Had an enlightening experience with one of mama Nature's little critters last weekend.
Was climbing at the new J-Rock-Squeeze routes in Ponder. Slipped my approach shoes on, sans socks, to run around the corner. Felt like part of the tongue was down inside by my toes. Then, my toes felt like they had been dipped in a deep fryer.
Quickly yanked off the shoe and out crawled one of those big dark brown hard shelled centipedes that you commonly see on the rocks down there. Always thought they were harmless. This guy was about 4 inches long and obviously didn't relish sharing a Montrail with my stinky toes. So, he either bit, stung or excreted some venomous stuff. My toes were instantly swollen, blistered and bleeding through the pores.
Two days later, the toes are still swollen, beet red, and pretty much look like second degree burn blisters. Kinda ruins a climbing day.
Moral of the story? Check your shoes before you put them on. These little boogers make ticks, chiggers, and deerflys look tame.
Rick
Killer Centipedes - Warning!
Killer Centipedes - Warning!
We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. - Randy Pausch
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm. - Henry David Thoreau
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm. - Henry David Thoreau
I knew those little bastards were too ugly to be harmless!I'm a complete pansy... all these horor stories of centipedes and wasps and hornets and snakes make my skin crawl. ewww... then i got to have my own horror encounter.
I ran into the absolute biggest wolf spi-der in KY on Roadside Attraction on Saturday evening. It was in the good fist jam before the first offwidth. I knew he would run back in the crack if I moved up, and then I'd be in there with him and he was sure to run up my leg and attack my crotch with his mandables of death (this is a scientific fact about giant wolf spi-ders)... and then i saw that his 2"+ legs were armed with some kind of spear point things. I swear he hissed at me... so i downclimbed... yes, bailed off roadside attraction.
I ran into the absolute biggest wolf spi-der in KY on Roadside Attraction on Saturday evening. It was in the good fist jam before the first offwidth. I knew he would run back in the crack if I moved up, and then I'd be in there with him and he was sure to run up my leg and attack my crotch with his mandables of death (this is a scientific fact about giant wolf spi-ders)... and then i saw that his 2"+ legs were armed with some kind of spear point things. I swear he hissed at me... so i downclimbed... yes, bailed off roadside attraction.
[size=75]i may be weak, but i have bad technique[/size]
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squeezindlemmon
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ouch! Sorry to hear it, Rick (and all y'all other victims!). I want to thank my dear friends Yasmeen, Paul and Morgain for nuking the bees for me yesterday so I could dance with an old friend. This was no small task on their part! And I emerged sting free, with just a little rock rash. Hurts so good! 
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