A hike in Topsham turned into more than we bargained for when my husband and 10-year-old walked over a hornet's nest. Yeah, we got swarmed and stung and it was without a doubt the single most scariest moment we have ever had while hiking. Luckily our first aid kit was packed with everything we needed to deal for the emergency.
Our hike at the Cathance River Nature Preserve began with my 8-year-old stopping every two feet on the trail to pick up a piece of mica or a "pretty" rock that was likely thanks to a quarry nearby. We also saw more than a few moose, deer and wild turkey tracks in the mud. The kids were thrilled with each and every discovery. And visiting the preserve during blackberry season turned into a wonderful and tasty surprise.
We chose this hike based on the fact that there were several geocaches at the preserve; we found two of them. We spent some time hiking around the river trails before we walked up a small hill to explore another area. We didn't have a problem going up the hill's path but when we walked down that same path we ran into trouble.
My 8-year-old and I were about 30 feet away from then when my 10-year-old started screaming. Then I heard my husband yell at her to run and they both raced down the trail.
As they ran, my husband yelled back to me to find another way down the hill. The reason: a huge swarm of yellow jackets.
I found another path and picked up my hysterical 8-year-old.
There really wasn't any way to totally escape the swarm but my 8-year-old and I managed to avoid a lot more than my other daughter did. Luckily my 8-year-old had a hooded jacket that covered her well as we ran down the trail.
I met up with the other half of my family about 1/4 mile down the trail and could tell immediately that they had been stung multiple times. There were still yellow jackets around us but we decided it was best to try to put some cool water on my 10-year-old's rapidly swelling legs. I found a spot to sit by the river while my husband dug out the first aid kit.
Several years ago a pharmacist had told me the most effective way to reduce the swelling and ease the pain of a bee sting is a paste of meat tenderizer and water. We've carried meat tenderizer in our emergency kit ever since and as weird as it sounds, it really does work.
Because I was wearing short sleeves and carrying my young daughter in my arms, several yellow jackets made their way into my shirt via the flared arm holes. As any woman could guess, getting stung multiple times on your breast (and under the arm) is not a pleasant experience. Since the girls were in a state of hysterics, I tried to minimize my reaction to the hornets flying in my shirt - a very difficult task for me since I'm of the scream-at-sight-of-spider-on-me persuasion.
I ended up providing some comic relief when my husband and I took my shirt off to shake out the remaining yellow jackets. As he was pulling out the stingers I tried to make it a joke about him stealing my shirt. As he removed his shirt to shake out (both of us had still had yellow jackets in our shirts up to that point), I started whistling and oogling him. That got some giggles mixed with tears from the girls and they finally stopped jumping and swiping at the long-gone yellow jackets.
As we rubbed the meat tenderizer paste on our skin and everyone took a dose of ibuprofen (we carry bottles for both children and adults), we compared sting locations. My husband showed us a sting on his ear and we all agreed that it was definitely an odd place to be stung. I refrained from any more show-and-tell of my stings by putting my shirt back on, which prompted more laughing. At that point I knew everyone was feeling a little better.
My husband took a few minutes to go back down the trail and lay some logs on the path to prevent others from disturbing the nest. He also took a couple of photos. I told him he was crazy to get close enough for a photo but at least, he said, he didn't have to worry about the yellow jackets swarming all over our 10-year-old again.
When everyone was calmer we headed back to the car. My 10-year-old was having a hard time walking but a lollipop from the emergency kit (another staple we always carry) made the pain not so bad.
In retrospect I think this was just an unlucky break for us. We were walking on a clearly established path. And in all the years we have been hiking, with and without kids, we have never had a situation like this happen. But being prepared with a well-stocked first aid kit truly saved the day. I will never think about those the extra pounds in my backpack as a hardship again.
The kids agreed on the drive home that the nature preserve was "really fun" until the yellow jacket attack and that we should visit another time.
"Yeah mom, during the winter when all the bees are gone," my 10-year-old said from the back seat.
My husband and I couldn't agree more.
Trail name: Cathance River Nature Preserve
Nearest Town: Topsham Region: Midcoast Difficulty: Easy Other: No pets permitted on trails Learn more about the Cathance River Nature Preserve Directions and Trail Map
FIRST AID KIT
Luckily we had everything we needed for our emergency on the trail. I usually pack items in our kit that require frequent use - like sunblock and insect repellent - to ensure that I am familiar with what supplies we have and what we need to replenish (checking items with expiration dates is important too). Here's what our first aid kit includes:
Gum and lollipops - works as a great distraction from an injury acetaminophen and ibuprofen for both adults AND kids alcohol swabs band-aids of several sizes and an ace bandage waterproof tape mole skin triple antibiotic cream for minor scrapes anti-itch cream for bug bites meat tenderizer - mix with water into a paste for bee stings small scissors, a needle, nail clippers and tweezers waterproof matches baby wipes - great for a quick washdown if exposed to poison ivy baby powder - great for getting sand off skin. deet-free insect repellent sunblock lotion
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram, September 2006
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