Poison Oak

Poison oak is prevalent throughout the Canyon, especially in the creek beds. Please don’t let children run in and around the creek unobserved. Make sure that they recognize this most unforgiving weed and understand the consequences of touching it. If you are unsure of what poison oak looks like, have one of our staff point it out to you. The leaves are about a third of an inch to two inches. The leaves of the poison oak are compound. They are usually made up of three leaflets. This is why you should follow the saying, “three leaves let them be”, when hiking in the forest. The flowers of the poison oak are white-green and grow like berries on very thin stems. The berries are white and glossy. In the summer, they take on a raisin-like appearance.

In the fall, poison oak is a yellowish red. In the winter, the sticks are bare. The way you can tell if an ordinary stick is poison oak is if it has three branches (kind of like the leaves). In the spring, they take on a beautiful appearance by producing white apple blossom looking flowers. During the summer, poison oak loses its flowers, and its leaves turn maroon to a fire engine red. In the winter, poison oak loses all its leaves and can be dangerously deceiving because it looks like a regular bare stick. The scary fact is that it is still communicable. In the fall, poison oak becomes a yellowish brown. Poison oak can also climb. It is common to find poison oak climbing along the walls of abandoned or deserted buildings.

For images and information on western poison oak, please click here to Learn More.

Mountain Lions

Occasionally, one might have the rare opportunity to observe a Mountain Lion. Some guidance to avoid a direct encounter and the best things to do are provided for your awareness.

• DO NOT HIKE ALONE: Go in groups, with adults supervising children.
• KEEP CHILDREN CLOSE TO YOU: Observations of captured wild mountain lions reveal that the animals seem especially drawn to children. Keep children within your sight at all times.
• DO NOT APPROACH A LION: Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
• DO NOT RUN FROM A LION: Running may stimulate a mountain lion’s instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up if possible so they don’t panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over or turning away from the mountain lion.
• DO NOT CROUCH DOWN OR BEND OVER: In Nepal, a researcher studying tigers and leopards watched the big cats kill cattle and domestic water buffalo while ignoring humans standing nearby. He surmised that a human standing up, is just not the right shape for a cat’s prey. On the other hand, a person squatting or bending over looks a lot like a four-legged prey animal. If you’re in mountain lion country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over, even when picking up children.
• DO ALL YOU CAN TO APPEAR LARGER: Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Again, pick up small children. Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. The idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.
• FIGHT BACK IF ATTACKED: A hiker in Southern California used a rock to fend off a mountain lion that was attacking his son. Others have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools and their bare hands. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.

Ticks, Lyme Disease & Prevention

The chances that you might acquire Lyme disease from a single tick bite depend on the type of tick, where you acquire it, and how long it was attached to you. Many types of ticks bite people in the U.S., but only blacklegged ticks transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Only blacklegged ticks in the highly endemic areas of northeastern and north central U.S. are commonly infected.

Blacklegged ticks need to be attached for at least 24 hours before they can transmit Lyme disease. This is why it’s so important to remove them promptly and to check your body daily for ticks.

If you develop illness within a few weeks of a tick bite, see your health care provider right away. Common symptoms of Lyme disease include a rash, fever, body aches, facial paralysis, and arthritis. Ticks can also transmit other diseases, so it’s important to be alert for any illness that follows a tick bite.

Just as it is important to correctly diagnose Lyme disease when a patient has it, it is important to avoid misdiagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease when the true cause of illness is something else. Patients treated with appropriate antibiotics, in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely.

Black Bears

Black bears can travel nearby and on rare occasions through the canyon. They visit the creek as a water source. Some guidance to avoid a direct encounter and the best things to do are provided for your awareness. (Source – US National Park Service)

It is critical to remember that bears are wild and can be dangerous. Their behavior is sometimes unpredictable. Each bear and each experience is unique; there is no single strategy that will work in all situations and that guarantees safety. Most bear encounters end without injury. Following some basic guidelines may help to lessen the threat of danger. Your safety can depend on your ability to calm the bear.

Keeping your distance and not surprising bears are some of the most important things you can do. Most bears will avoid humans if they hear them coming. Pay attention to your surroundings.
Once a bear has noticed you and is paying attention to you, additional strategies can help prevent the situation from escalating.

• IDENTIFY YOURSELF by talking calmly so the bear knows you are a human and not a prey animal. Remain still; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you as a human. It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening.
• STAY CALM and remember that most bears do not want to attack you; they usually just want to be left alone. Bears may bluff their way out of an encounter by charging and then turning away at the last second. Bears may also react defensively by woofing, yawning, salivating, growling, snapping their jaws, and laying their ears back. Continue to talk to the bear in low tones; this will help you stay calmer, and it won’t be threatening to the bear. A scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack. Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal.
• PICK UP SMALL CHILDREN immediately.
• HIKE AND TRAVEL IN GROUPS. Groups of people are usually noisier and smellier than a single person. Therefore, bears often become aware of groups of people at greater distances, and because of their cumulative size, groups are also intimidating to bears.
• MAKE YOURSELVES LOOK AS LARGE AS POSSIBLE (for example, move to higher ground).
• DO NOT ALLOW THE BEAR ACCESS TO YOUR FOOD. Getting your food will only encourage the bear and make the problem worse for others.
• DO NOT DROP YOUR PACK as it can provide protection for your back and prevent a bear from accessing your food.
• If the bear is stationary, move away slowly and sideways; this allows you to keep an eye on the bear and avoid tripping. Moving sideways is also non-threatening to bears. Do NOT run, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse both uphill and down. Like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals. Do NOT climb a tree. Both grizzlies and black bears can climb trees.
• Leave the area or take a detour. If this is impossible, wait until the bear moves away. Always leave the bear an escape route.
• Be especially cautious if you see a female with cubs; never place yourself between a mother and her cub, and never attempt to approach them. The chances of an attack escalate greatly if she perceives you as a danger to her cubs.

Bear attacks are rare; most bears are only interested in protecting food, cubs, or their space. If you are attacked by a black bear, DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to fight back using any object available. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear’s face and muzzle. Above all, keep your distance from bears!

Rattlesnakes

Rattlesnakes do inhabit the hills surrounding the Canyon. Stick to well-developed trails. If you run across any snakes, keep your distance and leave them alone. If you are bitten by a rattlesnake and you are less than one hour from the nearest emergency room, initial treatment is relatively simple:

• Remain Calm.
• Gently wash the area with soap and water.
• Apply a cold, wet cloth over the bite.
• Transport to the nearest emergency facility for further treatment.

What should NOT be done after a rattlesnake bite? Several DON’Ts are very important to remember:

• DON’T apply a tourniquet.
• DON’T pack the bite area in ice.
• DON’T cut the wound with a knife or razor.
• DON’T use your mouth to suck out the venom.
• DON’T let the victim drink alcohol.
• DON’T apply electric shock.