Henry Coe State Park Backpacking + Tent Visitors ⛺

[@MountainsCallingMe]

What is your biggest fear when sleeping in a tent?

[@karmaisaqueen]

Def ticks! And bears!

[@MountainsCallingMe]

Bears are all fuzzy and cuddly though!

[@BeachBumGirl]

People! Crazy people! 😂

[@MountainsCallingMe]

Like a creeper walking past your tent in the middle of the night way off trail in the middle of nowhere?

[@lutheranhiker]

Depends on where I am. Close to civilization? People. Away from civilization? Bears. Canyons? Flash flood. Anywhere near a creek in the spring? Ticks! ;-)

[@lutheranhiker]

Hi man, great video! Nice to see some of the challenges that occur, not everything goes smoothly! I've had a few ticks over the years but never ran into a patch like that. It does happen though, especially in the spring, in brush around creeks. And it looks like you were around plenty of that! I always carry a couple of "tick keys" along with tweezers.

[@MountainsCallingMe]

Hey David, thanks! I bought one of those tick keys. The tweezers from my pocket knife were barely able to grab on to it. With all the rain and snow in CA this winter there will be tons of bugs much longer than usual. I am planning to hit up these lower land areas more often. After this trip I researched some options and decided to send away a set of clothes to Insect Shield. I am hoping that works and I avoid bug issues. And will be double triple checking I have bug spray! 😀

[@JustinMcKinneyhiker]

I've backpacked Henry Coe a lot. There are a lot of ticks on the grasses and brush along the trails, especially the narrow game trails. They become especially active during the winter, spring time as they like humidity and moisture. I always tuck my pant legs into my socks and treat my shoes, socks and pants with permethrin. I take my cloths off before entering my tent and don't keep them in the tent, or my backpack . In the morning I carefully shake off my cloths and inspect them before putting them on. It's extra work , but these precautions will help with an enjoyable trip. It's a beautiful area to hike in, and I've never been bitten by a tick when I've backpacked there.( they do creep me out .. big time !!)

[@MountainsCallingMe]

Thanks for watching! After this I began treating my clothes with permethryn. I sent some of my clothes to insect shield for treatment and others I sprayed myself. That has worked well, however I havent been in any high-tick areas since this. I plan to go back to Henry Coe this winter and do not expect any repeats. 😀

[@medicinegone]

I don't know. I've had ticks on me so many times I couldn't possibly count. A couple months ago, went backpacking/camping, when I got home after a couple days found 12 ticks on me. My wife was a little grossed out, but it all worked out. No illness, none of that. And I live and camp in the Rocky Mountains.

[@MountainsCallingMe]

12 ticks is A LOT! Yikes! I have been using permethryn spray on all my clothes since this and havent seen any ticks. I would have serious anxiety if I had 12 on me! Wow! Thx for watching

[@66Grudge]

Now that's funny! I have had a rattlesnake in a sleeping bag, a bobcat stealing my food and 3 Sasquatch surround me during the night. Ticks, that's Hilarious.

[@MountainsCallingMe]

A rattlesnake in the sleeping bag would be worse! Tick-borne illness freaks me out.😬

[@letsgetrealplants]

Omg! I would die!

[@MountainsCallingMe]

I was SHOOK!

[@sarahmorrill]

I hiked to Frog Lake with a friend. We both got bit by ticks. Though I didn't have symptoms, my doctor gave me something for it. My friend didn't see a doctor until a week later when he came down with Lyme disease. That made him incapacitated for eight months. He recovered, but some people don't. Lyme disease is very serious and a third of the ticks in Coe Park have it. Those are not good odds. What I do now is never hike in shorts, no matter how hot it is. I wear white pants which I tuck into my socks. I treat all my clothes before I go. I never used to take any precautions but now I know better. Imagine being incapacitated for eight months having no idea that you'd ever recover. Even if you take precautions, there's still a risk. This is real serious stuff. Bottom line: you can get Lyme disease in Henry Coe Park and Lyme disease can be a damn nightmare.

[@MountainsCallingMe]

It's been many months since then, and I dont have any symptoms. The research I read and watched says that the tick needs to be biting for 24hours or more for it to transmit disease. Fortunately for me, I noticed this one within a few hours max. Since then, I have gotten all my hiking clothes treated by Insect Shield at the beginning of summer. Plus, I have a few pieces of clothing I got since then, and items Insect Shield won't treat I treated myself with Permethryn. Most of my hiking since then has been in areas where ticks are less prevalent. However I havent so much as seen a tick on my body let alone have one biting me! 😀 I will never go backpacking again without treated clothing. I feel lucky, like I dodged one here. Thanks for your comment. Happy Trails! 👋

[@timralston6379]

CDC says, In most cases, a tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted. If you remove a tick quickly (within 24 hours), you can greatly reduce your chances of getting Lyme disease.

[@MountainsCallingMe]

Thanks for this. It has been 7 days and have not noticed any ill effects. 🫰

[@timralston6379]

@@MountainsCallingMe That's great to hear! I have had this same experience many times!... Find one tick attached and then any little sensation becomes a swarm of ticks and then the incessant, paranoid hunt begins. Consider a Permethrin-based fabric treatment like Sawyer Permethrin Spray on clothing, shoes, tent, etc. Look forward to enjoying your videos.

[@MountainsCallingMe]

I am definitely planning to treat my clothing before I go back there! I am gonna send some items away to Insect Shield and then spray some items myself like my quilt. With all the rain and snow, this spring and summer are gonna be crazy buggy in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Im hopeful the treatment also helps with mosquitos before they bite me.

[@sarahmorrill]

That is true. That's why it is very important to thoroughly check your body before you go to sleep and once you wake in the morning. Find and remove them before you feel them and you'll probably be OK.

[@sarahmorrill]

@@MountainsCallingMe After waiting 7 days, there's not much you can do except wait some more and hope you're lucky. Antibiotics help only if you start them within a couple days of the bite. Some doctors insist that you go antibiotics immediately after a bite.

[@tyrobinson9353]

Permethrin for the clothes and 100% Deet. The only way to go.

[@MountainsCallingMe]

For sure! This past season after filming this I sent my hiking clothes to Insect Shield to be professionally treated. Then I got a few more pieces of clothing after that which I did spray on permethryn treatment. I will never go backpacking in spring summer or winter without permethryn treated clothing ever again! Not only did I not have any ticks but I also hiked through grasses, bushwacking and all that without the slightest bit of concern. I also had way less mosquito bits this year even though the epic winter caused lots of water everywhere deep into summer. I have always carried 100 deet but forgot it for this particular trip I filled at Henry Coe. The 100 deet just works better... anyways, thanks for watching! 🫡

[@alyssaborowski]

never have i ever had a tick on me🤢😅

[@MountainsCallingMe]

I hope you are able to keep it that way!