Читать книгу Afoot and Afield: San Francisco Bay Area. A Comprehensive Hiking Guide онлайн

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Poison oak is a common Bay Area plant that comes in three forms—herb, shrub, and vine. Contact with any part of the plant produces an itchy rash in allergic individuals. “Leaflets three, let it be,” is the rule. In fall the shrub’s leaves turn yellow and red, adding color to the woods. In winter, upward-reaching clusters of bare branches identify the plant. Avoid contact with poison oak by staying on the trail and wearing protective clothing. Wash anything that touches poison oak—clothing, pets—in soap and water.

Western black-legged ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, which, if left untreated, can cause serious health problems. These tiny insects are almost invisible, and often the victim doesn’t know he or she has been bitten. The best protection against ticks is to wear long pants tucked into your socks and a long-sleeved shirt, use an insect repellent containing DEET on your clothes, stay on the trail, and shower and launder your clothes after your hike. If you find a tick attached, grasp it with a tweezers as close to your skin as possible and gently pull it straight out. Squeezing a tick that is attached may cause it to inject the bacteria. Wash the area, apply antiseptic, and call your doctor.