A few more trees down...

[dsquaredmsquared]

A few more trees down since JT was last out there with the chainsaw.

The first tree was at the first large/deep creek crossing (going CW). This is the crossing where there was recently a reroute. The second tree was about 3.5 miles CW. Trees three and four are 5 ft. from each other and both hang over the trail as you climb up to boulder creek. These last two trees are ~6-7 ft off the trail and probably could be ridden under by some folks.

Lots of tasty spiders out there this morning; mostly the small kind with a thick, whitish triangular back part. We did see two larger spiders; one was brown and skinny and the other was black/blue.

[azdrawdy]

Keg's spiders will stop you in your tracks! Angela will kindly remind you that none of them are poisonous!



MD

[Mark Y]

I'd as soon encounter a rattlesnake. At least I can see him; those dang spiders might be crawling all over your shirt or helmet and you don't know it until they are on your face. And by the way, they ALL will bite AFAIK, even though some are too tiny to pierce the skin. I know many people who've experienced spider bites that welted up and some even got a little ugly. The Brown Recluse and Black Widow are the most toxic of course, but I don't want to be bitten by any of them. (I looked down one time to see what was causing this stinging sensation and it was a doggone Daddy Longlegs squatting down to chew on my arm.)

[jsandlin]

I've been out that way a few times (morning and afternoon) and experienced the lovely spider webs; but has anyone else had a problem with yellow jackets on the water crossings?

Seems like everywhere there's a good spot to get hung up and stumble, there's a few yellow jackets waiting. Especially near the water.

[brianW]

video of one encounter with a spider on Keg.

[azdrawdy]

Jul 25, 2010 7:52:10 GMT -5 brianW said:

video of one encounter with a spider on Keg.

Thanks Brian. That is what I fear when those bass tirds wrap around my face. Surely I will sleep well tonight.

I really don't like them, but Angela's spider-reasoning keeps me from freaking out now-a-days.

MD

[dsquaredmsquared]

Yep, those two big ones stopped me in my tracks. The small ones, even when crawling on your glasses or under your visor, are easy to rationalize that they can't do too much damage. Once they're about an inch big, they might as well be as big as Shelob (LOTR) or Aragog (HP)

[Angela]

I'm no spider expert but find them incredibly interesting (had a nice collection as a young girl) so know a little:

The spiders that build across our trails are orb-weavers - some orb-weavers build beautiful webs. The orb weavers build a new web every day and it takes them about an hour which explains why you ride out sometimes and are annoyed by the spider webs and then on your way back you encounter another one that you felt sure you should have cleared on your way down the trail.

Two main ones to be concerned about in our area are the Black Widow and Brown Recluse.

Black Widows spin a tangled web that is unorganized and jumbled and typically under piles of rocks, rock ledges, wood piles, etc. They also are nocturnal in their hunting habits and are a non-aggressive spider. Deaths by Black Widow bites are extremely rare.

Brown Recluse spiders don't actually spin a real web they are a hunting spider and tend to be non-aggressive and mostly nocturnal hunters - deaths from this spider bite are very rare but I have personally seen what can happen to flesh from a Brown Recluse bite and it is pretty nasty. They like piles of rocks and firewood piles also cluttered basements and attics during inhospitable times of the year. Best to shake things out when pulling things from those areas of your house.

I don't like riding through the web either by the way but it isn't fear just don't like it on my face and often hard to remove!

I am personally much more afraid of the crazy drivers texting, talking on their cell phones, reading the newspaper, etc than I am of anything found in the woods - spiders, snakes, etc.

[Mark Y]

I am personally much more afraid of the crazy drivers texting, talking on their cell phones, reading the newspaper, etc than I am of anything found in the woods - spiders, snakes, etc.

You and me both! I've encountered many, many snakes and handled a few they were poisonous. I've also had many spiders crawl on me, and prolly a couple bite me; but the likelihood of death or serious injury is far greater from a distracted driver.