THE HIKER Volume 23, Issue 3
Summer 2009
SAN DIEGO HIKING CLUB
Rattlesnakes Submitted by Cindy Taiclet Its rattlesnake season and because club members have heard or seen them on hikes in recent months, I thought it was the perfect time for a refresher about rattlesnakes. The following information was taken from the Desert USA site at http://www.desertusa.com/may96/ du_rattle.html. Rattlesnake Description & Identification • • •
Broad, "triangular" head Eyes have verticle "cat-like" pupils Forked tongue that they flick up and down
Covered in scales that are a variety of colors/patterns. Colors can range from shades of brown, gray and black, tones of yellow, cream, rust, olive, and light pink. A rattlesnake’s skin may contain a pattern that is banded, diamond shaped, or blotched. Some species of rattlesnake have no identifying pattern at all. • • • • •
Body is heavy or thick (or fat) in appearance Large tubular fangs in mouth that fold out when the mouth opens The mouth is like a hinge, opening 180 degrees Blunt tail with jointed rattle (Note: baby rattlesnakes don't have rattles and some adult snakes may break or lose their rattles) Typically rattlesnakes range from 3' to 4' in length. In ideal habitats where there is a constant, abundant supply of small rodents, the rattlesnake sometimes attains a length of 5 feet, but the average adult size is between 3 and 4 feet.
Rattlesnakes pick up vibrations through their body muscles which send sound through to their jaw bones and on to their inside ear parts. A snake’s vision can detect objects or movement from about 40 feet away, but their vision is sharper when objects are closer. A rattlesnake's pupils are elliptical, not round which enables the snake to see well in dim light. This is helpful for night hunting. First Aid If a victim is unable to reach medical care within 30 minutes, a bandage, wrapped two to four inches above the bite, may help slow venom. The bandage should not cut off blood flow from a vein or artery. A good rule of thumb is to make the band loose enough that a finger can slip under it.
Volume 23, Issue 3
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Club Information THE HIKER is published quarterly by the San Diego Hiking Club. The Wilderness Association sponsors the San Diego Hiking Club that conducts day hikes, car camps, backpacking trips and adventure trips. The Club was founded in 1980 by the late Skip Ruland. He is with us “in spirit” on every trail. We remember and thank Skip for our existence. Come hike with us to such places as: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Cleveland National Forest, Mt. Laguna Recreation Area, Palomar Mountain, wilderness areas of San Diego County,
San Jacinto, San Gorgonio, Grand Canyon, Catalina Island, and the High Sierras.
month in the Banquet Room of Coco’s Restaurant, 5955 Balboa Ave. (at Mt. Alifan Dr.). Dinner is at 6pm and the meeting begins at 7pm. Lois Gottfredson is the Meeting Coordinator.
Day hikes average 10 miles and range from easy to strenuous. Backpacking treks are typically 2-7 miles to trail-camp, which serves as a base for day hikes in the area. Boots are required. Each person furnishes their own food and equipment. Carpooling is encouraged with passengers paying drivers 5 cents per mile. A registration form and waiver are required. Sign-ups for hikes are done at meetings.
The North County Chapter meets on the second Wednesday of each month in the Banquet Room of Coco’s Restaurant, 407 Encinitas Blvd. (at Calle Magdalena) in Encinitas. Dinner is at 6pm and the meeting begins at 7pm. Betsy Keithley is the Meeting Coordinator. The Outings Meetings are held quarterly on the fourth Monday of January, April, July, and October.
The San Diego Chapter meets on the second Monday of each
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Sign and mail this application, with your membership check to: San Diego Hiking Club, PO Box 161068, San Diego, CA Check Interests:
Day Hikes Car Camps
The Club prints a roster of member’s names and phone numbers to facilitate carpooling. Include your name and number?
Adventure Trips
Annual memberships renew on July 1st and are collected on a prorated basis for new members only. Existing members must pay for entire year.
If you join in
PAY THIS AMOUNT Individual
Couple
July
$36
$48
yes
August
$33
$44
no
September
$30
$40
Backpacking Trips
Newsletter only for one year: $5
Name
Phone
Address
Cell phone (optional) E-mail address (optional)
I hereby apply for membership in the San Diego Hiking Club. GENERAL RELEASE AND WAIVER: I release SDHC, its trustees, officers, leaders, members, and representatives from any and all claims or liability that may arise from participation in any of its activities and indemnify and hold harmless from any claim by me, or liability to, any guest of mine at club activities. I further waive my rights under California Civil Code Section 1542 which reads, “A general release does not extend claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him must have materially affected his settlement with the debtor.”
Signature
The Wilderness Association of San Diego, Inc., PO Box 161068, San Diego, CA 92176. A not-for-profit corporation. Additional information is available at either www.SanDiegoHikingClub.org or www.sdwilderness.org.
SDHC BOARD OF TRUSTEES Michael Holas Chair Karen Harris Secretary Jane Hardy Treasurer Dave Gottfredson
Lois Gottfredson Bill Pickett Jeanette Craig
THE HIKER
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News
The Hiking Club offers a free photo gallery. Photos don’t have to be Clubrelated. Take a look: www.sdhikingclub.co m/gallery2 If there is a change in your address, phone, or email, please let Lois Gottfredson know during one of the meetings or email her at davenlois@sbcglobal. net.
•
Come Celebrate the Talents of our Fellow Hikers Barbara Swanson and Diane Johnson will have photos exhibited at the Best of Nature Photography Show at the San Diego Natural History Museum from June 27 - September 13. There will be a reception for the show on Saturday, July 11 from 11am - 2pm on the 4th floor. All are welcome.
The club now has a twitter account: http://twitter.com/ SDHikers
A suction device may be placed over the bite to help draw venom out of the wound without making cuts. Suction instruments often are included in commercial snakebite kits.
How NOT to Treat a Snakebite Snakebite first aid methods are not always agreed upon by U.S. medical professionals, but they are nearly unanimous in their views of what NOT to do. • • • •
NO ice or any other type of cooling on the bite. Research has shown this to be potentially harmful. NO tourniquets. This cuts blood flow completely and may result in loss of the affected limb. NO electric shock. This method is under study and has yet to be proven effective. It could harm the victim. NO incisions in the wound. Such measures have not been proven useful and may cause further injury.
Treatment of venomous snakebites is often controversial, even within the medical profession. In all cases contact medical help immediately if treatment is needed. If you need help with a venomous bite or if you have a poisoning emergency, call your Poison Center immediately. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911. Poison Centers across the country now have a new national emergency phone number - 1-800-222-1222
THE HIKER
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OUTINGS SCHEDULE—SUMMER 2009 DATE(S)
PLACE
TYPE
LEADER(S)
SD
NC
July 3-6
San Gorgonio
BP
Gloria Sturgeon
June 8
June 10
July 11
Urban hike starting at the San Diego Zoo
DH
Janet Martin
June 8
June 10
6 mile loop around town July 18
Founders Day BBQ
Party
Robin and Mark Toms
June 8
June 10
July 19-25
Sierra Backpack 6 day 48 mile loop hike
BP
Tony Devine
June 8
June 10
Toiyabe NF and Yosemite NP. Lots of elevation gain and loss each day July 26
Torrey Pines Beach Walk
Sunday Aug 1,2
DH
Michael Holas
July 13 July 8
DH, CC Annie Hoppe, Germar
July 13 July 8
Enjoy a 6 mile hike on the beach—flat Palomar Mt.
hike with kids
Try a new experience—bring your kids Aug 8
Mt. Woodson via Rendon Valley 8 miles 1300' gain/loss
Robin Toms DH
Guy Harris
July 13 July 8
Hike up Mt. Woodson to watch the sun set. Hike starts in Rendon Valley on the N. Side of the mountain. Aug 15
Cedar Creek Falls 4.5 miles +/- 1200 ft
DH
Allison Turner
Aug 10 Aug 12
Kathleen Murch . Swimming suits are recommended for a dip in the pool below the falls. Aug 22-23
PCT sections D6-9, San Gabriel Mountains
DH, CC Annie Hoppe,
10.8 miles +/- 2608 ft Sat; 8.8 miles +/- 1818 ft Sun
Aug 10 Aug 12
Carol Radford
Aug 29
Dyar Spring, The Wolf Center
DH
Sept 5-7
Sierra Mountains - Onion Valley, Kearsarge Pass BP
Sept 12-13
PCT San Gabriel Mtns. Sections D10-11
Jeanette Craig
Aug 10 Aug 12
Tony Devine
Aug 10 Aug 12
DH, CC Annie Hoppe,
11.5 mile +/-1300-1700ft Sat; 11.8 miles +/-1000ft Sun.
Sept 14 Sept 9
Carol Radford
Sept 19-20
Keilor Peak
DH, CC Gloria Sturgeon
Sept 14 Sept 9
Sept 26
Bernardo Mountain DH Jan and Steve Hernandez Sept 14 Sept 9 8 miles +/;-, 750 ft. Urban early a.m. hike. optional lunch after hike.
Please call Leader to cancel whenever you are signed up for hike and cannot make it. If you are on the waiting list, it is your responsibility to call Leader to confirm. The Leader will not call you. With the increase in the cost of gas, please contribute to carpooling expense to the drivers. BP—Backpack CC—Car Camp DH—Day Hike TBD—To Be Determined SD—San Diego Chapter NC—North County Chapter