[splatbass]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

A few iphone pics I got last weekend in Joshua Tree.







I saw a teenager literally faint from the pain of getting one of these jumping chollas pulled out of her hand. Her eyes rolled back in her head and everything - totally freaked her friends out. They thought the cactus was poisonous and were freaking out about getting her to a hospital. We had to reassure them it was just pain and panic.

She got it stuck on the back of one hand then made the classic mistake of trying to grab it with her other hand. She probably had 20 spines stuck in her. They have micro barbs all down the shaft, so when you pull them out they just tear flesh the whole way.

Of course the stupid kids were drinking beer and wine, wandering off the trail and obviously payed no attention to the numerous warning signs. At least they learned a lesson in respecting nature w/o actually dying like those kids in Yosemite who went over the waterful.

Nice pics.