Hot, Bear, and Raccon2 Sat&Sun July 30&31, 2011



SATURDAY AND SUNDAY JULY 30 and 31, 2011

Still very hot and no significant rain for quite a long time!  

WATER

The spring at Old Rag Shelter was only trickling at about a quart per minute.

It would be good to take  100 to 128 ounces of water per person when the weather is hot!!

That means at least three litres or quarts per person!

The following juvenile bear cub was hanging out near the junction of Old Rag, Berryhollow and Weakley Hollow fire roads.

BEAR BAGS NEEDED



WARNING

RACCOON ENCOUNTER TWO

I have a strong suspicion that the raccoon in the next pictures is the same one I saw on the first false summit the week before.   This time I encountered it on Old Rag's summit.     I had taken my pack off and left it on top of a boulder on the summit and then walked away from it briefly in order to visit with a group of three hikers.   When I came back the little rascal was ripping into my pack.   Before I could chase it away it was able to grab an energy bar and run under a nearby boulder to eat.     

BAD FOR THE RACCOON

While this incident was inadvertent it may have contributed to this animals eventual death.    If a wild animal becomes a nuisance animal there is a good chance it will be put down.    I will be keeping my pack close to me from now on!   I  will also make a point of hazing this animal if I see it being too familiar. 

THE ENCOUNTER

At the time of this incident there were only 4 people on the summit and we were all initially about 150 feet from my pack.    Returning to the area were I had left my pack I realized a raccoon was frantically ripping into it.   I got within about three feet and actually on top of the boulder before the bandit would run away.   She was able to score an energy bar before she ran under a boulder about ten feet away.     After she finished her stolen snack she had the gall to come back to the boulder.   I was standing directly over my pack on top of the boulder and the little gal came right up to the edge of the boulder and stood on her hind legs with her front feet grabbing holds on the side of the boulder just inches away from my toes.   She was looking straight at me with a cute, quizzical, deploring, gotta luv and feed me expression.      Despite how adorable she looked I yelled at her and stomped my foot at which point she decided to retreat not just from the boulder but totally off the summit.     She did not seem crazed or mean but I suggest you keep a very tight watch on your equipment.

STERILE FIELD WARNING 

Besides keeping a tight watch on your equipment do not do what I did just after chasing the raccoon away from my pack.   I reached down to examine the hole the raccoon had just made in my pack and realized the fingers on my right hand were slimy with the raccoon's saliva.    Bad move.   While I did not have any visible cuts on my hand and the raccoon did not seem outwardly sick (just very bold) I will be discussing with my GP whether the smart thing to do is go through a series of rabies shots.  The good news is I did not have any cuts or sores.    The saliva was hardly visibly but being able to feel its wetness on my fingertips and knowing it was fresh from the raccoon's mouth caused me to go on alert and disinfect my fingers.   The good news is rabies virus is very short lived outside of its host (not sure if this means seconds, minutes, or tens of minutes).     While doing a little on-line research I found out that dead bodies can continue to harbor live virus for awhile.    Surprisingly  the cold weather can actually keep rabies virus viable in a dead host's body longer than it will remain viable in warm weather.    The bottom line is that you should be very careful how you handle wild animals or any vectors/fomites that come in contact with them.   

Not the best picture but you can see how close the raccoon (who is at the bottom left of my pack) was getting to humans in quest for food.



Double click picture for better view.

The raccoon is ravenously eating her energy bar in this picture.    While she was clearly very hungry and willing to get very close to humans she never seemed crazed or angry.   

I had a friend who raised and released a rescued/orphaned baby raccoon when I was in high school.  For those who think this might be fun be aware you need to be trained and licensed to do this both legally and in order to make sure you are doing what is best for the animal.

(See the following link about 11 year old fined $500 dolllars for saving woodpecker.)
http://wusa9.com/news/article/161065/158/Woodpecker-Saving-Daughter-Costs-Mom-500
While wild animal rescue can be rewarding it requires a very significant round the clock seven day a week level of commitment.   

One of the funny games my friend would play with his juvenile raccoon was to give it a sugar cube and a bowl of water.   The youngster would instinctively wash the sugar cube which would promptly dissolve/disappear after which the coon would spend many funny antic filled minutes looking for it.   My friend would have liked to have kept his young raccoon but had to naturalize and release it before it became sexually mature.   Like humans, once raccoons become adults they can be very MOODY!

GOTTA LUV ME

OLD RAG NIGHT LIFE
I love Old Rag sunsets, dusk and twilight.     Make sure you have lights and backup lights if your going to enjoy these times of day on Old Rag.

NIGHT TIME CAUTIONS
During warm weather I almost never see Copperheads during the day but see one on the trail in the evening about every third trip.     Very pretty, fun to see, and not a worry unless you are trying to walk out without a light.   Of course it is always good advice to never place any part of your body (usually feet or hands) where you can not see.    I heard of one person who while hiking up Old Rag grabbed around a small tree trunk only to jump back because he had inadvertently grabbed a black snake climbing up on the back side of the tree trunk.  Towards the end of the summer I have sometimes seen some humongous Wolf Spiders on tree trunks.   I had a friend who reached up on a high shelf in his backyard storage shed and was bitten by a Wolf Spider.  Not life threatening but his arm swelled up and he felt really sick for awhile.    While under headlamp on really buggy nights it is good to keep your mouth shut or wear some kind of shield to prevent bugs from getting sucked down into you lungs.     I once ran into what are called European Hornets.   They look like super giant yellow jackets, are nocturnal and will attack lights.    It took me a few seconds to realize they were after my headlamp and that I needed to turn it off until I had walked past the area near their nest.  

NIGHT TIME FUN
Fireflies, spider and animal eyes reflecting back at your headlamp light, bats flying almost right up to your face while chasing bugs attracted to your headlamp.  The wonders of shooting stars, moonlight, twinkling star fields, constellations, planets.   The beauty  of distant city lights, cars, and planes.    Becoming much more aware of your senses of sound and smell.

 

I added the next short video clip more for the sound of the tree frogs.   The audio in the clip does not do them justice.    Between the tree frogs, cicadas and a nearby screech owl it was a marvelous symphony.

Summertime Drifting

Summertime Drifting

Saturday July 9, 2011

Yet another date with my good friends Old Rag and its denizens.    

Just a long slow hazy summertime drift.  

Had a very friendly Towhee fly inches past my left knee and land four feet ahead of me on a rock.   It did not say anything but it did stay there looking at me for about 20 seconds.   Reminded me of a Chickadee that followed me around one cold  sub-zero winter day in my early teens in the State Forest near my parents except that my Chickadee friend would sometimes land as close as a foot from my head and sang to me a lot.    I am sure it had something to do with the GORP I was sharing before I knew better.

My paternal grandfather had backyard birds that would feed out of his hands and on more than one cold winter he was willing to share his home, hearth, and some food with a field mouse of two.    

A lazy drifting day on Old Rag is hard to beat.

Credit to The Carpenters and Muppets for the Rainbow Connection sound byte.

WATER

Hey folks it is hot and steamy out.    Bring lots of water and it would not hurt to load up with electrolytes calcium, potassium, etc. before you start.    I am beginning to run into lots of folks with cramping and no water.    I can only carry so much extra water and maybe  a banana or two.   I do carry water treatment tablets but if you have already thrown away your one 16 once sports drink bottle (you should be carrying closer to 100 ounces not 16 ounces per person) then you will have nothing to fill and add my treatment tablet to when you get to an open water source.    You have also been the most RUDE of hikers by trashing what should be a pristine natural area.  

Start of Sarcasm:

By the way, blaming the Rangers(whom I think the world of) for not telling you how hard the hike would be or how much water you would need will probably only make me laugh, think you were not listening to the Ranger, or not  telling the truth.     I will probably ask if the Ranger forgot to put out matching socks or double tie your footware for you this morning?

End of Sarcasm: 

Putting sarcasm to the side for a moment, no person or organization is perfect and I always  carry complaints or suggestions back to the Rangers when I check in with them before my next hike day on the mountain. 

PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE

THERE ARE TONS OF GOOD INFO RESOURCES FOR THIS HIKE 

YOUR BRAIN AND ETHICS

PLEASE USE BOTH

Sat. April 25, 2009 Summer In April

A SUMMER LIKE HOT WEEKEND

Leigh and Lorita on duty at Old Rag Fee Station. Double click on this picture and notice the temperature in the shade on the fee station thermometer.

They are examples of the terrific National Park Service staff I have had the pleasure to know and work with. I look forward to touching bases with them at the start of my patrols. They provide me with valuable insights about recent events on Old Rag. An Old Rag morning report so to speak.

It is fun and fascinating to watch and listen to the various park rangers doing their job. Each brings a different personality and background to the job. Dealing with park visitors is as much an art as it is a science and every time I watch and listen to a National Park Service employee helping visitors I learn something new.


Yellow Swallowtail on a Lilac Bush along the road between the lower and upper lots. I used to think of this stretch of walking as an obstacle to be endured on the way to my hike but with time I have learned that it offers charms of its own.


View of Old Rag Summit from first Old Rag False Summit

Saturday, April 25, 2009 Summer in April

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The temperatures reached into the 90's. I had given blood early in the morning and between that and the hot temperatures I had to stay in super extreme low gear during this circuit.

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The parking lot filled for the second Saturday in a row.

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Many hikers were dealing with the discomfort of the heat but I did not witness any severe problems. Most groups were not carrying enough water given that temperatures on Old Rag were in the low 90's.

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ADVICE WATER

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During hot humid months each hiker should plan on needing to carry two to four quarts of water on an Old Rag day hike. Watch your "ins and outs". Drink enough so that urine frequency, clarity, and volume are normal. You are not drinking enough water if your urine is dark, small in quantity, or non-existent in the course of a day's hiking. In addition, eating adequate amounts of food will help you replace the electrolytes (salts) that you are sweating.

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During the summer months, your fluid/electrolyte loss can exceed two quarts per hour if you hike uphill in direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day. Do not wait until you start feeling thirsty to start replacing lost fluid. By the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated! Your body can absorb only about one quart of fluid per hour. Drink one-half to one full quart of water or sports drink each and every hour you are hiking in the heat. Carry your water where it is easy to get to and drink small amounts often.

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Any open water in the park should be filtered or sterilized.

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Starting next week I will be patrolling with the Old Rag Mountain Stewards (ORMS). It will be lots of fun to be working with all my ORMS buddies again. That said, I cherish my times spent as a PATC(Potomac Appalachian Trail Club) Trail Patroller on Old Rag. Passing through this time boundary between when I am on the mountain as a PATC Trail Patrol member and when I am on the mountain as a member of ORMS has caused me to reflect on that change. As a PATC Trail Patroller I answer only to myself and set my own agenda while with ORMS I adopt the agenda of the team. With PATC I experience all the joys and downsides of being a solitary patroller while with ORMS I experience all the joys and downsides of being on a great team. Like chocolate ice cream and hot chocolate both are terrific just very different.

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Reflecting about all of the different weekend circuits I am conscious of the fact that each and every one was unique and special in its own way. The commonalities of the repeated circuits offer a backdrop aganist which the uniqueness of the mountain's constant changes are highlighted.