Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 18, 2009 - 04:55pm PT
|
The Black Wasp woodpile.
Summer of 1986 my city friend Wally comes up to go fishing and adventuring with me. We drive into middle of nowhere Idaho and get to a small stream by early evening. After an hour or so of fishing, it’s time to go find a camp spot.
As we are getting in my truck, I notice a pile of logging slash. I explain to Wally that we should gather some of that for a campfire, since it is unlikely that our roadside camp will have any firewood. It is almost dark and a little cold. I put on Levis, a heavy canvas shirt, and work gloves: before gathering firewood.
So------I climb onto the pile of slash and start pulling out pieces and tossing them to Wally.
Shortly, something flies near my face. I have a premonition of evil, and I look down to see what might be happening.
I am black from the belly down with incensed, but cold, black-hornets that are crawling up me with malice in their demonical little minds.
“Hornets!!” I scream, as I leap off the slash pile and start running towards the road (and Wally) while peeling off my shirt and flailing at my pants.
About that time the first hornets start stinging me through the shirt and on my head.
I blow by the slightly stunned Wally and start running up the road at just below light speed. (the truck was not an option, since I was still covered with hornets.)
Meanwhile Wally is standing there trying to figure out what is going on. He later told me that the only thing he could think was: Fritz had finally gone insane. About that time the first hornet stung him.
We both run about 100 yards up the road in the dark, slapping and getting stung, cursing and screaming: until we feel safe again.
The toll was surprisingly low. I had been stung about a dozen times on my head and back. Wally had about ˝ that many. It had been too cold for the hornets to be a killing threat to us.
I do have a mild allergy to beestings, but the closest medical clinic was over 2 hours away. We went to camp, fried some fish, drank a lot of red wine and felt much better.
Wasn’t funny at the time.
|
|
Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2009 - 05:00pm PT
|
ooofa!
|
|
Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2009 - 05:52pm PT
|
#1 Rope-soloing Twilight Zone in the Gunks in October when it was fairly cold. I was hanging under this huge roof, just turning the lip when I jostle a 'Death Star' of white faced hornets. They flew out in a drunken stupor and landed all over me. None stung me. However, it was readily apparent that I couldn't go up or down in a quick fashion. So I down aided. I pulled on a piece of gear and got stung inside my elbow when a hornet was sitting there.
#2 Riding my old riding lawn mower behind the shed. I saw that the gutter, which is about 5' off the ground in the back, was falling away from the roof. So, as I'm cutting the lawn, I push the gutter back up against the roof; ya know, kill two birds thing. Just then a cloud of angry bees comes firing out. Instead of hoping off this old POS lawn tractor, I chose to drive away at 1.3 MPH. Well, angry bees fly faster than that tractor would go, in high gear. I got stung all over, but came back with two full cans of wasp death the following day.
#2A The next day, I spray the wasps, mid-day. The can says to wait until dusk when the wasps are far more pleasant. I had the whole load of angry waps chasing me again. This time I was on foot. The only problem was I left a rake in the back yard that tripped me up. My wife laughed her ass off watching me run back and forth swatting at wasps. I got more stings trying the spray them than riding away on the speedy mower. The wasps and I now have an agreement, I don't spray nor do I move the gutter and they don't sting me or my family. Ten years later, so far, so good.
|
|
Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 18, 2009 - 06:22pm PT
|
Gunkie: Great 3 stories. I got a big belly-laugh out of 2 A.
|
|
Pate
Trad climber
The Lost Highway
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2009 - 06:37pm PT
|
I got a good one I'll post tomorrow when I have a chance, for now, here's some anatomy:
|
|
MisterE
Trad climber
Canoga Bark! CA
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2009 - 06:47pm PT
|
Coming off soloing Tenaya two summers ago, and hit a nest of bees traversing a cliff left. I damn near ran off the cliff trying to get away, only a last minute tree-swing saved my ass. I kept going, but a bit more sober, as they continued to pursue. Finally I got away and was psyched to only have one sting, and be alive!
I was so jacked on adrenaline and relief, I forgot to check my clothes and got three more before I figured out to check all the cuffs, etc. Damn! No bad response, just some swelling in the ass, wrist and ankles.
|
|
jstan
climber
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2009 - 07:11pm PT
|
It is not my place to tell this story but I will anyway, funny or not.
A climber whom most of you know was leading some beginners up a climb. So as to be sure of the belay he tied himself down really close to the ground. Unfortunately he tied himself directly above the exit to a yellow jacket nest. As he was belaying a person who had trusted their life to him, the yellow jackets began stinging him.
The value of his commitment to his friends is nicely quantified when I tell you he was stung 100 times.
|
|
Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 18, 2009 - 09:40pm PT
|
Mid 1980’s I was divorced and -------looking for companionship.
A fly fishing date with an old acquaintance that had been: “way too cool” for me back in high school. I finally got to date a cheerleader------think she had been a rodeo queen as well.
Fall 1985, we park the truck, and of course leave the windows down, and go have fishing fun for a number of hours.
We get back in late afternoon to the west-facing truck. I start it up and start down a bumpy trail towards a gravel road. Sun in my eyes: I pull the visor down.
20 or so wasps, that thought they had a great nest for the winter, fall into my lap. The woman flings open the door and bails, as I start to do the same. I then remember I am driving at about 5 MPH, stop, turn off the ignition, and then jump from the cab.
Neither of us got stung. Most all the wasps left or got killed.
However, later that fall, after it got colder: it turned out the surviving wasps had gone into the heat ducts in the truck.
I’d be driving down a curvy road on a frosty morning, and suddenly a wasp would fly out of the window heater duct.
This went on until January, and made for some interesting moments.
|
|
hooblie
climber
sounding out stuff , in the manner of crickets
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2009 - 02:02am PT
|
i had a classy old shed of weathered cedar and visions of lining the interior so wind driven snow wouldn't filter through the cracks and knot holes. but first to deal with the big old wasp nest.
i was way edgey about the project and took abundant precautions including tying the extension cords to prevent power failure in the midst of the caper. put on my fluffiest parka in mid summer, gloves and goggles, the works.
knock, knock. mister shop vac calling. pretty pitiful really, not what you'd call fair chase. with the extension tube an inch from the nest's only exit the formidible squadron lauched one by one into the sucking abyss. their screams were muffled by the whine of the motor, though the gentlest little tumbling sounds travelled along the hose to the cannister.
easy to imagine some attitude remained within so without interruption an introduction was made to the stinky old tailpipe of a honda stumbling at a rough idle with a gummy carb.
over to the fast moving creek where the whitewater event took place. after such a display of overhelming technological superiority
i'm considering foregoing the michelin man outfit in favor of the brazen euro sunbasker look i brandish these days,
though i will make sure the power bill is paid up
|
|
Lee Bow
Trad climber
wet island
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2009 - 11:08am PT
|
Got a couple actually...
Mid 80's: Rapping off Grand Wall in a HUGE rainstorm. There's loose rock and hunks of wood and clods of moss hurtling down like meteors. My partner had less experience than me and I didn't know diddly (still don't) but I'm trying to act cool to keep him from panicking...
"Hey man, this is almost as wet as winter sailing, but the chunks of wood hitting me in the head aren't nearly as big..." Macho crap...
After a week long hour we finally touch down and dive for the trees for some kind of cover. I actually find a dry spot and I'm sitting there glad things aren't bouncing off my head anymore as I take off my Whillans. Suddenly I notice a warm spot. "Gee that's nice" I think. Then I notice another...and another. CRAP! I'm standing in a wasps nest. I dive back out into the rain, with only 7 or 8 stings...turn around and look...there's my harness and the rack in a cloud of wasps.
Fortunately one could have Squamish entirely to one self in the rain at that time. I simply left the gear there till the next day, 'cuz I was camped at the trail head anyway.
Another day...
Me and Crazy Terry are free-soloing some of the local choss. Nothing much harder than 5.7, but loose blocks the size of Volkswagons everywhere. So we're about 300ft off the deck which is pretty amazing when you consider that anyting even remotely worth climbing in these parts is about 50ft high...but if you're willing to climb garbage...
Anyway, We're right near the top, come up this short slab and bump into a small overhang. Did I mention this was onsight soloing and we had no clue where we were going? Any idiot with half a brain would not have been there...Terry and I would be hard pressed to come up with half a brain between us, besides he looks like a line-backer who could tackle a dump truck; how could I not be safe?
So we stare at this little overhang and figure it can't be much harder than 5.9...tighten the shoes on our EB's and Terry starts up while I stare off into space pretending I'm on the Eiger or something...
Suddenly Terry goes hurtling right over my head and lands on the slab like Bat Man... He holds up his already swelling hand and gapes at the small wasp nest he's still holding!
I don't really remember climbing out, I just know we sure did do it fast!
|
|
eKat
Trad climber
BITD2
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2009 - 11:15am PT
|
Mesa Verde. . . in the trippy little lodge there. . . my friend and I had just set up housekeeping and were getting ready to take an 8 hour guided hike into some way out there ruins. We set up a little kitchen on one of the chest of drawers (we were staying for a few days). . . and we put a wash cloth on the top, to clean stuff up with. . . well. . . while I was in the bathroom, unbeknownst to me, my friend killed a wasp with the cloth. . . then I came out and after putting on sunscreen, grabbed the cloth to wipe my hands off. . . and. . . I'll be a SUCKERFISH if I didn't get nailed FOUR TIMES by a DEAD WASP!
DooHood!
HEINOUS!
I'm fully allergic.
That put the kybosh on the spendy guided hike. . . no refunds, thank you very much!
:-(
OUCH!
eKat
|
|
Pate
Trad climber
The Lost Highway
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2009 - 11:43am PT
|
You know when in Winnie The Pooh he dives in the mud and the bees still circle around the surface looking for him? They really do that.
In Tonto Canyon, AZ I was hiking along behind my friend Bob. He stopped to point out a bee's nest under a rock, and when I asked where, he nudged the rock with is toe. The rock slipped and mashed the hive. They came out immediately in the hundreds and swarmed us. We were carrying really heavy packs, day 5 or so of a 21 day trip. We took off running, just getting the hell stung out of us. We stripped off our pack and dropped them and I tripped over Bob's and payed dearly, while I was down I received dozens of stings. We ran to an oxbow in the river that held water and jumped in, it was just deep enough to lay on our backs and be submerged. They were buzzing around inches off the water searching for us and stinging any body part that emerged. Bob got it worst, on his lips, and they swelled up and slit open, it was horrendous. Haven't been stung since then, maybe I've payed my dues.
|
|
Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2009 - 04:13pm PT
|
eKat, Leebow, Pate: Thanks for the scary stories!
Here's one that still makes me twitch when I think about it.
I’m driving home with my buddy Kevin after a weekend climbing trip to some poison ivy infested crags along the Salmon River in Idaho. Hot summer evening and the windows are down. I’m wearing baggy climbing shorts of course.
At 60 MPH the drivers-side outside mirror deflected a honey bee through the open window and up my gapping shorts.
The injured bee crawled up my inner thigh toward “big bob & the twins”-------as a slightly concerned Fritz felt something and pawed the same area.
Yep, about then, the bee stung me right on “big bob.”
We skidded to a tire-smoking stop, and I was half-way out the door: when Kevin screamed that the car was starting to roll backwards towards the river.
With a heavy sigh, I sat back down, turned off the engine, and put the car in gear.
Then I jumped out again, and dropped my shorts in front of oncoming traffic.
I was much too late to do any good, but I did get to dance on the dying bee’s carcass.
|
|
Pate
Trad climber
The Lost Highway
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2009 - 05:49pm PT
|
There's a story my mother loves to tell.
When I was 3 (73) my mom drove a big old mid 60's Ford LTD station wagon. It was dark green, fake wood sides, dark green vinyl seats. The seats would get blazing hot in the sun.
Well, we were out at the grocery store, my mom dealing with 3 kids ages 1 to 5. She was really frazzled. She got the other 2 into their car seats, and then went to strap me into mine, and I started writhing around screaming. She kept telling me the seat wasn't that hot, getting madder and madder at me while I screamed.
So, we got home and she came back to let her wailing pain in the ass son out first. She unstrapped the seat and lifted me out, and a huge wasp flew out of my car seat. She checked my butt and yes, I had been getting stung repeatedly for an entire 25 minute drive while being told to shut up and be quiet.
|
|
Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2009 - 06:48pm PT
|
Pate! Christ------that's nearly the ultimate "shut up and let me drive" story.
It sounds like mom and you have nearly gotten over it.
Heidi: my farm-girl, american-german wife has similar stories, but I believe yours beats any of her "shut up and let me drive" childhood memories.
|
|
Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2009 - 06:48pm PT
|
Geez Pate, good thing that didn't happen these days or your poor mum would be brought up on dereliction charges!
We're a few pitches up the Salathe and back then there were still things growing in some of the cracks and I notice they've attracted a bee or two. Now I've climbed with Dave like forever and know he is seriously allergic so when he gets to the belay I ask him if he brought his needles and dope kit. He gives me the look that Homer Simpson gives Marge when she calls him on something and he says, "Uh, nooo." "So what am I supposed to do up here if you get stung? Whip out my Swiss bitch and intubate you?" He didn't get stung except by my 'wit'.
|
|
Timid TopRope
Social climber
Paradise, CA
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2009 - 07:41pm PT
|
Nita and I are co-owners of 40 lava capped acres with a year 'round creek and aspens. It's a little north of Eagle Lake on the Modoc Plateau. We have a shack (cabin would be too flattering) with a wood burning stove that is very tempting to fire up as it is a mile high there.
Unbeknownst to the uninitiated, once the stove warms up it is very likely that dozens of hornets will awake from their turbid slumber and plop down from the rafters and then engage in the business that hornets are known for.
A friend using the place had several crawl into his sleeping bag as hornet antics ensued.
Years ago the wood rats had already convinced us that bringing a tent is a good idea.
I need to teach the wood rats to eat the hornets and then leave and not pee in the rafters
|
|
Doctor-man
Big Wall climber
Skagway, AK
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2009 - 08:21pm PT
|
Mine isn't nearly as epic...I was doing a mid season run up to the merced lake HS camp with a super light pack...no sleeping bag, no food, just a couple bottles for the DNC kids...anyways, I'm about to get to the last vertical gain on the trail, can't remember the name of the hill, but I run into a bear. Not such a big deal, I'd dealt with a bunch of bears before, but there were some hikers that were camped out with their tent pitched on a hill/rim just above said bear...I give these cats a warning, but they seem to be too macho to worry about it...so on I walk. Actually had to take evasive action around the bear(hiked it way wide...like 200 feet out) since he wouldn't get out of the way after yelling at him...so it goes...anyways, I figure I'm out of the danger zone after maybe a couple hundred feet and I start up the last hill of the hike.
About the second switchback I go to swat at what I think is a fly in my face, turns out to "bee" something different...all of a sudden I'm surrounded by a full swarm attacking me, some D bag with a daypack at least 11 or 12 miles from any road in any direction. So, what happens next? I run my a## off and actually manage to take care of all the last uphill section of the cruise to the lake in record time...
Despite the couple of stings, I've never made it from the valley to Merced lake in less than 4 hours since...
So it goes...
edit: I completely forgot about the time that I had a bee land on my lap while driving up in alaska this summer...distracted, I swatted at it while it tried to crawl under my shirt, and ended up missing the next turn in the road and rolling my truck...no one got hurt and we still made it climbing that day, but it still sucked.
|
|
couchmaster
climber
pdx
|
|
|
Nov 19, 2009 - 08:28pm PT
|
this is a copy of an event that happened couple years back.
I was working on my wildlife understanding skills. It seemed like @ 2000 Yellow-Jacket Hornets and I had about a 15 second conversation that seemed to take at least 20 min. but may have only been 60 secondsBasically we agreed that our communication skills are poor to non-existent.
I don't understand their buzzing noise and need for space very well, and they seem to think that loud little girl screams and arm waving means keep stinging some more.
I thought it was 20-30 stings, but the next day I was able to count some of them (where I didn't not know they'd even hit) , and it looks to be easily over 200 total stings for sure. So call it 200-300 stings. I suppose it would have been a 2 day weekend, but it just seemed like taking Sunday off and watching the swelling would be easier. Went for a bike ride with family and stayed on pavement.
I was rapping about a 250' cliff with a 165' rope and another 50m rope in the backpack. Had a ground spotter about a 1/4 mile out from the wall to direct me to the line were were trying to get on. With little lightweight travel binocs, he could see the swarm on my face and surrounding me with out the binocs. I was fully locked off with a Cinch and getting ready to saw on a dead tree limb at the time: and I was unprepared for the swarm. He says I tried to fight them off by wildly swinging my arms. Quickly gave up that bad idea. As I unfu*ked myself and started rapping again, the rope got tangled in a dead branch I hadn't gotten too and stuck fast. I totally forgot about the saw in my haste to bail as I dropped it and grabbed the handle on the Cinch, glad the saw didn't cut the rope.
Fortunately, they stopped following. I was not even 20' under the nest and stuck. I was happily right next to the only tree in the area, and that next rope barely reached to the ground. Damn good thing as I wasn't going to head up to confront that again. After 5 min of catching my breath and sawing a few dead limbs off, my partner suggested I get the hell down in case I had a reaction. I slung the tree, left a rap ring, tied off the rope and bailed.
Fu*kers probably were unaware that I had a can of raid in my car which I'd used to off their brothers who had unfortunately chosen the middle of the trail in to this area for a home just the week before. Rapped down, hiked out and got the can. Hiked back in, then up and my buddy - who had better clothes, rapped down and did em in after we determined that the rope wouldn't pull up and was totally stuck. Pretty much that's how my whole day went. We pulled some rocks off the route as well.
Was able to then rappel in an orderly manner and pull the rope.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!