December 28, 2020
I was hiking with Lynn yesterday at a Preserve in Phoenix. We were almost finished when I saw that there was a geocache not too far off the trail. Of course, I had to look for it. I found it right away, but instead of going back to the trail the same way, I saw a short cut. BIG MISTAKE. There were many cholla cactus around, but, I thought I was being careful. Cholla's are also called the jumping caucus. Seems like you don't have to get too close and the stickers jump onto you. They are very hard to get out because there are little curved barbs at the end that really dig in. You usually have to get them out with a tweezers or pliers, of which I had neither. I got one on the back of my hiking pants. Couldn't walk without it pressing into my leg. The worst one was large and covered 3 fingers on my right hand. Have never had one on bare skin. Tried to shake it off but that made it worse. Lynn was able to get the one on my leg off. The one on my hand was much harder. I was almost in tears it hurt so bad. Finally using my hiking stick, I was able to get it off. It left alot of little barbs but I carefully got them out. I have tweezers and a fine tooth comb in my bag when I geocache, but had left it at home. I will never again leave home without both of those tools. I still have a couple in my hand that hopefully will work themselves out.
The pictures are of the cholla cactus. In the description of the hike, it says there is a chola forest. I'm used to a forest having tall trees, not waist high cactus
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