I'm thinking Tecnu and Zanfel stocks will rise this spring and summer. I rode (upper) Upper Winter Creek to The Mt. Wilson Trail yesterday and the growth of Poison Oak in some sections is beyond ridiculous. If you have any desire to ride that trail and you're sensitive to Poison Oak, I'd suggest doing it REAL soon. It's everywhere right now but is somewhat avoidable, with caution and awareness. I doubt that will be the case in a few weeks and through the summer. Last time I've seen the poison growing so aggressively and so early on in spring was probably in 1998. Also, gnats seem to be out in full-force.
Best solution for not getting poison oak. Take a cold/cool shower and use either one of these to areas exposed to poison oak. The degreaser will wash away the oils that casue the rash. The pumic will clean it out of your pores as well. Compare these juggs at $10 vs. $25 for a small package of Zenefal. Been using the Fast Orange for several years now and am very susceptable to poison oak....but have not had any serious outbreaks.
I got PO watching the VQ/CC on Saturday. Parked my truck just before the finish and at one point watered a sycamore tree. When finishing I noticed some leaves of three below me. Took a Tecnu shower a few hours later, but there are a few spots on my leg today - hopefully it stays that way; I normally get it very bad.
If you find yourself coming into contact with PO, walk around some areas of PO and you're most likely to also find Mugwort. Grab a hand full, break it apart and rub it to the areas which came in contact. It's an old Indian remedy but it works. It's nature's antidote to PO. It's saved me many times.
+1 on Joplin hit it yesterday and the Oak is starting to get thick in spots. Watch the left-hand side exiting one of the creek crossings. Managed to pick up a tick all the way too, little bugger crawled under my knee pad, found him doing my Tecnu scrub down.
Zenafel and Technu are each a different beast. GoJo and Technu are similar. check out these jugs: http://cdn.buzznet.com/media-cdn/jj1/headlines/2007/09/jordan-jugs.jpg
Thankfully I don't seem susceptible, but I keep a couple of the small packs of Tecnu in my gear bag (sometimes in my camelbak) anyway, whether it's for me or a friend. Interesting alternatives here though.
