I haven't been a part of this club for several months now but alas I'm back. Who else is currently a member of this exclusive club? For me this will mean doc's appt and hopefully my best friend, prednisone.
Come ride the San Gabes, once they re-open. Excluding the Chantry area, there's no more PO to be found. Plus side of the fires; Poison Oak and Yucca plants are no longer. For a while, at least. For now, good luck!
I'm in that club! So much so that I can get refills just bey calling the Doc I'm also a user of Clobetasol propionate and a significant contributor to the bottom line of the Technu folks!
Not again.... If I had a penny for every time I told someone, "do you know you are leaning against/ standing in poison oak...." #-o Poison Oak A better pic Note: Fallen leaves (i.e. brown and dead) can be just as troublesome as green leaves. The oil is rumored to remain active for up to 5 years! One good way to get poison oak... Touch fallen leaves with your gloves... Rub gloves on face or arms
Poison Oak? ...hate that plant. I've probably had it a half dozen times this year alone (so far) and accept it as part of MTBing. Fortunately, i don't afflicted too badly. It usually stays in one area and goes away n 1-2 weeks. I've heard of people who are ultra-sensitive to PO. Hopefully the Prednisone will do the trick for you quickly.
You can also get it from the dead branches during the off season, but it is not nearly as potent. I always wondered if you could get it from your tires? i.e. changing them after a ride. I suppose it is common sense, right?! Oil transfers to whatever then tranfers to you! Those are good pic's Dino.
I don't know if I necessarily agree with you. Case and point: I've been in and out of contact with Poison for 25 years plus and my worse ever outbreak was when I fell into a bed of dead poison oak on Ken Burton (RIP) about a year and half ago. Hans, Steve and some others were on KB during trail maintenance and removed a bunch of PO from near the bottom while creating a new re-route. It was there for a couple of months and was as toxic as ever. End result (beginning stages) was this. I needed some juice and got some... [/url Best practice is to (obviously) avoid it all together but if you do come in contact with it, wash everything you were wearing in HOT water and scrub what you can't wash with Simple Green. Goes without saying that you'll need to scrub yourself down thoroughly. I always use Tecnu but everyone has a different remedy. Tecnu is infective if applied after 8 hours from contact. Zanfel works sometimes but not always. Once it becomes systemic, you're screwed!
Wondering what this rash was. Had it for at least a couple of weeks on the outside of the shin. Must have been the bobcat trail below San Juan. 8-[ Thanks Dusty for the Tecnu tip. Cleared up after using this in about five days. CVS had the scrub for $ 6.59. Is this a good deal? And is the more expensive brands work faster?:?:
Worst Poison Oak I ever had was when I couldn't come un-clipped in time and tipped over into a bed of poison oak. Terrible experience.
It's also a good revenge tool. Trim it up and sprinkle into someone's bed sheets...oh my. I have never done it, so don't flame me...but i HAVE thought about it, so don't F with me either!
Got it at HJ in December last year. From the looks of the initial spots it was leafless vines (probably dead or dormant). Pretty virulent IMHO. Now, the pants I wore had been washed in the washer with soap and hot water three times and then packed away. In May I want to Africa for a safari and took the same pants. Guess what? Yep. PO all over the inside of my thigh. a good 12" x 8" patch and I had nothing to treat it. Of course, not a good thing to have a weepy,oozy wound hiking around but they had never seen such a thing there and doctors are pretty rare in the back country.
I carry alcohol wipes with me and use them ASAP after any potential encounters on the trail. If I suspect I have made contact w/ PO, I take a cold shower and scrub down w/ detergent as soon as I get home. The idea is to remove to PO oils w/o opening your pores w/ the hot water. So far this has worked for me. And remember you can also get PO from your clothing (or pets).
Bad idea! You have just removed ANY protection your skin may be providing via its own oils. Ivy Block before the ride is the best preventative measure. Looks funky though because it is a clay that sits on top of your skin... gets all white on me.
I was neck deep in Poison Oak a few weeks back on Yeager, got back to the car, washed down with Simple Green and Tecnu, went home sprayed everything with Simple Green and then hosed it off. Next I took a shower, washed myself down with soap and Simple Green again. All of this must have worked because I never got one bit of Poison Oak, which was suprising, because I usually get just by looking at it. This will be the formula I use everytime now.
About a year and a half ago at the Toad Ride in O'Neil, I hurried to get in front of Elvia, BrewMaster and his wife to take some pictures. When I found the ideal spot, I threw my bike in the bushes and started snapping. Then Brew stopped and said is that your bike in the poison oak? indeed it was! woops... he washed my bike off with his camelback water and I thankfully never got it po. Hopefully I never will!
I guess up to this point I have been lucky. I have come in contact with it more than once. I even slept in it one night on patrol ( marine corps, not allowed to use light) and it never has had an effect. I guess its rare, but some are immune to it???? Trust me though, I still avoid it. Why play with fire, you eventually will get burned.
I've read that PO allergy is cumulative. You may be exposed several times before you have a reaction. I rode for several years before I had one. I know I was exposed before my first out break. (edit) PS: I always seem to have a few small spots on my forearms these days. I have no idea where they come from, maybe just a general systemic reaction.
