Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
outdoors—places where you might encounter underbrush, dense trees, and grassy mead-
ows. If you find a tick with its head stuck in your skin, pull gently with tweezers or your
fingers until the tick works its way out. Don't forget to check your pets too.
A common backcountry ill is
giardia,
sometimes called “beaver fever,” a microscopic
parasite that lives in mountain streams and can wreak havoc in your intestinal tract. Avoid
drinking unfiltered or untreated water directly from streams, rivers, springs, or lakes. Carry
a water filter or water-purifying tablets (iodine or similar products), and you'll have nothing
to worry about.
If you're camping or staying in a cabin,
hantavirus
can be a concern. Hantavirus is a
potentially fatal disease caused by contact with rodent droppings, particularly those of deer
mice. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, coughing, and difficulty breathing. Campers
should avoid sleeping on bare ground, and avoid cabins if you see signs of rodents. For
more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (
www.cdc.gov
).
Winter poses different types of health concerns, namely
hypothermia
and
frostbite.
If
you or someone in your party shows any signs of hypothermia—uncontrollable shivering,
slurred speech, loss of coordination—get them out of the wind and inside immediately. If
you're camping, a dry sleeping bag is your best bet. It's a good idea to dress in layers, avoid
cotton clothing, always bring a hat, and—most important—make good decisions
before
you
put yourself in a situation where you could be stranded in the wind and cold. If you're out-
side in the winter, a sign of frostbite is the whitening and hardening of the skin. The best
way to warm the affected area is with other skin, but avoid warming it too quickly because
thawing can be quite painful.
The old saying is a tad cliché but nonetheless often true: If you don't like the weather in
Montana or Wyoming, just wait five minutes. What this means to the traveler is that weather
in this part of the West can change dramatically in an unbelievably short amount of time. In
the summer, extreme heat can dehydrate the human body rapidly, and in the winter, extreme
cold can render your body useless in a matter of minutes. Sudden changes in the weather
can happen at any time of the year in mountainous areas. It can snow, sleet, hail, and rain at
a moment's notice. If you're heading into the backcountry or getting ready for a three-day
river float, check the forecast, but don't rely on it; plan for the worst with extra gear and
plenty of food and water.
In general, Montana and Wyoming have a semiarid climate. There is enough moisture at
certain times of the year, but summers are typically dry and warm, with July-August being
