems to fit as cows use this area as a 
latrine. (Yep, it says a source of spread of.) The same page also states 
the symptoms can last for 1 to 10 days.

I'm as brave/crazy as Strider. I did drink from this exact area of the Kern 
River without any treatment despite a local at Kennedy's Meadow warning me 
to the contrary. I did get sick about 3.5 days later and it lasted 4 days. 
It fits, but please don't take my word for it.

Tangent