One of our very favorite, easy, hikes is up to Buck Flats on the property of the conference center. We can take the dogs off leash and it is relatively flat and rarely do we pass anyone else on the trail. In August (2021), the boys, Julia, Hercules, Griffin, Bentley, and I headed there to take the dogs out and get a bit of exercise. We have walked this trail at least a dozen times without any incident whatsoever.
This time it was very different. As we got to the end of the trail, the dogs were running in the small field, and the boys were getting ready to head down to creek when someone (probably and dog) disturbed a nest of yellow jackets in the ground.
Immediately we were just swarmed by them. They were EVERYWHERE. I screamed at the boys to just run back down the trail and they were quickly out of sight. Griffin seemed not to even notice. Hercules was yelping, Julia and I were starting to get stung and Bentley, precious Bentley, was completely covered in them.
We started heading down the trail-- over a mile from my car. I couldn't see the boys, but the yellow jackets were chasing us, continuing to sting us, and I had no idea if they were doing the same to the boys.
We would walk a few yards, then pause to pull yellow jackets off of Bentley as they were trying to burrow deeper into his fur. I was carrying him and running/walking as fast as I possibly could with him. The yellow jackets were just everywhere. We'd pull some off of him, walk a few yards more, and then see more of them crawling on him. All the while we were both getting stung, having trouble breathing from adrenaline and the exertion of carrying Bentley so far on the trail...and probably from fear too.
We made it back to the car and the boys were thankfully there. Carver had gotten stung again on his way back, but Carson, thankfully, did not get stung at all.
We got in the car, called Daniel for help, and starting racing down the road towards home. Bentley's tongue was completely white and we were afraid he was having a bad reaction to the number of stings he had. We stopped abruptly in the conference center when Carson let out a blood-curdling scream--- a yellow jacket had followed us into the car.
Daniel came up behind us and took the boys with him and back home. Julia and I took the dogs and we all made it home. And found another yellow jacket in our house not long after we got there.
Carver ended up with two stings. Carson none. Julia and I had about a dozen each. All of the dogs recovered well without any lingering pain or reactions.
Carson was probably more emotionally scarred than all of us. He has an intense fear of stinging insects and I am oh so thankful that he was spared any actual stings. Carver handled his like a champ.
I was swollen, itching, and uncomfortable for about two weeks, and I think Julia's recovery time was similar.
It was one of the most traumatic moments I think I have ever had. And we were all fine! But it was scary and happened so fast. I don't know how I carried Bentley back so far while I was so terrified for him and we were both continuing to be stung for the entire hike back. I had lost sight of the boys and had a solid 20 minute hike to the car when I didn't know where they were for sure or if they were still being pursued by the yellow jackets.
I know it's just part of being outdoors. That it all ended fine and we were okay, all of us.
But, we've still never been back to Buck Flats, even now, nine months later.
I'm thankful that Julia was with me, though I hate that she and Herc got stung too. But having another adult there helped keep me from completely panicking I think.
Maybe one day we will head back up there....but we might stop short of the field where the yellow jackets made their hidden nests.
Terrifying!
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