Bendites...

[tzvia]

Or is it 'Benders'. I've been on vacation and drove to Bend OR this past weekend. Well, been riding in Phil's- which is awesome.

But, among all the plants that brushed on me there on Monday, one appears to not be so nice. I have a rash, for lack of a better term, in the shape of a branch swipe, on my leg. It's all red and itches a lot. Just wondering what it could be; is there poison oak or poison ivy there (I'm no plant expert and would not know what to look for.) And I would like to avoid it tomorrow...

Other than that, Bend is awesome! I love the singletrack and don't care how hot it gets this week, I'm riding every day!

Crap, my elbow is itching also...

[SadieKate]

is there poison oak or poison ivy there (I'm no plant expert and would not know what to look for.) No. Otherwise, the BubbleBoy and I would have had to get a divorce as he couldn't live here.

I'll see if I can catch the nurse next door to ask. It's mostly sage, bitterbrush, manzanita, and lodgepole out there. Not much juniper in that area. I'll have ponder on this.

[SadieKate]

You know, a few people are allergic to juniper but there's hardly any there.

Manzanita is oily.

Gooseberry? Oregon grape?

[tzvia]

Well, it's gone from a raised red itchy (like a mosquito bite but two inches long) to red around the edges, and somewhat yellowish red in the middle with those raised bumps that are classic poison ivy (been checking how the plant and the rash look like online.) It feels kinda hard and dry in the middle even though it is covered in hydrocortisone cream. I swear I did see some low-to-the-ground ivy that matches what I saw online, on some parts of Phil's trail. Could be an impostor but who knows, and I did wander off the trail several times too, to take some pictures. Oh well, I'll be out there tomorrow again and will be more careful (and use Deet as I got bit-up by mosquitos too.)

Strange that I've been all over the west camping and never had a reaction like this before. My home trails have poison ivy all over and I have stepped in it and touched it with no reaction (I did not know what it was at the time but found out later.) Maybe I was just plain lucky before.

[SadieKate]

Where exactly were you? Phil's Trail itself has no water. Therefore, no mosquitoes or poison ivy.

Tell me more about where you think you were. Where did you start? Finish? Scenery?

People frequently mistake the "Phil's Trail Complex" with Phil's Trail itself. Sort of like Zen pointing out the difference between Appalachia and the Appalachian Trail.

The damp sections of the Deschutes River Trail could have some poison ivy. Poison oak isn't impossible at low elevations but people around here generally treat it as non-existent.

[tzvia]

SadieKate,
I had been all over the trails off of the Phil's trail head so I guess I am using the name for all those intersecting trails. I did see small mosquitoes when I took the trail that started off on the left near the john. It wound down and up, then turned right to a steady mild climb that took me past a tall volcanic outcropping. I stopped there to take a picture with my bike against the rock outcropping and saw them buzzing about there.

What looked like poison ivy was when I took the trail at the right till it turned left and looped around and up a good climb. Before the climb I stopped to have a granola bar and stepped off the trail with my bike. I did see the 3 leaf buggers but thought nothing of it...

I have not been down to the river trail.

Usually I just have problems like hit 'n run car damage, flooding out of campsites, being rescued in a hailstorm at Mt Rushmore and having tree branches fall and miss me by inches at national parks. I'm surprised that the rock outcropping didn't fall on me or something...