For all of you coming over here to the great northwest for NUC, I have to warn
you to watch out for slugs on the muni trails. The slugs may not be a problem up
at the higher altitude at Snoqualmie, but down at the lower altitudes they are
out in force. I have been dodging slugs all season at my favorite local muni
trails near Lake Washington.
Being felled by a slug is a disgusting and humbling experience. When you hit a
slug you will experience a sudden and dramatic loss of traction. If you happen
to be powering up a hill or speeding around a corner you will likely fall. Just
be careful not to fall in the gooey mess that you just created. Even if you
don’t fall you still need to quickly dismount to clean the squashed slug out
from between the knobbies.
So far this season I have hit three slugs and been felled by one of them. Yuck.
I’ve got to start watching where I’m going.
Don’t worry. No self respecting northwesterner would run over a Banana Slug. The
slugs that I’m seeing on the trails here are the little black slugs. The Banana
Slug must be a bit smarter than that little black slug because I never see a
Banana Slug stretching itself across a well used single track trail.
>From: Ted Howe <74363.116@compuserve.com> The slugs John is referring to, >although slimey, are not “wee.” Ariolimax columbianus (the Banana Slug) is >the 2nd largest slug in the world, growing up to 10 inches (!) in length, >although most of the ones I’ve encountered are in the 4 to 6 inch range. >They’re found in the forests of the Pacific coast from California to Alaska. >They are the official school mascot of the University of California, Santa >Cruz (“The Fighting Banana Slugs!”). John Travolta wore a UCSC Banana Slug >t-shirt in the movie “Pulp Fiction.” For more then you ever wanted to know >about them, see: http://www.naturepark.com/bslug.htm Try not to run over them >because they are cool.
John Childs (john_childs@hotmail.com) wrote: : Being felled by a slug is a disgusting and humbling experience. When you hit a : slug you will experience a sudden and dramatic loss of traction. If you happen : to be powering up a hill or speeding around a corner you will likely fall. : Just be careful not to fall in the gooey mess that you just created. Even if : you don’t fall you still need to quickly dismount to clean the squashed slug : out from between the knobbies.
I hates them the slimey wee barstewards… many of my ( numerous) face plants
have been caused by them sgs. Just to add insult to injury ( scapes and
brusies mostly) the slimly things have invaded my garden… is nowhere safe
from lurking ickkynesses. When i catches them i throw them in the pond, ha ha
ha, sgs can’t swim. sarah
Sarah Miller wrote: > I hates them the slimey wee barstewards…
The slugs John is referring to, although slimey, are not “wee.” Ariolimax
columbianus (the Banana Slug) is the 2nd largest slug in the world, growing up
to 10 inches (!) in length, although most of the ones I’ve encountered are in
the 4 to 6 inch range. They’re found in the forests of the Pacific coast from
California to Alaska. They are the official school mascot of the University of
California, Santa Cruz (“The Fighting Banana Slugs!”). John Travolta wore a UCSC
Banana Slug t-shirt in the movie “Pulp Fiction.” For more then you ever wanted
to know about them, see: http://www.naturepark.com/bslug.htm Try not to run over
them because they are cool. Once on a group hike in Muir Woods (just north of
San Francisco) we encountered one on the trail, and one guy (a resident in
pediatrics at a university teaching hospital, no less) claimed that if you lick
them, they taste like chocolate. He was roundly derided. But then, stooping
down, he picked up the slug and, much to our disgust and disbelief, proceeded to
lick it from just behind his/her (they’re hermaphrodites) optic tentacles across
the entire length of his/her meaty body. He then held it out to us, but there
were no other takers. I mean, who knows where that slug had been. So I can’t
vouch for his claim.
Ted Howe (74363.116@CompuServe.COM) wrote: : Sarah Miller wrote: : > I hates them the slimey wee barstewards… : The slugs John is referring to, although slimey, are not “wee.”
I guess the words slimey, wee, and barstewards just go together nicely. My
garden s**gs are only .5 of an inch to 3 inches long. The ones I meet in the
woods and on cycle paths seem to be MUCH bigger…but maybe thats coz I’m flying
through the air towards them at an incredible rate of knots.
Also I’m afraid that even chocolate flavour ones does not make me like s**gs any
more. I’m better about them now than I used to be but only in as much as I don’t
cross the road to avoid them and no longer jump 3 ft in the air on an unplanned
meeting. I can even scoop them up in a trowel to pitch them into the pond. I’ll
avoid California till you can assure me they are all gone.
> Also I’m afraid that even chocolate flavour ones does not make me like s**gs > any more. I’m better about them now than I used to be but only in as much as I > don’t cross the road to avoid them and no longer jump 3 ft in the air on an > unplanned meeting. I can even scoop them up in a trowel to pitch them into the > pond. I’ll avoid California till you can assure me they are all gone.
If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never encountered a slug on any of my
rides on California trails. Most of these rides were in the Sacramento area
which is drier, so the possiblity might be a little higher in Santa Cruz, which
is more cool and shady.
And I never tasted one, so I don’t know how they are in that respect.