Recently, a woman who was area treking the John Muir Path required rescue after she inexplicably lost feeling in her legs and could not continue her trek.
In an announcement published to Facebook, Inyo County Browse & Rescue (SAR) says the hiker had altered her mind about the initial walking and was on Taboose Pass Trail, which was her closest exit out of the Sierra Nevada. She took a quick detour to the creek and, while filling up on water, the lady told Inyo County SAR that she believes something bit her, perhaps a spider.
Quickly afterward, the woman could not feel the skin on her legs. She called for help, and after that her phone battery died. It was late in the evening, however assistance came without delay.
“Inyo SAR put together a team in Bishop and drove the rough road approximately Taboose trailhead,” the statement reads. “The rescuers pushed a wheeled litter up for about 1.5 mi, then stashed it when the trail became too rough to safely continue with a litter for the last quarter mile. After evaluating the patient, the rescuers slowly strolled her down the difficult section of the path while ensuring her security with ropes, then transferred her into the wheeled litter where the path ended up being stable.”
Taboose Pass Trail remains in Inyo National Park, near California’s Kings Canyon National Park.
What’s With the Numb Leg Skin, Though?
While the official statement didn’t provide anymore detail about the lady’s mysteriously numb leg skin, Inyo County SAR said in a comment reply: “We don’t know what bit her and if she got bitten at all (there’s stinging nettle, too).”
Ends up, the person from Inyo County SAR who left that remark might have been on to something. A representative from the organization told individuals that while they still don’t understand for sure, they believe that stinging nettles stung the hiker, not a spider.
This hazardous plant has little needle-like “hairs” that protrude on the stems and leaves. When an individual touches these needle-hair things, they inject some nasty things into the person’s skin, triggering irritation.
Responses to nettle stings differ depending on the person. Common symptoms include burning, tingling, or stinging sensations, white or red spots, and raised bumps. It’s possible this hiker might have had a more serious allergic reaction, leaving the skin on her legs where she got stung feeling numb and tingly.
Recently, a lady who was hiking in the Sierra Nevada needed rescue after she mysteriously lost feeling in her legs.