# Packraft Trip Report: Mexican Hat - Clay Hills Oct 21



## jbLaramie (Feb 1, 2021)

Good read, sounds like a fun trip. 2nd about Steer gulch being a pit sometimes. There is a route on river left to run twin canyons at even lower flows.


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## understaffedpackraft (Dec 31, 2021)

jbLaramie said:


> Good read, sounds like a fun trip. 2nd about Steer gulch being a pit sometimes. There is a route on river left to run twin canyons at even lower flows.


Awesome, thanks for the input on Twin Cayons, that was the only line I saw and makes me feel better with a confirmation.


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## jbLaramie (Feb 1, 2021)

You take any pics of the bugs? Sounds really interesting. Weird raindom stuff like that is one it the best things about doing this. A bat once landed on my daughters head and just chilled for about 4-5 min before hunting bugs and it’s one of her favorite memories.


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## Utah78 (Apr 28, 2018)

jbLaramie said:


> You take any pics of the bugs? Sounds really interesting. Weird raindom stuff like that is one it the best things about doing this. A bat once landed on my daughters head and just chilled for about 4-5 min before hunting bugs and it’s one of her favorite memories.



I agree random stuff can be really fun, but that is an unusual story about the bat. I don't mean this as a criticism at all nor to sidetrack this thread, but I do have to say if a bat even lands on you, crawls on you, or touches you, you should consult immediately with a physician and seek their recommendation about receiving post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies. It is not normal for bats to contact humans, so if they do, they could be sick and bats are a common reservoir for rabies. A man in Utah died of rabies last year after he filmed a bat crawling up his bedspread in his house. A neighbor of mine recently was touched by a bat that flew out of the rafters of an old building and the doctor strongly recommended immediate rabies prophylaxis. Same recommendation for my relative who had a bat fly by her face and left a scratch on her face before it landed on the ground and laid there looking sick. Since most of us love these backcountry river trips it is good to become familiar with some of the unanticipated risks, which can include exposure to rabies by many species (bats, foxes, raccoons, skunks, even cows, and many animals). But especially if an animal is acting strangely toward humans, be very cautious. Rabies prophylaxis should be done as soon as possible after exposure. I am not a physician myself, but the CDC has clear guidelines. If you come in contact like this, next time, definitely consult with a doctor ASAP. Sorry, I really don't mean to be preachy or anything, just an important thing to bring be aware of.


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## jbLaramie (Feb 1, 2021)

Utah78 said:


> I agree random stuff can be really fun, but that is an unusual story about the bat. I don't mean this as a criticism at all nor to sidetrack this thread, but I do have to say if a bat even lands on you, crawls on you, or touches you, you should consult immediately with a physician and seek their recommendation about receiving post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies. It is not normal for bats to contact humans, so if they do, they could be sick and bats are a common reservoir for rabies. A man in Utah died of rabies last year after he filmed a bat crawling up his bedspread in his house. A neighbor of mine recently was touched by a bat that flew out of the rafters of an old building and the doctor strongly recommended immediate rabies prophylaxis. Same recommendation for my relative who had a bat fly by her face and left a scratch on her face before it landed on the ground and laid there looking sick. Since most of us love these backcountry river trips it is good to become familiar with some of the unanticipated risks, which can include exposure to rabies by many species (bats, foxes, raccoons, skunks, even cows, and many animals). But especially if an animal is acting strangely toward humans, be very cautious. Rabies prophylaxis should be done as soon as possible after exposure. I am not a physician myself, but the CDC has clear guidelines. If you come in contact like this, next time, definitely consult with a doctor ASAP. Sorry, I really don't mean to be preachy or anything, just an important thing to bring be aware of.


For sure to all of this. Doc said if it didn’t bite, get close to a mucous membrane or scratch/break the skin then it was okay. 

We also support the rabid through the Michael Scott Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer memorial celebrity rabies awareness program Fun run race for the cure. Top-five of fav office episodes.


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## Utah78 (Apr 28, 2018)

jbLaramie said:


> For sure to all of this. Doc said if it didn’t bite, get close to a mucous membrane or scratch/break the skin then it was okay.
> 
> We also support the rabid through the Michael Scott Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer memorial celebrity rabies awareness program Fun run race for the cure. Top-five of fav office episodes.


That's interesting, thanks for sharing.


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## HJAIII (Apr 5, 2010)

Nice report. I agree that Slickhorn Canyon is quite beautiful; however, a layover day at Slickhorn is not possible, because you cannot spend more than one night there.


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## DidNotWinLottery (Mar 6, 2018)

jbLaramie said:


> For sure to all of this. Doc said if it didn’t bite, get close to a mucous membrane or scratch/break the skin then it was okay.
> 
> We also support the rabid through the Michael Scott Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer memorial celebrity rabies awareness program Fun run race for the cure. Top-five of fav office episodes.


And the truth is while Rabies can be very deadly, its actually EXTREMELY rare for bat to have it . I have been covered in bats caving. But it is important to be smart. A rough encounter with an erratic bat is a sign you need the brutal treatment. When bats have rabies, like other animals they will be behaving oddly. And bats never stay on the ground, if they do, they are sick.


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