[pct-l] Sierra runs

[goforth at cio.net (Joanne Lennox)]

Having had Giardia 5 times(found 3 times with lab tests) when I got it 7
days after drinking from Golden Oaks Springs (N. of Tehachapi.)  I knew
exactly what it was.  I had flipfloped down to I-10 so actually got it in
Big Bear.(still managed to do the Mojave in two different snow storms)  

When you are talking about the runs, you really need to think about the
water that you drank 7-14 days before you entered the Sierras.  It so
happens that because I carried and treated all the other water, I know that
the problems originated from Golden Oak Springs.  I was lured into
believing the water was good because it came out of a pipe and I had gone
into the enclosure where the pipe intake seemed to be and it looked all
under ground.  It is the only water available for miles, but I would never
trust it without treatment.

I was hiking alone; never shared food; hadn't camped or hiked with anybody
even though I had been hiking for 1-2 months; did not use food out of the
hiker box(I started in March).  End of story!

You can get Giardia from water sources!!!!  To put out that Giardia really
comes from hand contamination can create a false sense of security.

If you really get this stuff like I do then you will know that you have it.
 But its effects diminish with time and are variable for each person.  One
of the commonest side effects is lactose intolerance - tips of the villi of
the intestine which secrete the lactose enzyme are sloughed;  So when you
drink milk, eat yogurt or ice cream; about an hour afterwards you start to 
develop this very uncomfortable feeling (probably akin to pregnancy), and a
bout of explosive diarhea follows later.This is really bad at the altitude
of the sierras and especially as you get"blown up" every time you climb in
elevation.  Thus ,you could have the Giardia at Kennedy Meadows or North of
there(Northbound hike), and later going through the sierras have periodic
and very diabilitating bouts of Lactose intolerance, which apart from the
fever and general malaise, feel very much like Giardia.  It is also
probable that some people have little initial reaction to the Giardia
infection but lots of reactions once the lactose intolerance sets in.  You
get to find out how many prepared foods are buggered with those milk
solids(included milk chocolate, but not bittersweet).

Goforth