Arcadia South from the State Garage
Posted By auntie on July 22, 2019
3.9 miles; Exeter and Richmond, RI
A continuation of the earlier hike today, still looking for Black Trumpets. I did not find any here, either, but I did find something unexpected… that I’m allergic to bee stings. Oh, happy joy.
Tunnels!
I totally need to revise my Favorite Hikes page about this hike. There’s now a neat double-tunnel to access Arcadia from the State Garage.
Roaring Brook Handicapped Access Trail
It was on the Roaring Brook Handicapped Access Trail that I got stung. I’m not sure if it was a bee. It probably wasn’t, but instead some kind of wasp or hornet. They had apparently made a nest on the underside of the boardwalk. I never even saw them, but I sure did feel them! It stung pretty sharply, but I kind of shrugged it off, thinking, “Oh well, I’m sure it’ll stop stinging shortly,” and moved on with my day.
Unripe Elderberries
It was about 5 minutes before I started feeling… itchy. But just in a couple places. I attributed this to the heat—it was in the mid-80s and I was pretty sweaty.
Another Sad Butterfly Wing
After another 10 minutes or so, I realized I was not only getting more itchy in more places, but I had the chills. The chills? With temps in the mid-80’s? Light dawned on marble head: something was NOT RIGHT.
By the time I got to my car I was getting a bit light-headed and VERY ITCHY pretty much all over my body. Still shivering, too. It was probably not smart at this point, but I proceeded to drive myself home, where my husband immediately insisted he drive me to the local walk-in clinic. At this point I was covered in a bumpy red itchy rash, literally from head-to-toe.
Amazing how quickly you get seen when you say, “Uh, I think I’m having a reaction to a bee sting.” They gave me a shot of Benadryl and made sure I wasn’t suffering any swelling or shortness of breath, and then sent me home.
Lesson to everyone: you never know what you’re going to be allergic to, especially as you get older. Carry Benadryl tablets in your pack at all time. Maybe an EpiPen, if you can find and afford one.
Oh, and I never did find any Black Trumpets. Alas.
You can find out more about this hike from my Favorite Hikes page. As always, click the image above for details about this hike and to download the gps track.
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