Hiking Advice

on this page include hiking in the heat, preventing and/or dealing with blisters, logistics of hiking, winter hiking and the answer to the question: When is the best time of day to cross a mountain stream?

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Plan ahead for a long hike. Are your boot laces about worn out? That small tear in the rain jacket could get bigger and give you trouble. When was the last time you trimmed your toenails? You really ought to see the dentist about that toothache.

Unless your pack comes with special instructions, pack the heaviest things lowest in your pack, so your hip belt carries the weight instead of your neck. You can adjust how your pack carries by hiking some with your hands on top of the pack frame (also good if your hands swell a little from altitude, exercise and gravity).

Drinking lots of water is the biggest secret many people don't know. So, drink more water than you're used to, regularly throughout the day (about 1/4 liter per 1/4 hour for maximum efficiency, maybe with a diluted sports drink).

When you get thirsty you're already 1.5 liters low on water, your endurance is reduced 20 per cent, and your maximum oxygen uptake (a measure of heart and lung efficiency) can drop 10 percent. All this can happen after less than one hour of hiking. Drink enough water to keep your urine light-colored and enough that you never get thirsty.

Don't drink water directly from streams or lakes. You must purify it (the club owns pumps). Please learn how to use one in advance.

You will need as much as a gallon for a long all day hike. If there is no where to get more water as you drink it, you will need to carry the whole amount.

HIKING WHEN IT'S HOT

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control)says:

"What is the best clothing for hot weather or a heat wave?

Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. In the hot sun, a wide-brimmed hat will provide shade and keep the head cool.

Should I take salt tablets during hot weather?

Do not take salt tablets unless directed by your doctor. Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body. These are necessary for your body and must be replaced. The easiest and safest way to do this is through your diet. Drink fruit juice or a sports beverage when you exercise or work in the heat."

SO, Drink more water

Light colors reflect sun--dark gets hotter

Wear a hat. You can soak some hats in water.

Short sleeves or tank tops are cooler--but if you wear them use lots of a potent sunscreen (SPF 5 is joke)

Cotton or open-weave synthetics are coolest. Cotton will retain your sweat or water you soak it in to cool you (that's why you don't want cotton at night or in the winter.) You can buy a cotton sun-proof long sleve shirt.

Hey, wear a hat with wide brim all the way around!

ON THE HIKE

Get up early enough to get moving early, drink extra water and have plenty of time. Warm up and stretch a little before your hike. You could injure yourself and end the hike at the trailhead if you swing that heavy pack up on to your shoulders too quickly.

Avoid following the person in front of you too closely so you won't collide with them if they stop suddenly or either of you slips, and so the branch that caught on their pack won't slap you in the face.

Walk at a regular but slower pace until you get your 'second wind'; also use a slower pace uphill when you need to. Don't worry about the people without packs scurrying past you.

With a pack, at a higher altitude (less oxygen) than you're used to, you may need to take uphill 'staircase' parts of hills very slowly. One step, then a couple of deep breaths. One more step and more breaths. It is much wiser to hold yourself to a snail's pace, get enough oxygen and keep going than to go too fast, then stop too long.

Walk at a pace that allows you to talk and you will be getting enough oxygen for your legs to function the best.

Take short 'breathers' to drink water, look at scenery, munch a little, check the way the trail looks behind you at a trail crossing so you will recognize it on the way out. These should be short stops. Don't take your pack all the way off, just lean against a tree or boulder to take weight off your shoulders. Don't stop long enough for your legs to get stiff.

Make a mandatory (this means everybody) stop in the first half hour to check for 'hot spots' on feet where moleskin is needed, tighten or loosen bootlaces, adjust packs, take off or add layers of clothes, stretch thoroughly, and drink more water, even if it's not warm yet.

If the moleskin and proper fitting boots don't always work, don't pop or drain the blister, it is there to protect you and you can get an infection. Pack it proper bandaging like Spenco Second Skin.

When you're about to do a long downhill, tighten your bootlaces so your feet won't slip and create blisters on the ends of your toes. Go slower than gravity would push you to. It's easier on your body and you're less dangerous to others. On slippery downhill surfaces, like wet leaves, mossy rocks, wet rock slopes, sandy granite steps or wet wooden bridges/steps, use shorter steps and really plant your feet so your whole boot contacts the surface. The compacted section of snow is slipperier than the still fluffy snow more at the side. Your boots do have enough tread left on them, right?

Cross-country ski poles, trekking poles or hiking sticks really can help lessen the load during downhills on your knees and ankles and give you better balance.

Don't step on top of anything you can step over.

Don't step over anything high you can walk around.

Before stepping fully on a rock that might slip, test it partially.

When going downhill, give uphill hikers the right of way so they don't have to break their pace.

When you need to take a breather, especially on narrow sections of trail like parts of the Mist Trail in Yosemite, move aside so others can pass. When people get momentum moving uphill it can be hard to regain if they have to stop everytime the person in front of them wants to stop.

Ask permission to pass instead of elbowing past.

When a pack train or people on horses need to go by, move downhill. Remain completely quiet and stand perfectly still. (Or follow the directions of the wrangler.)

Do not return to the trail until the last mule is at least 50 feet (15 meters) past your position.

Bicyclists must yield to horse (mule, llama) and foot traffic and on most backcountry trails, mountain biking is prohibited. Where cycling is okay, control your speed and let others know before you pass. You might say something like 'passing on your left' as you approach them.

Where bikes are allowed foot traffic should not walk side by side on narrow trails when bike traffic is approaching and make the cyclist stop. Move over into single file and share the trail.

Where possible, take breaks away from trails and other visitors, on an already worn out or rocky space. On some trails you MUST remain on the trail at all times, such as the meadows in Mount Rainier at Paradise, Sunrise and Tipsoo Lake, even for a lunch stop or to take a picture.

Stay on the trail. Don't cause erosion by cutting across switchbacks (trails with lots of U-turns on steep hills).

Remember--the plant you step on is dead, or if it's not it "may take 300-500 years to recover once trampled or destroyed" (according to Grand Teton Nat'l Park rangers). If you must cross meadows, spread out your group. Don't stay in single file unless there's an existing maintained trail. If there is a trail, stay on it even if it's muddy or sandy and difficult to walk on, don't erode another trail scar. Hey, no baseball, frisbee, kite flying, soccer or other trampling of meadows! Leave no trace

Sliding down snowbanks or sections of scree (like lots of loose, large gravel) is dangerous with a pack on, and not real smart in general. Some people recommend running, sliding and almost skiing down scree slopes. But consider how far you are from help, how difficult it will be to try to hike out with even minor injuries and how much a non-functioning ankle will spoil the rest of your trip. Also consider that you might not be able to stop before that huge boulder and you could start rocks sliding into the path of or on to others. People have died or had serious injuries trying this.

Any hike to the top of a mountain must start early to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. No matter how close you are to a high destination, you must turn away if lightning is seen or thunder heard. Thunderstorm and lightning safety has more.

This hiker in Grand Teton national park has a half liter of diet soda, a park newspaper in his back pocket and not much else. At least he has boots with tread and not flip flops. Is he wearing suncreen?

The Mountaineers Club of Washington climbing code tells us to:

Carry all the necessary clothing, food and equipment at all times.

Necessary means a full day pack, or perhaps a more comfortable partly full backpack, with enough stuff on a hike to stay overnight on the trail, maybe not comfortably, but survivably.

If you don't carry your raingear on a hike and it starts to rain, your clothes can get soaked through. In the cold temperatures of the mountains, winter or not, you could die from exposure.

____rain gear (jacket and pants, not a poncho)

____knit hat and gloves on a winter hike,

_______ hat for sun with a brim to shade your eyes and a warm hat in cold weather,

_____two or three lunches per person (not just a couple of lunch bars) ... sandwiches, fruit or see GORP and hiking snacks

_____headlamp and/or flashlight

____water bottle(s)

_____layers of warm clothes

____sunglasses

______ high SPF, waterproof, sweatproof sunscreen (put a layer on in the morning so you won't forget to use it, and bring some extra), SPF (sun protection factor) 5 is a joke, as is 15 for people out playing by/in the water or at high altitude where they get more sun. Read At altitude for advice.

_____ insect repellant

_____chapstick, dry skin lotion

_____personal first aid kit

____whistle

and add: ____well broken-in hiking boots or cross-training shoes with at least some ankle support instead of sneakers

_____ Two pairs of socks, one thin, one thicker (not cotton!!) are more comfortable than one in boots

___jackknife

___toilet paper, trowel and knowledge of how to use them

Yosemite says: "Protect water quality. Bury any human waste 6" deep and at least 100' from water sources, camp areas or trails. Pack out all toilet paper" as well as all trash, (including everything ... apple cores, orange peels, tampons, sanitary napkins, and diapers) in sealed plastic bags. Do not bury or burn them.

(Grand Teton says 200 feet from lakes, etc.)

Most people can guesstimate 6 inches by picturing the lenght of a dollar bill, but how far is 100 feet? Set out a tape measure and count the steps it takes you to walk that distance.

___ quart sized plastic bag for a litter bag, or even better a double layer of bags (double plastic bag that's big enough to hold your own trash, toilet paper, and stuff you notice someone else left on the trail). If you decide to improve your karma, and the beauty of an off-trail spot, by cleaning up used toilet paper others left, remember that it has germs and carefully use a couple of twigs to get it into your trash bag without touching it. Don't bury any trash, or dump anything in the composting backcountry outhouses, even orange peels will wreck their effectiveness.

____Personal I.D.s such as driver's license, medical insurance card, credit card, power of attorney for health care card, auto assn. card, spare car keys

____compass

____ map (the club often has extra maps for our dayhikes)

a map and map reading skills are a necessity, a GPS unit is not. GPS is not infallible

____lighter, waterproof matches (or matches in a waterproof container)

____ firestarter

____ water purifier pump (plus chemical means should the pump die)

Nice for a day hike, but not always necessary:

____croakies or other eyewear retainers to hold your sunglasses on while you peer over the top of a view point

____ spare socks

____spare prescription glasses or contacts and fluid

____ moleskin (if you know you need it to prevent blisters, put it on before the hike)

Hiking Advice has hot weather hiking advice, blister prevention, hiking logistics and the answer to the question: When is the best time of day to cross a mountain stream?

____Spenco 2nd Skin

____camera, _____more film than you think you'll need

____lenses ___ tripod ____small notepad and pencil ____minibinoculars

____ duct tape wrapped around one person's water bottle to repair various things

____ a couple of large plastic leaf bags for various emergency uses, or just to make a rain poncho for another hiker

____ If you will be swimming where you are going you probably want to either wear the swimsuit under or remember to pack it, as well as a lightweight towel (we carry single-fold cloth diapers or springboard divers mini-towels for this). Rubber sandals with tread on the bottom are useful for wading. Don't bring the slip-on flip-flop type, they should have a velcroed strap around the ankle and back of the heel.

_____ We use hiking poles (originally we got along fine with our cross-country ski poles) especially on long downhills, to protect our knees and transfer some of the load from our legs to our upper body. They also give extra stability crossing streams. Ones that telescope or unscrew into sections will more easily fit in airplane carry-ons or checked luggage. Shop around, you don't have to pay $80 for these.

______spare batteries and bulb for the flashlight,

_____and on our winter trips, a chemical handwarmer packet. (If you bring a cell phone or family band radio don't leave your brains behind and take extra risks).

You won't be able to fit all this in a tiny day pack. A real, ____full-sized backpack would be much wiser

AND then you can fit____ enough water (even 2, 3 or 4 liters each) for that long hike. Hiking dehydrated is a miserable experience.

Leave no trace camping and hiking has these basic principles:

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Dispose of Waste Properly

Leave What You Find

Minimize Campfire Impacts

Respect Wildlife

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

To truly be able to leave no trace and follow backcountry rules about camping the proper distance from a lake or digging your personal latrine hole the proper distance from water, etc., you will need to know how far 100 (or in many areas, 200 )feet is. Lay out a tape measure at home and walk it and count your paces.

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A few clues about other distances:

about eight miles away the shapes of prominent trees and buildings become distinguishable

about 2 miles away you can see individual windows in a building

about a mile away a person looks like a moving dot without limbs

about 400 yards away (a little under a quarter of a mile) you can make out a person's legs or a kayaker's arms

about 250 to 300 yards away faces are discernible (but not recognizable)

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Info on the Yosemite Half Dome hike, with good advice in general:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm

In 2010 they started requiring permits for day hikes to Half Dome on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays. They will issue a maximum of 400 permits per day. Backpackers in the area can get a Half Dome hike permit with their backpack permit for free. You can face misdemeanor charges if you go up without a permit - up to a $5,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

Why the permits? In summer of 2009 on Saturdays and holidays Half Dome hikers averaged 840 per day (estimated at a peak of 1100 to 1200) and people have had to wait up to an hour to go up.

Permits will be required every day of the week, with each person needing their own individual permit. Up to four permits can be obtained under one reservation. There is a non-refundable service charge for each permit. Subsequent permits will be available at the beginning of each month for permits three months in advance. Reservations can be made through www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm

a 360 degree view from the top of Half Dome:

http://www.virtualjacksonhole.com/SceneViewer.aspx?VRLN=half_dome_summit

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From Sierra Nature Notes, Volume 4, June 2004

When is the best time to cross a mountain stream?

Understanding daily variations in streamflow

Jessica Lundquist, Soon-to-be PhD

Hydroclimatology Group, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Jessica starts by quoting from an " Issue of Backpacker magazine... I spend my summers doing river research in Yosemite National Park, and for once, something had appeared in my mailbox that actually looked useful. I quickly flipped to a page titled 'Become a stronger, smarter hiker' and looked at a 'Quick Tip' highlighted in a black box. "The best time to cross a stream is in the morning, when the flow is lowest," the tip read. "During the day, snowmelt can dramatically swell a stream. So if it's late in the day, consider camping streamside for the night and crossing in the morning."

Sounds reasonable, but how often is this good advice?"

She researched the issue and came up with the following summation:

"Jessica's guidelines for stream crossing times in Yosemite: After showing more science and complexity than you may have wanted, the following are my rules of thumb for the times of peak and minimum daily streamflow, depending on where and when you are in the park (Table 1):

Table 1

Size of Stream Small (like Rafferty or Gaylor Creek)

Early spring melt (April and May) Max flow: 9-11 pm, Min flow: noon

Peak melt (early June) Max: 5-6 pm, Min: 8-10 am

Late-season melt (mid/late summer) Max: 7-9 pm, Min: 9-12 am

Size of Stream Medium (like Lyell Fork of Tuolumne)

Early spring melt (April and May) Max flow: 8-10 pm, Min flow: 10-12 am

Peak melt (early June) Max: 8-10 pm, Min: near noon

Late-season melt (mid/late summer) Max: 10 pm - 3 am, Min: noon - 4 pm

Size of Stream Large (like Merced at Happy Isles or Tuolumne at Hetch Hetchy)

Early spring melt (April and May) Max flow: near midnight, Min flow: near 4 pm

Peak melt (early June) Max: still near midnight or slightly later, Min: noon-3 pm

Late-season melt (mid/late summer) Max: morning, shifting as late as 10 am, Min: 3pm-midnight

In summary, it's not always a good idea to set up camp solely for the purpose of waiting for better stream crossing conditions in the morning. This generally works near small streams in the summer, but not if you're some distance from the snowline. However, setting up camp near a stream for several days could be a fun experiment. Watch the water rise and fall and learn what it tells you about the water's journey from the top of the snowpack to the spot where you stand."

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see also:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/sar/hikesafe.htm

http://www.nps.gov/yose/sar/climbsafe.htm

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Don't cross a creek this way:

from the National park Service Morning Report Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (PA) Fatal Fall Into Raymondskill Creek

Tatiana Culvert, 44, of Effort, Pennsylvania, was killed on Saturday afternoon when she slipped off a log and fell into Raymondskill Creek. According to friends who witnessed the accident, she was one of a group of six visitors who crossed the creek on a log that was about 30 feet above the water. Everyone else in the group crossed by straddling the log and sliding over, but Culvert attempted to walk across. She lost her balance, held onto the log for a moment with her hands, then lost her grip and fell into the creek below. The water was only about ten inches deep at that point and Culvert struck the rocks below the stream’s surface. Her friends immediately pulled her out of the creek and reported later that she remained conscious for a short time. One member of the party hiked out to the trailhead and called 911. Park rangers, paramedics, and the Milford Fire Department rescue team responded immediately, arriving with a few minutes of the initial call. By the time the rescuers arrived, Culvert was unconscious and had stopped breathing. CPR was begun and a defibrillator unit was used at the scene, but Culvert never regained consciousness. The cause of death is presumed to be traumatic injury associated with the fall. The accident occurred in an area where there are no established trails. Culvert is survived by her husband and five children. [Submitted by Doyle Nelson, Deputy Superintendent]

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Teton County (Wyoming) Search and rescue would like you to know:

"Do not stand in moving water, even if shallow. If your foot gets trapped in the rocks, the current will push you over, wedging you foot tighter, and pushing your head underwater. You will drown. Others have drowned in 2 feet of water this way."

WINTER HIKING

Yosemite park has this advice for winter hikes from the daily report of January 23, 2004:

"Plan your trip sensibly anytime you go out, keeping in the mind the experience level and conditioning of the weakest member of your group. Don't separate from other members! Winter backcountry travel is almost always tricker than summer--conditions are unpredictable and variable, trails are slippery or hidden, visibility can be poor, and landmarks look very different under snow. New hazards such as falling rock or ice, snow bridges, or hollow spots under the snow pack can cause problems. Remember there is less travel time due to shorter days and more obstacles to speedy movement than in summer. Make sure someone knows where you are going and when you are due back."

And from a February Daily report:

"The Wilderness Safety Action Team would like to remind you that when you
work or play outside in the winter, remember that the weather is often
unpredictable. If you are going out for the day, check the forecast, but
be prepared for both ends of the weather spectrum each time you go out.
Carry sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat for shade particularly if there is
snow on the ground, but also carry storm gear and warm clothing. You lose
much of your body's heat from your head, so a warm hat is a necessity.
Remember you need to eat and drink more to prepare yourself for cold
weather activities--you need a gallon of fluids a day during strenuous
winter activity. Creeks will be frozen, so "tank up" by drinking as much
as you can before leaving and carry a couple of quarts of water for a full
days outing.
Be prepared to spend an unexpected night out when traveling in the
wilderness. If you get lost, or must bivouac, stay put and stay dry.
Carry a lighter to build a fire--lower tree branches are often dead and
dry. Look for pitch on tree trunks for fire starter. Boughs can be used
for a platform in an emergency, and you can insulate yourself from the wind
and snow by huddling together and sitting on packs or ensolite pads. A
shelter can be made by digging a trench in the snow. Three blasts on a
whistle, repeated often, will help searchers find you. Stomp out a big "X"
in the snow to help the helicopter find you if things go that far.
This information is to help you stay safe by providing easy ways to stay
out of trouble. Proper preparation and thought can prevent everything from
unpleasant experiences to rescues, and allow you to spend your time
enjoying the great outdoors comfortably and safely. (L. Boyers)
"

Here are more rockfall safety tips from the Wilderness Safety Action Team.
We plan to provide more information about these exciting natural events in
the Daily. This text is from the official wording on the rock fall
closures posted at the trail barricades, but applies to all of us.
ROCKFALL POTENTIAL IN THE PARK
Rocks and/or ice can fall at any time. While hiking trails, avoid
lingering near talus or steeper slopes, particularly in winter. If you
observe a rockfall in the area, call 911 or 209/379-1992 with information
on the time, location, and duration of the event.
BE RESPONSIBLE—BE SAFE
Rockfalls are a dynamic—and dramatic—natural process. But it is impossible
for the park to monitor for every potential rockfall. In Yosemite, and in
any natural area, it is up to visitors and employees alike to be aware of
their surroundings and enjoy the park safely.
Rockfalls are dangerous and can cause injury or death. Use caution when
entering any area where rockfall activity may occur, such as Valley walls,
climbing areas, or talus slopes.
LEARN MORE
Winter is one of the most active periods for rockfall activity in Yosemite
National Park. As temperatures fall in the evening and warm up during the
day, cracks in the granite can widen, eventually causing rocks to separate
and fall.
To learn more about rockfalls and geology in Yosemite National Park, stop
by any visitor center for an information sheet or visit online at
www.nps.gov/yose. (L.Boyers)

see also: Snow camp weather, hike safety and first aid considerations

Enhance your hike by reading:

The day hike gear section at Camping equipment checklist

GORP and hiking snacks

Thunderstorm and lightning safety includes the answer to the question: Why can't you swim during a lightning storm? A strike on a lake doesn't kill all the fish in the lake.

At altitude

Backpacking Advice

see also: Cell phones in the wilderness which has advice on how/when to use a cell phone to contact 911 in the wilderness and a warning about interference between cell phones, iPods and avalanche beacons.

You can't always expect a helicopter rescue

fatal, near fatal or close call incidents/accidents in camping, backpacking, climbing and mountaineering

GPS is not infallible

Can a person who is prescribed an epi-pen risk going into the wilderness? and some sting prevention notes are at: Anaphylaxis quick facts

Leave no trace