Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
gnats, which continually buzz around your face. You may encounter flies on a warm
winter day, but populations increase markedly between April and October. Dense oak
woodlands are their favorite habitat in summer.
Rattlesnakes
Found throughout the Santa Lucia Range, these venomous snakes like to bask on
warm rocks or sunny patches of dirt. They are most common in spring when their
food supply (mostly rodents) also peaks. Rattlesnakes usually flee when startled and
will only strike if threatened.
To avoid being bitten, stay on paths, always give snakes the right of way, wear
high-sided hiking boots, and carry a walking stick. When climbing, watch where you
place your hands and feet.
If someone is bitten, keep the person as calm and still as possible, gently wash
the area with soap and water, apply a clean bandage, and seek immediate medical at-
tention. Do not apply a tourniquet or pack the bite area in ice, as either method will
only block circulation. Do not use your mouth to suck out venom, as that may lead
to a complicating infection. Following treatment, most snakebite symptoms resolve
within a few days.
Giardia lamblia
People often return from camping trips suffering from giardiasis, an infection of the
small intestine that can cause nausea, diarrhea, loose or watery stool, and stomach
cramps. A single-celled parasite,
Giardia lamblia
is passed in the stool of an infected
person or animal or through contaminated food or water. Symptoms generally begin
one to two weeks after being infected and may last two to six weeks.
Purify all water taken from springs, lakes, creeks, and rivers with a portable filter,
chemical treatment, or by boiling it for one to three minutes.
Raccoons & Skunks
These night visitors are drawn by food left out by campers. Never leave your food
unattended and always store it somewhere safe at night, preferably in a food canister
hung from a tree. Avoid feeding wildlife. Raccoons and skunks are known carriers of
rabies and are also infested with disease-carrying fleas, ticks, lice, and mites.
Mountain Lions
While mountain lions do roam throughout the Santa Lucia Range, they are extremely
elusive and pose a minimal threat. Don't hike alone, and keep children within arm's
length. If you encounter a lion, neither approach nor run from it. Do all you can to
appear larger, and fight back if attacked.
