What you need to know on your spring hikes!

Spring is here and that means kids exploring in all the flowers and tall grasses! Here's what to keep an eye out for to have a little more peace of mind on the trails with your kids!

Ticks

With all the rains we're getting everywhere expect lush fields and tall grasses and kids who want to run straight to them and play hide and seek! And guess what?! Ticks love to hang out there and they are waiting for any exposed skin to latch on to! To avoid getting bit make sure to wear long sleeves and pants with the shirt tucked into the pants and the pants tucked into the socks.

Ticks love creases and crevices and you'd be surprised how quickly they latch on. It's actually a lot more common than you think so make sure to do tick body checks when you get home. Strip down in the shower and check everywhere for them and if you happen to find one the best way to remove them is to grab a pair of sanitized tweezers and pull that sucker out! As long as it's out within a 24 hours period your probably okay but if you want further reassurance you can send in the tick to tickcheck.com to have it checked for Lyme disease!

Here's a tick latched onto Raya after a long day of spring fun!

Poison Oak

Oh these beautiful shiny leaves! You can see them start showing off their leaves about now and please watch out! I accidentally stepped in it once and it was the worst experience ever! I also didn't know that the oil was on my shoes that I kept wearing. The oil lasts forever, and transfer back to your skin days after cleaning the affected area. The oil is called (urushiol) and is poisonous to most people and causes a rash. The rash doesn't show up right away and usually takes 24-72 hours to start showing. Some people are actually resistant to it like the Ohlone people of The Bay Area that actually used poison oak branches to build with! Don't worry too much because if you think you did get into some there's this wash (Tecnu Outdoor skin cleanser: https://a.co/d/3oXtwOu) I like to use this on myself and the kids in the shower just for that extra reassurance and honestly so far it's been great! Highly recommend it! Did you also know that Mallard Ducks make their nests in poison oak? And goats, horses, deer, squirrels, snakes, insects and even dogs and cats are immune to poison oak? But always remember if one of these animals comes in contact with it to wash them before petting because the urushiol can still be transferred to us humans!

Territorial Animals

Hiking the Bay Area you can't help but notice the cows roaming the hills. Cows and other animals are extra territorial and aggressive with their offspring this time of year. I've had a few experience with the cows that will chase hikers down the hills! You would think it's just a harmless cow but never be too sure! Keep a good distance and don't approach any wildlife.

Muddy Trails

There is no spring hiking without those muddy trails! It has been so crazy with all the recent storms that a lot of trails are just ruined and a lot are closed. However, places are starting to open up and people are getting out to hike more, so just be prepared for mud. That means good hiking shoes and poles. Nikes and Skechers will not do with that kind of mud. I like shoes with a good solid grip for water, creek crossings, and mud. I wouldn't try and go cheap when it comes to investing in a good pair of hiking shoes. I've seen people do it and unfortunately take many slips, falls and injuries on the trails. Be good to yourself and invest in a good pair! Also make sure to be mindful of the growing vegetation and stay on the trails even if it's muddy!

My Amazon storefront (https://www.amazon.com/shop/influencer-70fcbd2b) will show you my favorites for the kids and I, and I can seriously say they have been nothing short of amazing! As the kids get older we tend to switch and try different ones but I can definitely vouch for Danner, La sportiva and bogs!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and now feel a little bit more prepared and less nervous hitting those trails this spring season with your kiddos!

Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email with any questions!