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Colorado Hiking

Poison ivy and poison oak (Leaves of three, let 'em be...)

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Both poison ivy and poison oak occur in Colorado. They are generally similar in appearance. They can grow as ground cover, as vines or as upright shrubs. Leaves can be shiny green, flat green or a beautiful red / orange in the spring and fall. The leaves occur in threes. In poison ivy the edges of the leaves usually display some notching; poison oak leaf edges are generally smoother. There are sometimes clusters of berries or seeds visible.

You should be able to identify these plants so that you can avoid them, or at least know if you have been exposed so that you can quickly wash off any urushoil fluid that might be on your skin, clothing or gear. 

Urushoil is the name of the plant fluid that causes all the problems and it only takes minute amounts.  It's persistent, and urushoil that has dried on clothes, boots, hiking poles etc. can cause a skin reaction even if touched years later. About 90 percent of people who come in contact with this fluid will have a reaction to it. It typically causes the skin to develop a red rash, itching, swelling and eventual blisters.  Symptoms take roughly 2 to 24 hours to show up and the problems last for about two weeks.

The amount of time a person has to wash urushoil off the skin, before it will be later cause trouble, varies. Some very sensitive people have only about 10 minutes. Some people can take up to 4 hours. For most people, about 30 minutes is the time limit before the stuff is very hard to remove. 

If you quickly realize that you have been in contact with poison ivy or poison oak you can wash the affected areas and probably avoid any problems.  The most effective fluid for washing is alcohol, but you usually won't have that along on a hike. (If you are particularly worried about poison ivy/oak, put a small bottle of rubbing alcohol in your first aid kit.) Cold water with or without soap will work, it's better than hot water which opens the pores. 

If I find that I have been in contact with these plants I use stream water, if it's available, to wash. Usually the situation is that my boots, the lower part of my trousers and my hiking pole are the only things to worry about because I have walked through a ground cover patch of it.  So, if there's a nearby stream that has running water I will use it to wash off my boots, trousers, hiking pole and anything else that may have come in contact with the plants. 

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