Leavenworth Poison Ivy/Oak??

[telemarker]

Is this poison ivy or poison oak or just harmless? Found on the castle rock trail, tumwater canyon:

 

[kurthicks]

Ivy, I think...not harmless. Oak is glossier from what I remember.

[Rad]

Best way to find out is to use it instead of toilet paper and then report back 6 hours later....

[Rad]

Kidding. Looks like poison ivy to me.

[mattp]

That has been growing there for 20 years, and is getting slightly more extensive with time.

[rob]

that is poison oak, not poison ivy.

[Alasdair]

Yep its Pacific Poison Oak

[obwan]

The "leaves of three - don't touch me"! It's poison ivy, as Matt said - it has grown along that trail for years. It's pretty identifiable - three leaves with a 9-12 inch stem - and very colorful red/yellow in the Fall. Google it for some interesting photo/videos.

[andyf]

That's poison ivy, which grows east of the Cascades in Washington. Also watch out at Trundle Dome in the Icicle, some of the cliffs around Mazama, lots of spots at Banks Lake, Minnehaha (Spokane), and along the river near the Royal Columns.

 

Poison oak grows west of the Cascades in Washington (watch out at Fossil Rock and everywhere in the Columbia River Gorge). The leaves have the same three-leaved pattern, but are shaped like oak leaves and less droopy. It also often seems more shrub-like.

 

I recently spent a couple hours bouldering in an oak forest near San Luis Obispo, CA. The entire ground cover of the forest, everywhere, for acres, was PO!

[pcg]

Poison oak in the Columbia River Gorge...

 

[wayne]

Oak is much more potent, too, than Ivy, i believe.

[KillerCharlie]

Whatever it is, it's awful. I got it really bad there a few weeks ago.

[Crickette]

If you are super sensitive to poison oak/ivy, "Tecnu" cream is available to minimize chances of breaking out. They sell products to put on before and after exposure. It used to be hard to find but Fred Meyer might even carry it now.

[selkirk]

There's also a bunch guarding the climbs over at Hobo Gulch in L-town as well.

[obwan]

What's really bad is when you toss your rope into a patch of either one - then the oils or whatever get on your hands,clothes etc.

[markwebster]

I think your picture is not poison, but I'm no expert.

 

This is Poison Ivy up by February Buttress in Tumwater canyon.

 

 

Note the way the leaves leave the central stem in a three way spit. "leaves of three". They are also slightly glossy from that nasty oil that causes all the problems. I've had some bad run ins with that stuff.

 

I'm starting to wear long, thin stretchy climbing pants, even in hot weather. It helps with a lot of stuff to have your shins covered.

[obwan]

 

 

This is Poison Ivy up by February Buttress in Tumwater canyon.

 

Mark - very interesting, I know various patches show up anywhere. Yours looks a bit like what AndyF describes as poison oak. I found - in any case, stay away from 3 leaves! The Fall color that poison ivy comes out with is certainly more easily identified. I took a climbing group up to Skaha once, and all opinions were wrong.

[Good2Go]

It's poison ivy. There used to be a warning sign with a picture of the plant (smooth edges, not serrated like poison oak) posted on the sign at the trailhead at the base of The Castle.

[billcoe]

Yup - same same. bad juju no matter what it's called, it's got Urishal in it. I'm surprised more climbers and hikers don't put some round up or crossbow into a little sprayer and spray the stuff on hikes in. Putting it into a dry bag would keep it off yer stuff. If it's good enough to spray on yer crops twice a year, or coat the edge of every state highway, a small squirt only on the leaves shouldn't be an issue.

 

 

 

 

Old growth Poison oak cleanup below. Some (very few) folks can rip it out with their bare hands and don't need sprays.

[rob]

Please don't go squirting roundup through the woods.

[trumpetsailor]

Seconded.

[AlpineK]

Please don't go squirting roundup through the woods.

 

No doubt

 

Identification, pay attention to your surroundings, wear gloves, and

 

Most poison ivy, oak, or sumac rashes can be treated successfully at home. Initial treatment consists of washing the area with water immediately after contact with the plants. To relieve symptoms, use wet compresses and take cool baths. Nonprescription antihistamines and calamine lotion also may help relieve symptoms. Moderate or severe cases of the rash may require treatment by a doctor, who may prescribe corticosteroid pills, creams, ointments, or shots (injections).

 

Source

 

 

[olyclimber]

for poison ivy? never tried it...

 

Take some fine grit sandpaper. Nothing too rough, you just want to burst the blisters/break the skin, not rake yourself bloody.

 

Rub the sandpaper on the area. This should actually feel like sweet relief. You finally get to scratch the shit out of that poison ivy. Rub until the blisters have popped. Don't go too nuts. The blisters should be open and probably oozing a little clear liquid. This is normal.

 

Apply the rubbing alcohol to a Q-Tip or to a clean gauze for a larger area. Apply alcohol liberally to the area. This stings a little, but not any more than alcohol or peroxide on any open wound.

 

The itching stops almost immediately. Within the next day or so, the poison ivy will start to dry out and heal. To me, this is a much better alternative than suffering days, maybe even weeks of scratching and itching.

[rob]

sandpaper? jesus christ. can't you buy chemicals to neutralize the oil? They sell it in lotion form. You can put it on before, and after, exposure.

 

The blisters themselves are just an allergic reaction, once you've washed the oil off there is no need to pop them, and the stuff inside is not the poison, it's lymph/pus or whatever.

[Good2Go]

So, what's the solution (if not herbicide)? This stuff is growing into the trail. Almost unavoidable at this point.